Optimate Problems

[ed4554]

Hi . I had the same problem with mine after about 6 months from new. Found it to be a poor crimped connection on the Optimate leads that fit to the battery terminals. These were trimmed back and new crimps crimped and soldered to the wires. No trouble since. (2years 2 months)

 

[Our Gee]

Yes, but some of us don,t have the Luxury of being at home on a regular basis to enable everyday use. I,m just home after grafting in deepest Wales for 10 days,and no I couldn,t take the Bike as it won,t carry half a ton of gear. So in my case some kind of Charger is a sensible option.
Mike Tee.

 

[Gas'd Off]

You can use the auxilliary socket as a charge point

 

[wilbjr21]

By John Armstrong:

I use a £20 trickle charger. Worked on 1200GS / 1150 GSA and 1200 GSA On my 1200 GSA it doesn't need the ignition to be switched on / off etc for it to charge the battery through the accessory socket And it's too simple to have a de-sulphate mode either.

This will only work for one initial charge providing you connect the charger before the socket has switched off (delayed by approximately 15 minutes after ignition is turned off). When the battery is fully charged the bike electronics will switch off the socket - and the trickle charge. The socket will only switch on again if a BMW charger (designed for this) is used. So long term your battery will discharge if you just leave a none BMW charger attached.

By Atkule:

You can use the auxilliary socket as a charge point

See the above point for limitations

 

[John Armstrong]

This will only work for one initial charge providing you connect the charger before the socket has switched off (delayed by approximately 15 minutes after ignition is turned off). When the battery is fully charged the bike electronics will switch off the socket - and the trickle charge. The socket will only switch on again if a BMW charger (designed for this) is used. So long term your battery will discharge if you just leave a none BMW charger attached.

As you know my bike and charger .....................................

 

[wilbjr21]

By John Armstrong:

As you know my bike and charger

Now then no need for that.


The facts as I presented them are correct. I have both the BMW charger and an Accumate......... you don't specify your brand of charger. An Accumate won't open up the socket once it's switched off. I have actually tried this out. Neither will your £20 one - unless is has the comms in to talk to the ZFE controller .......... has it?

I have had 05, 06 and 07 models (I do a lot of miles) and this applies to them all .

I'm am trying to be helpful here and don't want to see people with flat batteries.

 

[John Armstrong]

My charger: http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showpost.php?p=616050&postcount=10

More brains than the BM as it will keep the battery at about 14v for weeks on end, doesn't need the ignition on / off etc etc .

Never had a flat battery on a 54 1200 GS or 07 GSA and other 1150's .

Pity Motobins stopped selling them, maybe BM bought the business and now sell them for £60+ .

Now if anyone has tried using my charger on my bike and knows different, will they let me know. Thanks.

 

[wilbjr21]

By John Armstrong:

My charger: http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showpos...0&postcount=10

More brains than the BM as it will keep the battery at about 14v for weeks on end, doesn't need the ignition on / off etc etc .

Never had a flat battery on a 54 1200 GS or 07 GSA and other 1150's .

Pity Motobins stopped selling them, maybe BM bought the business and now sell them for £60+ .

Now if anyone has tried using my charger on my bike and knows different, will they let me know. Thanks.

Yes............. I see you've had this argument before - carry on.

 

[John Armstrong]

Yes............. I see you've had this argument before - carry on.

I know

 

[wilbjr21]

To John Armstrong:

John

I followed your link to Motobins and did a search on your part number. Looks like they are still sold but with croc clips as well as BMW plug. Approx. £23 delivered - not a bad price as they must include the comms for the ZFE unit to work as your's does .

 

[John Armstrong]

I have a theory that as the charger is a "dumb" one it's actually very clever

It keeps 14v on the accessory socket and this keeps it "open". The charger then pushes amps down until the battery reaches 14v again, and then floats at 14v and 0 amps. The constant 14v doesn't allow the can-bus to switch off, and so I keep a fully charger battery.

The "clever" charger doesn't mainatin the 14v and so allows the can-bus controller to switch off the socket, with the flat battery but plugged in charger syndrome.

