G@& Damn. Battery!

[Warpdrv]

I wonder why getting a boost from a car could cause damage ? Isn't the 12v system of a car compatible to the 12v system of the bike ? I have boosted 2 different bikes with a car and no issues. Just lucky ?

We just had another battery thread on this but briefly:

The alternator systems on cars are not compatible with the stator systems on bikes.

Jumping from a car or truck is okay providing the engine of the donor vehicle is not running. If it IS running, the alternator on the car will sense the regulator on the bike as a load, and ramp up it's output to try to meet the demand. The bike doesn't actually need this power, so the regulator will try to dump it as heat and ... well you get the picture.

Most times you will get away with it, until the time you don't and you will need a new regulator.

I have learned more things from Twigg about electrical stuff on this forum then I can remember

Thank you Sir.... always appreciate your knowledge... That bit was something I did not know....

 

[ericboutin]

I have a low tech suggestion to offer. I experienced all sorts of strange battery problems after I installed a battery tender. Long story short every time I disconnected and reconnected the battery the positive side rubber protector would work it's way just under the connection so it was getting juice and seemed tight but in reality it wasn't a good connection. I like you was pulling my hair out! Once I discovered the issue and trimmed the rubber back and reconnected I've never had another issue. Yes like I said a low tech solution but definitely worth checking out. Keep at it you'll find it, whatever it is.

 

[Twigg]

I have learned more things from Twigg about electrical stuff on this forum then I can remember

Thank you Sir.... always appreciate your knowledge... That bit was something I did not know....

My electrical knowledge is limited. I learn a lot from GoogleFu and others, particularly in Forums like this one. I do try to comment only on subjects I am fairly sure of, and I don't always get that right This particular issue always resonates, as it did with me, because it's such a simple explanation everyone slaps themselves on the forehead when they get it

Thank you for the kind words. Someone taught me and I am just paying it forward.

 

[numb41]

update: charged the batt up, let it sit overnite, put it in. Put my meter on it as i was starting it, meter went to 10v. when it started, jumped up to 14.3v. I guess a new batt is in my future. Gonna get an interstate battery. I can get it in town...no more buying batts over the internet for me.

 

[Denver_FJR]

I don't think a drop to 10v is indicates a bad battery considering the current draw on the starter, but I have no reference. When my 7 year old battery was going bad I was seeing voltage drop to 9.5 or bit less and it was causing the ECU to go into a funk.

I'd be interested to hear if someone has tested a relatively new bat.

 

[MrZappo]

10 is borderline. New ones hang between 11 and 12. It is close.

Given the ongoing troubles he has had and the fact that it went up to over 14 volts as soon as it started is enough evidence to call the battery suspect.

The rise to over 14 volts would mean that the stator and regulator are healthy and should be charging the battery.

In any event I'd do the battery and get a tender (yuasa is my personal favorite and are only about $30 on amazon) . Cheap insurance and helps to determine battery and charging system health. When I get home, I plug it right in. If it shows "charging" for more than 5 mins or so, I can tell something is amiss.

 

[mcatrophy]

10 is borderline. New ones hang between 11 and 12. It is close....

I'm going to go against the general consensus on battery voltage during cranking.

Every one of my FJRs' batteries voltages has dropped to below 11 volts during cranking; under the worst conditions (temperature around freezing) it can drop to the mid 9's. I've never had starting problems (apart from the odd flooding having turned off after a few seconds of cold running).

I've a video of a voltmeter on the battery terminals during my '14 starting, click on the image below (but you might find my server is a bit slow delivering it).



One still from the video:



Strictly speaking the meter leads were clipped to the battery cable lugs:



[edit]

Found more of my '10 at about 4 months (1300 miles) old, temperature 11C (52F), bike had been idle for a couple of weeks, voltage drops to 10.2:



Some frames (click on image for larger view):

(33) Ignition on 12.2 volts (34) Cranking, 10.6 volts



(38) Cranking, 10.2 volts (48) Started, 13.3 volts



The voltmeter, part of my "Do (nearly) everything Controller for the FJR1300AS", was calibrated and accurate to within 0.1 volts, its connections were directly to the battery.

 

[lonerider]

FWIW, I stumbled across this article https://gl1800riders.com/forums/showthread.php?208753-How-to-Load-Test-Your-Battery on a Wing forum. I picked up a HF carbon pile tester and checked the batteries in three of my bikes (that stay on Battery Tenders anytime they are in the garage). With a load of 1/2 the cold cranking amps for 15 seconds, none showed less that 10.48V while in test, including the OEM battery in my '07. Being somewhat suspicious of the gauges on the HF, I monitored the amp draw with a Fluke clamp meter and the voltage with an Amprobe DMM.

 

[Denver_FJR]

...Being somewhat suspicious of the gauges on the HF, I monitored the amp draw with a Fluke clamp meter and the voltage with an Amprobe DMM.

And the current draw was????

 

[lonerider]

...Being somewhat suspicious of the gauges on the HF, I monitored the amp draw with a Fluke clamp meter and the voltage with an Amprobe DMM.

And the current draw was????

Adjusted to 105 amps (1/2 the CCA) via the adjustment on the tester, held for 15 seconds. The lowest voltage recorded during the test determines pass/fail for the battery. At the temperature of the battery at that time, 9.6V was the yardstick for my battery.

