New Battery Discharging/Not Holding Charge

[Ultrablast]

Hi,

The original battery on my '08 lasted until Jan this year, when it finally packed up despite the attentions of the Optimate.

I fitted a Motorbatt gel battery in Jan and kept the Optimate connected - no probs and carried on riding. My final ride was to Wales in May and afterwards, I simply forgot to plug the Optimate in. For various reasons, I haven't ridden since and when I tried to start the bike yesterday, absolutely nothing. Even the digital display was blank. I hauled out my meter, which showed a reading across the battery terminals of 4V.

I plugged the Optimate in and after a couple of hours, it hadn't even activated the Canbus - that's how dead the battery was. I then jump-started the bike using booster cables, ran it for a while and then plugged in the Optimate. (The meter read exactly 14V while the bike was running).

The Optimate then went through its normal cycle - activated Canbus, tested the battery (deeply discharged) and started with the low voltage pulse. It then goes it to a test mode, when it tests for half an hour to see if the battery is capable of holding a charge, during which time the green test LED flashes. A day later, the test LED is still flashing, so no charging taking place.

For its first 4 winters, the bike sat from Dec - Mar without the benefit of the Optimate and still started after the worst of the cold was over, without having been ridden. Winter 2012 the battery showed signs of weakening, so I bought the Optimate (following good advice on here), which kept it alive during the winters of 2012 and 2013, up until Jan this year. I mention this as a way of showing that there was previously no (or very little) drain on the battery while the bike was not being ridden.

I'm looking for advice on a couple of things:

1.) Why would a bike that has previously never drained the battery while unridden, suddenly drain a new battery in 2 months?
2.) Why would the Optimate not recover a new battery that had discharged over 2 months.

I'm not particularly technical so any input and advice greatfully received.

Stu

 

[bikemad]

If the battery was new in jan surely it's got twelve months warranty ? send or take it back,poss defective cell/s no reason it should be dead like you say.

 

[birdseye]

I'm looking for advice on a couple of things:

1.) Why would a bike that has previously never drained the battery while unridden, suddenly drain a new battery in 2 months?
2.) Why would the Optimate not recover a new battery that had discharged over 2 months.

I'm not particularly technical so any input and advice greatfully received.

Stu

1.) new equipment fitted / old equipment failed? The only way you will find out is to measure current draw with a charged battery and ignition off. If there is a significant draw ( I calculate that a constant draw of only 5 milliamps* would flatten a 12aH battery like the GS one in the 12 weeks or so your bike has been idle) then trace what is causing it. It could be an alarm say.

2) I havent had time to check the specs but AFAIK an optimate is a trickle charger and not designed to recharge a deeply discharged battery. Indeed some alternators wont do that because of their electronics. Best thing you can do is to disconnect the battery and then connect it by jump leads to your car and leave the car idling in the drive for an hour or so - assuming you havent got a proper battery charger.

One really serious discharge like this should not bu66er a battery. It wont don it any good but should not destroy. If it has, then take the battery back and moan at them.



* 0.005A x 24hrs x 7 days x 12 weeks = 10aH unless I've cocked up the maths.

 

[TLSgazza]

My mates girlfriend had trouble with the battery on her fireblade, not holding a charge, bought a new battery and it also wouldn't hold a charge, they thought it was something wrong on the bike, turned out to be the new battery, shop replaced it after checking it when she took it back and the replacement has been fine since,
As said above get it. Checked or replaced under the manufacturer's warranty,

 

[AberdeenAngus]

If you have virtually any drain on the battery itll be flat in amonth or so . see birdseyes calculation.
Get a meter on it and measure the drain with everything off. Even if its only a few mA, that's enough to flatten it.
You'll have to either leave it on trickle or disconnect the battery.

If it went down to 4v its fecked. You might be lucky with the warranty but its not really the manufacturers fault, is it ?

 

[Bendy toy]

An Optimate will often recover a deeply discharged battery, but its life will be shortened by hard sulphation.

I brought one back that was showing zero volts, but had only recently been flattened. First disconnect the battery from the bike and charge directly. The canbus will do all sorts of odd things when voltages are abnormal so don't try a recovery charge via a power outlet socket.

Try and see but if its still doing nothing after 12 hours its fecked.

Measure the bike's discharge rate. It could be an alarm or a resistance short circuit. When parking the bike for a few months its always wise to disconnect the earth lead from the bike to battery.

 

[Ultrablast]

If the battery was new in jan surely it's got twelve months warranty ? send or take it back,poss defective cell/s no reason it should be dead like you say.

Why the heck didn't I think of that?

I bought it off fleabay and the seller is happy to replace it under warranty, so that's a good starting point.

 

[bikemad]

Why the heck didn't I think of that?

I bought it off fleabay and the seller is happy to replace it under warranty, so that's a good starting point.

Lol

 

[Blackal]

On another forum - someone reckoned that the LCD clock could drain the battery..................

Made me wonder how my cheap LCD watch stayed running for 5 yrs on a button battery

Al

 

[Shunt]

It did on the wife's 2001 f650gs.

 

[fuzra]

Similar problem but happens much quicker battery flat after 36 hours called bm assist they put a meter on couldnt detect any drain happened with last battery had it replaced after garage said it was fecked no alarm on bike and disconnected autocom flat again after 36 hours will have to get assist to take her to garage any ideas anyone ?

 

[Bendy toy]

Check alternator. A failing regulator circuit can get a full or partial short to earth.
Presumably the battery holds charge if it's disconnected.

 

[Ultrablast]

Mine also has no alarm. I'll put the meter on it this w/end and see if I can spot any drain before fitting the replacement.

I must say I was very surprised at the no quibble attitude of the eBay supplier - they're called e-Parts and are in Cheltenham. After requesting a few details (bike make & model, mileage ridden with the battery), the replacement arrived within 2 days along with a Freepost address to send the duff one back to.