Current Draw with EVERYTHING OFF
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Stage III
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: San Fernando Valley
Current Draw with EVERYTHING OFF
Fellow riders and knuckleheads,
Please help me out with an issue. I belive that I have a parasitic draw somewhere in my 13 Street Bob. I bought my bike brand new from the dealership about two years ago and I've been experiencing a dead battery as of late. I figure two years is way too early for a battery to be failing. I've charged it a few times and it has no problems holding a charge, so I'm assuming the battery is good. I've tested the charging system and it seems that all is normal there. However, when i do a current draw test with everything OFF to see if there might be something staying on, I get a current reading of 11mA or .11A (whichever way you prefer to see it). Does anyone know what the standard or "normal" current draw is with everything off? I've heard anything from .02 amps to .17 amps. I don't want to buy a new battery ($130) and have it drained in a few months if it is that I do have a draw somewhere. Any help is appreciated. Cheers!
P.s. I don't have any after market electronics on it or alarm. do have a fuelpak tho.
Please help me out with an issue. I belive that I have a parasitic draw somewhere in my 13 Street Bob. I bought my bike brand new from the dealership about two years ago and I've been experiencing a dead battery as of late. I figure two years is way too early for a battery to be failing. I've charged it a few times and it has no problems holding a charge, so I'm assuming the battery is good. I've tested the charging system and it seems that all is normal there. However, when i do a current draw test with everything OFF to see if there might be something staying on, I get a current reading of 11mA or .11A (whichever way you prefer to see it). Does anyone know what the standard or "normal" current draw is with everything off? I've heard anything from .02 amps to .17 amps. I don't want to buy a new battery ($130) and have it drained in a few months if it is that I do have a draw somewhere. Any help is appreciated. Cheers!
P.s. I don't have any after market electronics on it or alarm. do have a fuelpak tho.
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 273
Likes: 14
From: Dallas, TX
11mA is .011A & .11A is 110mA
Us knowing what you are actually reading will help.
You should be looking for less than 50mA or .05A You'll need to let the bike set for a few minutes with the meter hooked up before you tart taking your readings. You'll notice they start out a little high & drop as things shut down. I can;t say 100% for the HD but many cars with CAN systems can take up to 45 minutes to shut down.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 2,464
Likes: 50
From: Rouses Point, N.Y.
in the automotive world vehicle should have less than 25 ma drain on system. which would take about 33 days to kill a battery with 690 cca with a reserve of 110. on the average most only have 2 ma draw once all modules power down. so your bike should have around 2 ma or less if any at all.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,566
Likes: 55
From: Londonderry, NH
You need to start looking somewhere else. If the charging system tests good, and there are no loose connections or grounds in the battery/starter circuit, then suspect the battery.
Batteries can and do fail within two years. It's not the norm, but it does happen. Remove it and have it load tested.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,557
Likes: 235
From: Texas
how about an intermittent voltage regulator...happened to me and seeing more posts on this lately.
What I experienced was that everything worked good for weeks but out of the blue, it wouldn't crank one day at a gas pump out in the boonies because the battery was discharged. Got it running and hit the local HD dealer who checked it and couldn't find anything wrong. It happened several times the same way, sometimes the battery doesn't charge so it won't start, but then the system always checked good when had my trusty Fluke on it.
It finally gave it up so I could tell for sure that the less than 1-year old dealer installed OEM voltage regulator was kuput. My local Harley service guy said they have been seeing intermittent voltage regulators and replaced it free of charge. No starting problems since...
What I experienced was that everything worked good for weeks but out of the blue, it wouldn't crank one day at a gas pump out in the boonies because the battery was discharged. Got it running and hit the local HD dealer who checked it and couldn't find anything wrong. It happened several times the same way, sometimes the battery doesn't charge so it won't start, but then the system always checked good when had my trusty Fluke on it.
It finally gave it up so I could tell for sure that the less than 1-year old dealer installed OEM voltage regulator was kuput. My local Harley service guy said they have been seeing intermittent voltage regulators and replaced it free of charge. No starting problems since...
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 5,132
Likes: 228
From: Garland, TX
The battery could possibly be bad. You could have a new battery go bad or you could have a battery last 10 years. The battery on my dads 09 ultra died after the bike was only 2 years old. No warning or anything, just died.
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Stage III
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 3
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From: San Fernando Valley
Thanks guys, I really appreciate the info. Just checked the draw and still reads 11mA. Been steady. Ill continue mission to see what else it might be. If nothing else, I'll buy a new battery =/ Need it have it good to go for my ride tomorrow to Henderson, NV. Nice little trip (273 miles from where I stand)
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If your bike sits for a week or two (may be not as common in the warmer climates) do you have the battery charging on a tender or just a charger. Tenders can greatly extend battery life, I will plug my bike in if it sits for a week even though I know it will go anyway. My ultra may have a larger draw than yours while it sits but my battery is 7 years old and starts the bike just fine but I think this year I will put a new one in anyway, I feel I have got my use out of this one thanks to the tender.
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
From: Michigan
If your bike sits for a week or two (may be not as common in the warmer climates) do you have the battery charging on a tender or just a charger. Tenders can greatly extend battery life, I will plug my bike in if it sits for a week even though I know it will go anyway. My ultra may have a larger draw than yours while it sits but my battery is 7 years old and starts the bike just fine but I think this year I will put a new one in anyway, I feel I have got my use out of this one thanks to the tender.