Jump to content

Flat battery


Guest Melissa

Recommended Posts

Guest Melissa

Hi

I have a 2012 nc700, it had not been ridden for a couple of months due to an operation on my hand and during preparations for RTTW on Thursday found the battery flat (4v) as I've not had it long bought a new one (exide) rode from Scarborough to Woodall services, on to NMA in staffordshire, stood all day, back to Woodall then home. Got bike out for a clean today wouldn't start, new battery down to 10v!

When it was installed bike was charging at 14v so the alternator looks ok. Any ideas what else to check please?

Link to post
SteveThackery

With everything switched off, disconnect one battery terminal and use a multimeter to check for current flowing.  There will be a tiny amount to keep things like the clock going, but if it's more than a milliamp or two I'd be suspicious (there will be a higher pulse of current when the HISS led flashes).  Perhaps you could measure it and report back.

 

If there is a significant current being drawn, it's often due to an incorrectly fitted accessory which stays live when the ignition is off.  Culprits include heated grips and phone chargers.

Edited by SteveThackery
Link to post
DaveM59

Check the fuse on the starter relay just to be sure. Then do what it says in the previous post, you may have a stuck relay that is allowing some circuit to drain the battery when it should be isolated.

Link to post

Could also be a dud new battery, I have had a couple in the past that would just not hold a charge.

Link to post

Newly battery doesn’t mean fresh battery (i.e. it may not give you the full named capacity.)

 

Factory activated batteries may have this problem. They’re activated by the factory x months ago (and aging starts), then they stay on a seller’s shelf until the time of purchase. In the mean time the seller must maintain them properly to avoid sulfation... (Did he? hmmm...)

 

It’s always a good idea to check it. (Fully charge it overnight, let it rest for at least 2-3 hours, then measure its (open circuit) voltage. Consult battery ‘s user manual about the relation of OCV and state of charge. For Yuasa/Varta a fresh battery must have a reading of 13.0 - 12.9 V).

 

It’s also good to check the health of your charging system as well from time to time. These things eventually fail sometimes and they kill batteries (or other electrical components at the worst). A permanent voltmeter should be installed by default by OEMs. It’s a valuable tool for in time diagnostics...

 

Parasitic drain is a concern as mentioned above...

Link to post

As said by bothers above, likely to be one of 3 things (that I can think of). Dud battery (I've had a new Yuasa battery which wouldn't hold charge), quiescent drain (do you have an alarm fitted? These are notorious for draining the battery), or charging system not behaving.

 

Measuring the drain current when everything is switched off (quiescent current) would be extremely helpful, it should be in low single figure milli-amps, say less than 5mA for a standard bike.

 

This fault finding chart linked at the bottom of the page here might be useful http://www.electrosport.com/technical-resources/diagnosis-center/fault-finding-guide

Link to post

A battery discharged as low as that has probably got irreperable damage now. Don't rely on it.

Edited by Trumpet
Link to post
  • 4 months later...

Thanks for that link, don't know about the battery but the back pack looks very handy and cheap at £13 ish including postage. 

Link to post
KingJames

Free p and p if you get the battery and rucksack together

Link to post

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...