Optimate 4 has flattened the battery!

[dieselpower]

Hello all,

The bike (2011 GSA) has been laid up most of the winter and hasn't been out since New Year's Day. The bike has been on and off the Optimate as has SWMBO's bike (2012 F700GS). Both bikes have been charged through the power socket with the CANBUS program set on the charger.

On Sunday, I took the charger off her bike and put it on mine. Her bike charged without a problem. Once on the charger, it tested and came back on the amber/green indicators.

Today I went out to check it and it was on red and the desulphate light was on! Took the charger off and tried to start the bike and it wouldn't go

Is my charger goosed or is something more serious?

Cheers

Andrew

 

[stever1]

is the bike fitted with an alarm ?

 

[dieselpower]

No it isn't

 

[Mr K]

Have you read the manual for charging via canbus sockets?

 

[Giles]

I charge mine straight to the battery. £5 little permanent socket is bolted to the battery terminals and t'other end is neatly cable tied to the frame.

 

[JayC]

I charge mine straight to the battery. £5 little permanent socket is bolted to the battery terminals and t'other end is neatly cable tied to the frame.

+1

 

[arrybash]

I used to leave an optimate on a lead acid battery on my old ZX10. I found the continuous charging boiled the acid out of the battery (Not supposed to)and by the time spring came the battery's were knackered.

I now connect the optimus to a time switch set to come on for 1 hour per week. More than enough time to top up a battery but doesn't boil them dry either.

Chris

 

[JPR]

Me too.
Charge thru the canbus,battery goes flat.
Direct to battery with croc clips,no problem.
Spent a weekend trying to find a cause,gave up in the end.

 

[itspilsbury]

Mine is connected direct to the battery via a lead, was ok for a number of weeks now same problem as you.

 

[Nutty]

I have an optimate in the garage. It's still in the box as I've never used it. Both your bikes are under warranty, so if the battery dies while the bike is under warranty, BMW will replace it.

When we had snow, and I was away at Christmas, there was few weeks that I didn't get out on the bike. When I got back, it started first time. These batteries don't go flat as quickly as everyone makes out

 

[Bendy toy]

Warranties dont last for ever. (usually)

Leaving a battery unused for more than a couple of weeks wont necessarily cause it to fail, but it will shorten its life. There is much (independent) info on www about it.

 

[davegs]

Optimate

Have you got a charger suitable for the can bus system! mentioning the "suphate light" makes me think youre using the older type, ok for 1150's but not, for canbus. It's probably not been charging at all and just gone flat. Use the crocodile clips as recommended above, if It's a gel it is probably had it.

 

[Steptoe]

I have an optimate in the garage. It's still in the box as I've never used it. Both your bikes are under warranty, so if the battery dies while the bike is under warranty, BMW will replace it.

:

They will only replace a battery under warranty due to a fault in the battery or a manufacturing fault.
Same as if your brake pads wear out, they aren't a warranty item.

Lack of maintainance isn't a fault. If they do replace the battery it's because they are very nice people and you're a very good customer.

.

 

[(RIP) Miff]

I have an optimate in the garage. It's still in the box as I've never used it. Both your bikes are under warranty, so if the battery dies while the bike is under warranty, BMW will replace it.

And in the meantime, the sun is shining and your bike will not start

 

[Nutty]

They will only replace a battery under warranty due to a fault in the battery or a manufacturing fault.
Same as if your brake pads wear out, they aren't a warranty item.

Lack of maintainance isn't a fault. If they do replace the battery it's because they are very nice people and you're a very good customer.

.

Brake pads are a consumable item though I know that a battery won't last forever, but so long as the bike is under manufacturers warranty, it is covered.

Now, when the bike is out of warranty that's a different story, but I don't keep my bikes that long

 

[thegasman]

Main Dealer mechanic told me...

...to make sure Optimate was plugged in and turned on quickly after removing key from ignition (might have been two minutes...) or to turn the engine off, leaving key in ignition, and connect charger before removing key.

I have been told elsewhere on this site that this is unnecessary, and that might be so, but I've not had a flat battery yet.

Riding the bike to work most days helps, mind.

 

[Robbo1200ADV]

Only optimate 4 will charge through the Canbus , you have to set it up by shorting the + and - Leads to put it into canbus mode . As said before any optimate prior to MK 4 wont do it unless directly connected to the battery .

 

[Watty100]

" I know that a battery won't last forever, but so long as the bike is under manufacturers warranty, it is covered. "
Not necessarily. My last Suzuki was warrantied for 2 years, battery fooked after 8 months, turns out battery was only warrantied for 6 months.
(battery replaced by Suzook anyway as a goodwill gesture, as it was weighed and turns out the dealer overfilled it with the wrong electrolyte pack).

 

[Bendy toy]

KISS
Just connect it directly to battery. No canbus to worry about and charger can work as designer intended.