strange electrics

[wambiker]

Hi all, I have asked a few quesions this week this should be the last! My 2000 V11 disgraced itself this weekend by having to come home on the back of a transporter. The battery had gone flat. I had been using a pair of eleci socks and I think this didn't help. First the tacho stopped working, so I unplugged the socks and turned the lights off to allow the battery to recharge. Then when I had stoped at a cafe it would not start on the button, just dead no clicks etc. no headlamp either. Bump started first attempt so decided to head for home, still with everything off to allow the battery to recharge. But about 20 miles later it started to mis-fire then died altogether. On getting home I took the battery off and checked it was reading 10 volts, so put it on charge overnight on an automatic charger(shuts off and trickles when battery is charged up). After 20 hours was showng 13.4 volts. Refitted it and everything seemed to be back to normal. Checked voltage at battery with engine running-14 volts at 3000 RPM. I am curious as to why the battery did not recharge with the everything swithched off while he bike as running? Am I missing something qbvious? The electrics are standard except for having fitted relays and a direct feed from the battery to them(mounted in headlamp shell) to power the headlamp, with the original feed just used to switch the relays, and a fly lead to plug the socks in, I have checked these no problems. Any thoughts appreciated-sorry post is so long.

Cheers Gary

[jrt]

Gary, I see you read 14V today, but your description sounds real similar to what you'd expect if your charging system was not working. I'd check for a good ground at the battery, and I'd also be suspicious of the battery if it is a year or two old.

Maybe take her out for a short ride with the lights and socks on- check the charging voltage regularly. ????? Not sure what to suggest.

[luhbo]

Could be that one phase got lost. I saw this on an Aprilia lately. The voltage was 13.8 V with engine running, but as soon as I switched lights on it dropped to what the battery actually had. Probably with one phase lost the alternator is unable to deliver any remarkable current.

Maybe you can reload a flat battery with the alternator only, but certainly not in one or two hours. You do not expect this from your charger, do you? The more as you can only switch off the lights, not the EFI with fuel pump and injectors.

 

Check your alternator resp. its terminals/connections.

 

Hubert

[Baldini]

Sounds like a knackered battery. Try swapping w/ a good one?

 

KB

[docc]

Bad connections are a good bet. Also cheap and worth hoping for.

 

The terminal stacks on the battery are especially prone to loosening. Also, the leads from the alternator have two bullet connectors just behind the oil cooler that benefit from cleaning, dielectric grease and heat shrink.