Battery Drain Question
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 102
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From: Black Hills, SD
Battery Drain Question
Hey guys long time no post.
I was hoping to find some direction on my recent issue. I have a 97 FLHTC and have been getting an intermittent battery drain when sitting in the garage. I have tried to trouble shoot the problem with little gain on the problem.
What I have done so far is pulled the POS side cable off the battery and connected my mili-amp meter in line with the POS battery terminal and the POS cable to the bike. At this point I did have a draw. It was something like 8 mili-amps or so. I am having a hard time remembering exact at the moment but it quite substantial draw. I began pulling fuses one at a time to see if I could narrow down the source of the load and pulling all the fuses did not effect it at all.
At that point I called it a night and went in.
The next time I tried to check and see if I could replicate the problem I had no load. Just a very small mili-amp reading from the radio clock memory.
I have tried to repeat the problem several times and have been successful a few times but never able to track down what is causing the draw down.....
Now I am getting frustrated with this thing and need some direction.
A friend of mine who has come up through the years of the Knuckle all the way to the twinkles now suggested that it may be the voltage regulator bleeding by but I am not sure how to check this??
For reference for you guys when this condition repeats it self it takes about two days sitting and the battery is dead to the point it will barley turn the fuel pump on.
If anyone has a suggestion please fell free to share or a possible tip on how to check the voltage regulator?
Thanks guys! Hope you all have a safe riding season and keep the rubber side down.
I will be on a moon light poker run through the Bad Lands here in western SD tomorrow night!!!! My favorite one of the year!
JT.
I was hoping to find some direction on my recent issue. I have a 97 FLHTC and have been getting an intermittent battery drain when sitting in the garage. I have tried to trouble shoot the problem with little gain on the problem.
What I have done so far is pulled the POS side cable off the battery and connected my mili-amp meter in line with the POS battery terminal and the POS cable to the bike. At this point I did have a draw. It was something like 8 mili-amps or so. I am having a hard time remembering exact at the moment but it quite substantial draw. I began pulling fuses one at a time to see if I could narrow down the source of the load and pulling all the fuses did not effect it at all.
At that point I called it a night and went in.
The next time I tried to check and see if I could replicate the problem I had no load. Just a very small mili-amp reading from the radio clock memory.
I have tried to repeat the problem several times and have been successful a few times but never able to track down what is causing the draw down.....
Now I am getting frustrated with this thing and need some direction.
A friend of mine who has come up through the years of the Knuckle all the way to the twinkles now suggested that it may be the voltage regulator bleeding by but I am not sure how to check this??
For reference for you guys when this condition repeats it self it takes about two days sitting and the battery is dead to the point it will barley turn the fuel pump on.
If anyone has a suggestion please fell free to share or a possible tip on how to check the voltage regulator?
Thanks guys! Hope you all have a safe riding season and keep the rubber side down.
I will be on a moon light poker run through the Bad Lands here in western SD tomorrow night!!!! My favorite one of the year!
JT.
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 102
Likes: 0
From: Black Hills, SD
I should add that I started this spring with a new battery and did have it checked as well....
I bought a new one i believe because the old one was dead this spring and would not hold a charge. I feel confident that the new battery is not an issue.
Thanks again.
I bought a new one i believe because the old one was dead this spring and would not hold a charge. I feel confident that the new battery is not an issue.
Thanks again.
HDF Community Team
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 5,376
Likes: 2,573
From: NC USA
With the battery connected, unplug the regulator at the engine and with a test light connected to ground, touch the probe to each of the pins of the regulator. The test light should NOT light.
Since it's an FLHT I assume you have a volt gauge and it shows to be charging correctly? Anyway while you're there, with a volt/ohm meter check each stator pin (at the engine case) for continuity to ground by grounding one lead of the meter and placing the other to each socket pin. The meter should be set on x1 ohms. It should read "zero" on each. Next, touch both socket pins with the leads and the reading should be .1-.2 ohms. Switch the meter to AC volts and start the bike. The voltage at the stator socket pins should read 16-20 volts (ac) per 1000 rpms, up to 32-40 volts with the engine reved.
Bear in mind the ohm readings may jump around but if it shows shorted or open then checks something else, do the checks over. Those stators will check good one minute then bad the next so if you're sure you have a good contact with the probes and it shows bad for even a second, it probably is on it's way out. But again, with a volt meter you'd know if it wasn't charging when riding.
Finally, disconnect the battery on the + side and connet the meter between the cable and battery. With the meter set at milliamps, the draw with the switch OFF should read about 40 milliamps. That is what the clock and radio memory draws.
Since it's an FLHT I assume you have a volt gauge and it shows to be charging correctly? Anyway while you're there, with a volt/ohm meter check each stator pin (at the engine case) for continuity to ground by grounding one lead of the meter and placing the other to each socket pin. The meter should be set on x1 ohms. It should read "zero" on each. Next, touch both socket pins with the leads and the reading should be .1-.2 ohms. Switch the meter to AC volts and start the bike. The voltage at the stator socket pins should read 16-20 volts (ac) per 1000 rpms, up to 32-40 volts with the engine reved.
Bear in mind the ohm readings may jump around but if it shows shorted or open then checks something else, do the checks over. Those stators will check good one minute then bad the next so if you're sure you have a good contact with the probes and it shows bad for even a second, it probably is on it's way out. But again, with a volt meter you'd know if it wasn't charging when riding.
Finally, disconnect the battery on the + side and connet the meter between the cable and battery. With the meter set at milliamps, the draw with the switch OFF should read about 40 milliamps. That is what the clock and radio memory draws.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 102
Likes: 0
From: Black Hills, SD
Thank you for the reply. I will do some more looking into this today. Yes i do have a volt meter in the cluster and it seems to be reading correctly. 12v to 12.5v putting around and last night running 80 it was reading 13.5v
Thanks,
JT
Thanks,
JT
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 131
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From:
I will follow this post. I have a similar issue with my '86 FLHTC. I have replace the entire charging system, volt meter etc. If I leave the bike for 2-3 weeks (not happening right now) it will not have enough juice to start.
I was getting a very erratic voltage read on the volt meter, so I hooked it up directly to the battery, and I know I am getting a good charge.
With the ignition off, I get approx 0.01 ma draw, which is neglible but something is causing a significant drain somewhere...... sometimes
I suspect the Clock and the Radio. Just because I have eliminated everything else
Since changing over to a Big Boar battery it has been less of an issue, I did try a big name over priced battery and it was a pos.
My solution...... put it on a battery tender if leaving it for an extended period. I have also put on the -ve side, a quick dis-connect battery terminal - usually used for boats etc, so I can actually disconnect the battery if I so desire.
I was getting a very erratic voltage read on the volt meter, so I hooked it up directly to the battery, and I know I am getting a good charge.
With the ignition off, I get approx 0.01 ma draw, which is neglible but something is causing a significant drain somewhere...... sometimes
I suspect the Clock and the Radio. Just because I have eliminated everything else
Since changing over to a Big Boar battery it has been less of an issue, I did try a big name over priced battery and it was a pos.
My solution...... put it on a battery tender if leaving it for an extended period. I have also put on the -ve side, a quick dis-connect battery terminal - usually used for boats etc, so I can actually disconnect the battery if I so desire.
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