I have a brand new battery and complete new starter system on the 74. I put the battery on a battery tender and it will take and keep the charge however when I remove the tender, it will over the course of a week loose enough voltage to drop to just over 12v. That tells me there must be some parasitic draw somewhere but I cant find it. I have used test lights all over the place. Does anyone know of a way to determine if in fact I do have something drawing it down little by little over time? Its in a heated garage and the battery is brand spanking new. I have had it out and charged for two weeks and there is no voltage drop but on the bike. a tiny bit it draining somewhere.

randy

 

Just for grins and giggles ... have you "load tested" the new battery ??

 

, And check the date on it too. It may have sat on the shelf too long.

 

Yes I have done a load test and it is fine and the battery itself is less than five months old.

randy

 

All of this will be done with the engine not running !

Disconnect the pos. cable on the battery, then put your multimeter (set on the current reading (amps) ) between the cable and batt terminal. If nothing is drawing current, the meter will read 0.0. You might need to lower the scale from "full" amps (i.e 1 amp or more) to the next smaller range...probably labled mA for milliamp. 1000 mA's = 1 amp. So on the mA scale, if something is drawing 1/2 amp, the meter will show 0.500. 1/4 amp will show 0.250, etc.

Any parasitic current draw from the battery with the key off will show something other than 0.000 mA on your meter.

Next, start eliminating your various loads by removing fuses one at a time. When the fuse you pulled makes the meter drop to 0.0, you've found the circuit that's drawing current...troubleshoot that circuit appropriately.

 

How much is a Little???
!00% is 12.6 [on a Flooded battery, a bit more on AGM]
Anythin over that is "flash" and draws off quickly!
BTW 12.3 is 50% and 12.0v is Dead and Gone.