Parasitic battery drain r1150gs

[quaycrest]

The bike has always been draining the battery when not being used this is me finally getting round to addressing the issue.

 

[quaycrest]

Finally got access to a garage to carry out more investigations on my battery drain problem.

I fully charged battery and was showing 12.6v before I started.

I connected the multimeter in series as before on the negative terminal and negative battery post then removed individually the following making no difference -

Coil low connection
Coil high voltage leads
Alternator large and small connectors
Motronic module connector
ABS connector
Fuel injectors l&r
TPS connector
All accessible connectors under tank
All fuses again
All relays again.

I checked the gearbox main earth which was clean and tight.

I also checked the resistance from battery negative terminal to gearbox main earth bolt which was showing very close to zero ohms showing mainly test leads resistance.

I checked the alternator diode and showed 840 one way and out of meter limit the other way as I understand it should between b+ post and alternator casing.

I forgot to check ac voltage at battery to see if any of the diodes in the pack were ok but I suspect the overall previous test points to them being ok but happy to be corrected.

After all my checks and a three starts of bike battery voltage was down to 12.41v.

The search continues!

 

[bowser]

just a thought dont flooded-cell lead-acid battery self-discharge at a rate of 10% or more per month. It might just be a battery if you can just take it out an monitor the dischage rate on the battery when not connected to anything, I would probably leave it out side so that it is at the same temperature when testing as on the bike if that is left outside as well

 

[quaycrest]

Good suggestion, my battery is agm12-18 exide is that type of battery likely to discharge at this rate?

 

[AberdeenAngus]

While flooded lead-acid batteries do indeed experience high self discharge, AGM batteries suffer less (2 or 3 % per month), this would take several months to cause problems.
OP was seeing 11mA parasitic drain which will flatten his battery in a few weeks.
I don’t think self-discharge is the main problem.

 

[Brian A.]

Good suggestion, my battery is agm12-18 exide is that type of battery likely to discharge at this rate?

FWIW I have one of those batteries on my R1150R and it lasts for weeks without it being charged. Never known it hesitate to start.

Brian.

 

[theoneandonly]

hmmm i had an exide battery , it lasted 2 years , odyssey has lasted 4 so far . i use the bike pretty much everyday .

 

[quaycrest]

Thanks for the viewpoints on the battery type for reliability. I have made a list of the remaining possible battery drain items to check/eliminate that I didn't get the chance to verify first time round. Just need a break in the weather to get this done as bike is back outside now. I am dreading it being a wiring problem!

 

[AberdeenAngus]

If the drain is constant and consistent, then I doubt it’s wiring.
It’s going to be down to sticking a meter in series with the battery, then unplugging stuff until the drain vanishes.
It could just be down to a leaky component in one of the black boxes of mystery.

 

[Myles Tagoyet]

Thanks for the viewpoints on the battery type for reliability. I have made a list of the remaining possible battery drain items to check/eliminate that I didn't get the chance to verify first time round. Just need a break in the weather to get this done as bike is back outside now. I am dreading it being a wiring problem!

Quaycrest,

Any nearer to chasing this down?

I read with interest the comment/question regarding a satnav cradle, as I have a Garmin Zumo plumbed in on mine, which I know is switch powered, as every time I switch off, remove the key - the satnav tells me it is on its battery power and will switch off in 30 seconds...

Anyway, my R1100RT has had trouble retaining a charge, I had presumed the battery was on it's way out.

Replaced the battery on Sunday - bike roared into life.

Parked the bike up in the garage, came back from a few days away working up in the smoke, went to start the bike Thursday morning - it wouldn't turn over.

Four days from fully charged, to being too flat to turn the bike over.

no alarm, no immobiliser/tracker fitted.

Anyone know anyone in the Carmarthen area that is good with bike electrics?

p.s. - no thread hijack intended.

 

[quaycrest]

Not had the chance to get more troubleshooting done on the bike but will reply to this thread when I do.

 

[Myles Tagoyet]

Not had the chance to get more troubleshooting done on the bike but will reply to this thread when I do.

"Good hunting"

 

[quaycrest]

Ok it's taken a while to get to the root cause of my issue but the culprit was the alternator. The key off draw was now showing as 9 milliamps with both alternator leads connected and just over 2 milliamps with both disconnected. Replaced alternator with some great help and guidance from the forum members last month and battery holding charge as normal.

I wonder if the problem has become solid or permanent and subsequently easier to trace and diagnose over time.

Thanks to all for the help and suggestions, much appreciated.

 

[wessie]

I wonder if the problem has become solid or permanent and subsequent easier to trace and diagnose over time.

that's what happens as insulation breaks down where over time a small resistive leakage can go from microamps to a dead short in the worst case.

 

[Steptoe]

Ok it's taken a while to get to the root cause of my issue but the culprit was the alternator. The key off draw was now showing as 9 milliamps with both alternator leads connected and just over 2 milliamps with both disconnected. Replaced alternator with some great help and guidance from the forum members last month and battery holding charge as normal.

I wonder if the problem has become solid or permanent and subsequently easier to trace and diagnose over time.

Thanks to all for the help and suggestions, much appreciated.

Thanks for posting your findings, always good to hear of an unusual fault being found could help someone in the future