Possible Problem with the battery?

[Silver Rat]

I too have an Optimate III, which I have been using on my 2006 BMW1200GS for the last 18 months. It is connected directly to the battery as recommended and I have had no problems…..

Since Christmas, there have been a couple of occasions when the starter just turned but the bike did fire up so I have never been stranded. I decided to have the battery checked at the local BMW dealer about 4 weeks ago and was advised that they carried out a basic battery check and it was OK. They have a more detailed check which involves connecting the bike up to the vehicle diagnostic machine, charging the battery then the computer switches on all the auxiliaries in turn to establish if there is a problem, but they advised me that if they carried out the check and no fault was found, I would have to pay the bill [probably more than the cost of a new battery!!]. I decided to accept that the battery was in good condition!

Last week, the Optimate display showed ‘weak’ when I went to use the bike but the bike started no problem. I connected the Optimate on my return to see if this happened again and on switching the charger on, the red light [desulphate]remained on for at least two hours before it started to charge and again, the battery condition was shown as weak!

I dropped the bike of at the dealer again this morning to have the full check done but they were very forceful in explaining that if they found no fault, I would get the bill!

Do you have any advice for me in case they tell me that the battery is good?

 

[GSmonkey]

If the battery is cranking the bike at a good speed, its sounds like a good battery. The optimate can show red / yellow for a number of reasons e.g. corroded connections on the harness, etc.

 

[harry]

I think you will find the battery a goner, would tend to believe the Optimate. Will you still have to pay for the check and a new battery?

 

[Silver Rat]

I also sent a message to Optimate to find out their opinion and this was the reply.............

Thank you for your enquiry.

Regarding the starting issue, do you know if the battery is battery is an Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) or Gel cell battery? With the fault you describe it is most likely to former, if these are incorrectly commissioned then the battery will only operate at about 70% capacity. This would explain the cranking issue. When they tested the battery do you know what tool they used to perform this “basic” battery test The test you have described using the diagnostic computer is called a global error search. This is designed to check for sensor and actuator faults and not to check if the battery is defective, as it normally requires the battery to be supported during this power intensive operation.

Regarding the “weak” result, as the Desulphate light illuminated and the battery performance appears fine I suspect that the problem is related to the terminals in the output lead being either fouled or splayed. This will create a poor or sometimes intermittent contact. This will cause both of the erroneous readings you have observed – the desulphate program should only initiate when connected to a sulphated battery (ie deep discharged), although this uncaps the voltage limit in order to break down the sulphation, this would not cause any battery problems as the maximum current delivered would be 400mAh (about 2% of the batteries capacity). To cure this you will need to either clean the terminals or close them off slightly using a small screwdriver to improve contact.

 

[GSmonkey]

I also sent a message to Optimate to find out their opinion and this was the reply.............

......I suspect that the problem is related to the terminals in the output lead being either fouled or splayed. This will create a poor or sometimes intermittent contact.

This is the most common problem that I and others on this site have found.

Simple test is to use the crocodile clips for a while and see if you still get the errors.

 

[Silver Rat]

And the good news!!

Picked the bike up this morning to be told that there is nothing wrong with your battery sir and was presented with a bill for £66!!!

A wee bit of negotiation followed - they wanted £26 for Insurance the loan bike - nope, my own insurance covers that!!

I had also ordered a white indicater lense at the parts dept and as my bike was in, they very kindly fitted the new one! £6 for the lense and £13 to fit it!! Sorry, but no thanks!!

Bottom line, they charged me £13.89 for checking the battery and only the £6 for the lense, so I can live with that!!

Now, think I will go and check the Optimate connections!!

onyack

 

[John Armstrong]

Last week, the Optimate display showed ‘weak’ when I went to use the bike but the bike started no problem. I connected the Optimate on my return to see if this happened again and on switching the charger on, the red light [desulphate]remained on for at least two hours before it started to charge and again, the battery condition was shown as weak!

Interesting, AFAIK the desulpahte mode was meant to fcuk the electronic brain. Unless the optimate is faulty / leads not making good connections etc

 

[Wedders_Gasman]

Optimate problems

My optimate was connected and working perfectly with the green light on. Then for no aparant reason it changed to red (deeply discharged). I disconnected it, and when I reconnected it again it showed red for a while and then flashing yellow. When I attempted a start everythng was cranking normally. I have checked the connections etc.

Any ideas other that a knackered Optimate 3