Battery Issues - Draining
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Battery Issues - Draining
Hello Everyone,
Bought a new battery for my 1996 heritage softail. Connected the new battery and and rode the bike for about an hour and then parked. Hooked up a battery tender to it to make sure the charge on the battery stayed level. Next time I rode bike for about 5 hours and then parked it for about 2 weeks with no battery tender and the battery is completely dead. Since installing new battery I have only rode the bike twice, been busy with work and not much riding time. Any thoughts as to why the battery is dead or is this normal for bike that sits for over 2 weeks without starting and with a new battery installed with no prior charge, prior to installing.
Thanks everyone for any advice or input!!!
Houdini
Bought a new battery for my 1996 heritage softail. Connected the new battery and and rode the bike for about an hour and then parked. Hooked up a battery tender to it to make sure the charge on the battery stayed level. Next time I rode bike for about 5 hours and then parked it for about 2 weeks with no battery tender and the battery is completely dead. Since installing new battery I have only rode the bike twice, been busy with work and not much riding time. Any thoughts as to why the battery is dead or is this normal for bike that sits for over 2 weeks without starting and with a new battery installed with no prior charge, prior to installing.
Thanks everyone for any advice or input!!!
Houdini
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 157,523
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From: Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell
This video will help you track down a "parasitic draw" which could ( very likely ) be your problem. ( There's a short commercial at the beginning ) Hope this helps. Good Luck Brother!
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 17,548
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From: Oxford, Nc
You may have parked it with a dead battery if it wasn't charging during that last ride.
Test the voltage at the ( freshly charged,)battery with the engine off, and with the engine running. You should see 12.5 volts when off, and 13.8 volts when running over 2000 rpm.
Test the voltage at the ( freshly charged,)battery with the engine off, and with the engine running. You should see 12.5 volts when off, and 13.8 volts when running over 2000 rpm.
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Uncle Larry and Stiggy,
Thank you brothers for your input. I'm charging the battery right now and will test using the steps in the video Uncle Larry posted.
Let me give some more info on what I'm working with here and maybe this can help solve the problem but I'm thinking maybe it is a parastic draw from something I've installed recently on the bike.
I never had any issues with a batterys power draining from sitting, it's always kept a good charge even after sitting for a week or two and then riding for a weekend and then parking for another week or two and so forth.
About a month ago I installed a LED speedometer gauge and all has been working great, when I bought the new battery and start the bike I can check the amps on the LED gauge and it shows it's reving up 13.0amp on up. at idle it's about 12.5.
After the installation of the LED seedometer, I installed a usb charging post. Basically what this is is a USB port that that mounts under the tank for a person to hook up their cell phone cable or ipod cable to charge the phone or ipod. There are only 2 wires (pos. and neg) that connect directly to the battery.
I'm thinking that it has to be either the new LED speedometer or the USB charging port that Installed.
What do you all think?
I'm going to try the steps in the video and discconnect the ground on the USB port component system, do you think should tell me if indeed it is the USB port charging component?
Thanks!
Houdini
Here is the link to the USB port:
http://www.slickcustoms.com/cycle-so...ng-system.html
and to the LED speedometer:
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd683.htm
Thank you brothers for your input. I'm charging the battery right now and will test using the steps in the video Uncle Larry posted.
Let me give some more info on what I'm working with here and maybe this can help solve the problem but I'm thinking maybe it is a parastic draw from something I've installed recently on the bike.
I never had any issues with a batterys power draining from sitting, it's always kept a good charge even after sitting for a week or two and then riding for a weekend and then parking for another week or two and so forth.
About a month ago I installed a LED speedometer gauge and all has been working great, when I bought the new battery and start the bike I can check the amps on the LED gauge and it shows it's reving up 13.0amp on up. at idle it's about 12.5.
After the installation of the LED seedometer, I installed a usb charging post. Basically what this is is a USB port that that mounts under the tank for a person to hook up their cell phone cable or ipod cable to charge the phone or ipod. There are only 2 wires (pos. and neg) that connect directly to the battery.
I'm thinking that it has to be either the new LED speedometer or the USB charging port that Installed.
What do you all think?
I'm going to try the steps in the video and discconnect the ground on the USB port component system, do you think should tell me if indeed it is the USB port charging component?
Thanks!
Houdini
Here is the link to the USB port:
http://www.slickcustoms.com/cycle-so...ng-system.html
and to the LED speedometer:
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd683.htm
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 17,548
Likes: 7,197
From: Oxford, Nc
(I'm thinking that it has to be either the new LED speedometer or the USB charging port that Installed. Quote)
I do remember back in my Dealership days that several of the LED readouts on the speedometers on some brand new bikes continued to glow, ( odometer readouts,) and we had to charge the bikes up every couple of weeks so they'd start when sold.
Just food for thought
I do remember back in my Dealership days that several of the LED readouts on the speedometers on some brand new bikes continued to glow, ( odometer readouts,) and we had to charge the bikes up every couple of weeks so they'd start when sold.
Just food for thought
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