All IMHO and YYMV etc etc.

 

[Nice 'n' Fat]

Problem Solved (hopefully!), Connected the Optimate 3 SP. directly to the Battery Terminals using the "Crocodile" clamps and Bingo, amber test / charging light comes up. Disconnected again and put my meter across the Male terminal pins in the Battery side of the "stay in place" wiring loom and found 13.46 volts. The problem would seem to be in the "connection" of the orrible litte white plastic connector. This component would seem to be the "weakest link" especially as it gets plugged and unplugged every time the Bike is used. My theory is that if the pins are dirty or misaligned at all, a good connection is not made and the Optimate see this as a fault, such as reversed polarity, hence the Red light. I think a better and "more up to the job" plug/socket arrangement is needed.

I've just tried this myself and like you say with the crocodile clips fitted it worked just fine so I've now swapped the fused connector/plug with a much better fitting 'new' one

 

[GSmonkey]

There's a guy on ebay knocking the weatherproof leads out for a fiver delivered.

Link

 

[terayon]

I have a theory that as the charger is a "dumb" one it's actually very clever

It keeps 14v on the accessory socket and this keeps it "open". The charger then pushes amps down until the battery reaches 14v again, and then floats at 14v and 0 amps. The constant 14v doesn't allow the can-bus to switch off, and so I keep a fully charger battery.

The "clever" charger doesn't mainatin the 14v and so allows the can-bus controller to switch off the socket, with the flat battery but plugged in charger syndrome.

All IMHO and YYMV etc etc.

John, I've just spoken to motobins as I was going to buy the charger, but they don't recommend this charger for can-bus equipped bikes, which is a bloody pity

 

[John Armstrong]

John, I've just spoken to motobins as I was going to buy the charger, but they don't recommend this charger for can-bus equipped bikes, which is a bloody pity

Any reason why?

 

[terayon]

No, didn't give a reason, just said "no good" as soon as I mentioned GS

 

[Brynrevs]

Just tried both of my Optimates on a sluggish StreetTriple....no joy. Dusted off an el-cheapo Aldi smart charger. Battery sorted within a couple of hours.

 

[Delboy777]

In wouldn't buy an Optimate, ive heard too many horror stories about them. C-TEK is the way forward AFAIC.

 

[Bendy toy]

My Optimate III must be at least 25 years old, bought to keep a gel battery charged that powered a GPS tracker in a caravan. The caravan got stolen and recovered, the insurance took the P on lost contents but at least the now dead flat brick of a battery was recovered. It started Mum's lawn mower for a year afterwards.

Its since recovered sulphated car batteries and bike batteries and been really useful.

The charger gets used on stored batteries but never gets connected continually on the bike because I don't have power to the garage and the bike gets used most days. If I was parking the bike for a few weeks I'd disconnect the positive lead and connect direct to battery with the bike electronics out of the picture. I'd even consider fitting a main lead isolator switch.

 

[Santa-2512]

Problem Solved (hopefully!), Connected the Optimate 3 SP. directly to the Battery Terminals using the "Crocodile" clamps and Bingo, amber test / charging light comes up. Disconnected again and put my meter across the Male terminal pins in the Battery side of the "stay in place" wiring loom and found 13.46 volts. The problem would seem to be in the "connection" of the orrible litte white plastic connector. This component would seem to be the "weakest link" especially as it gets plugged and unplugged every time the Bike is used. My theory is that if the pins are dirty or misaligned at all, a good connection is not made and the Optimate see this as a fault, such as reversed polarity, hence the Red light. I think a better and "more up to the job" plug/socket arrangement is needed.
Thanks for the suggestions.
Mike Tee.

Yes i get exactly the same.

If i connect to a battery it;s normally red 1-5 secs amber anything from 1 hr to 14 hrs green or red if the batterys borked.

last few times its stayed on red, on a brand new battery, wiggle the connection and it goes amber then runs perfectly ..

Conclusion... the white connector is fubarrd , i reckon corrosion or similar on the pins / harness join

Mart