 

[MrZappo]

...Being somewhat suspicious of the gauges on the HF, I monitored the amp draw with a Fluke clamp meter and the voltage with an Amprobe DMM.

And the current draw was????

Adjusted to 105 amps (1/2 the CCA) via the adjustment on the tester, held for 15 seconds. The lowest voltage recorded during the test determines pass/fail for the battery. At the temperature of the battery at that time, 9.6V was the yardstick for my battery.

Just found this information which I thought was relevant to this thread ... Page 22 Specifically ...

https://www.yuasabatteries.com/pdfs/TechManual_2014.pdf

 

[Twigg]

...Being somewhat suspicious of the gauges on the HF, I monitored the amp draw with a Fluke clamp meter and the voltage with an Amprobe DMM.

And the current draw was????

Adjusted to 105 amps (1/2 the CCA) via the adjustment on the tester, held for 15 seconds. The lowest voltage recorded during the test determines pass/fail for the battery. At the temperature of the battery at that time, 9.6V was the yardstick for my battery.

That sounds pretty decent.

 

[numb41]

update fwiw. Charged the battery and ran arouind for two days with now issue. On wed i started it, just to see if it would start. Checked the voltage and it was down to 9.7 but spun the starter nicely. Yesterday. (saturday)it wouldnt start, voltage at the start was below 12v - and went way down to like 5 or 6v. Am i dealilng with a battery drain issue? Do i have a bad battery AND a drain issue?? I will recharge and i guess try to see what the load is. This is a stock bike btw.

 

[Twigg]

update fwiw. Charged the battery and ran arouind for two days with now issue. On wed i started it, just to see if it would start. Checked the voltage and it was down to 9.7 but spun the starter nicely. Yesterday. (saturday)it wouldnt start, voltage at the start was below 12v - and went way down to like 5 or 6v. Am i dealilng with a battery drain issue? Do i have a bad battery AND a drain issue?? I will recharge and i guess try to see what the load is. This is a stock bike btw.

Check for a battery drain (parasistic load) first.

To do this, switch the bike off normally them put an ammeter between the +ve lead(s) and the +ve terminal. You are looking for a reading under 30 to 50 milliamps.

Much higher and you will be wanting to find out what is causing it.

You have a 12 AmpHour battery. In theory this means it can deliver 12 Amps for 30 minutes until it is at half-charge. It's not that simple, but for this exercise it's okay.

This means that a 1 Amp load would be okay for 6 hours, 100 milliamps for 60 hours and 50 milliamps for 120 hours.

You also need to check the battery is charging correctly. The voltage across the terminals at 2000 rpm should be 14.4V (Battery charged).

Those two tests take a few minutes. If the bike passes them, get the battery load-tested.

 

[MrZappo]

update fwiw. Charged the battery and ran arouind for two days with now issue. On wed i started it, just to see if it would start. Checked the voltage and it was down to 9.7 but spun the starter nicely. Yesterday. (saturday)it wouldnt start, voltage at the start was below 12v - and went way down to like 5 or 6v. Am i dealilng with a battery drain issue? Do i have a bad battery AND a drain issue?? I will recharge and i guess try to see what the load is. This is a stock bike btw.

Sounds like either your battery is not charging at all or you have a significant discharge when the bike is off. The clue at least for me is that you ran fine for 2 days after a full charge.

If you connect the dvm to the battery and measure the voltage with the bike off, what is it ? Now, does it go up after the bike is running to 13.8-14.4?

If not, maybe bad regulator or stator.

My 2 cents. Keep us posted.

 

[numb41]

ok, hooked up my multi meter (10 amp) to see what the draw was when the machine was off..started out (.01) then went to (.07) when the gauges flashed. after that the reading went to zero..i tried it on the positive side first, then on the neg side, both read the same. Took it to my local interstate dealer and had it load tested. he said the numbers looked ok but the machine he was using to load test still said to replace the battery. (i dont remember what the numbers were exactly - 186?). Took it home and put it back on the bike; hooked up a small lightbulb(i cant remember what you call it - looks like a screw driver with a point and a clip that goes to ground - i use it when looking for a hot wire)... the light bulb lit when the gauges flashed and stayed lit after they were done. There is a draw when the key is off but i dont know how much.

 

[numb41]

Zappo, i didnt start the bike today, but last week, the battery after it started was reading 14.3 - 14.4v

 

[numb41]

so I'm sittin' here having a beer and i thought i'd try to see what fuse(s) would have power to them when the key is turned off. Two fuses had power to them the backup - whis is the odo and clock (makes sense) and the radiator fan. Radiator fan? Is that ok?

 

[MrZappo]

Seems ok since the fan is likely off when the bike is off. Thinking about this, the fan does continue to run with the bike off on really hot days when returning to my garage I think. It must run until some temperature threshold is crossed.

Others will weigh in but I am pretty sure that is correct.

I'm a few scotches into my day off so a little lowered mental capacity at this moment.

I'm going to reread this thread and think a bit. This should not be this hard to track down.

Twigg may have some thoughts as well.

Back with some more thoughts in a bit.

 

[MrZappo]

Numb, you are still on the same battery since this thread started correct? I didnt see a post saying you have tried another one yet.

Do you own a battery tender as opposed to a charger?