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So I'm doing some tidying up of the wiring on my GPZ750, and the battery is removed and on a trickle charger. When I'm done, I install it in the tray beneath the rear tank/front seat area.
On this motorcycle, there is a mounting plate the goes above the battery, and serves as a mount for the rear tang of the gas tank and front tangs of the seat. It is very tight in there, so some fiddling with the tank in one hand and the mounting bracket with the other is required while installing the bracket, then you have to hold the bracket in place while you jack around with the mounting nuts for it.
The little rubber insulating boot slipped off the positive terminal while I was doing this, and as I was wiggling the bracket into place, it shorted across the + and - terminals on the battery, producing a brief flash before I yanked it out of the way. "Well, probably blew the main fuse" I thought, and a quick turn of the key seemed to verify this, as nothing happened when the key went to "On". No lights, no horn, nothing happens when I hit the starter button. Hm.
I pull the fuse box cover, and find it's a bit different than a typical GS setup. There are the usual fuses, and also relays for the ignition, main circuit, turn signal, and all lights. I pull the main fuse, looks good, has continuity. Hmm.
I pull the other fuses, they're all good. Check the relays, they all test good. Hmmm......
I break out the shop manual and look to see if there is an in-line fuse somewhere on the main circuit I'm missing. Nope. Maybe someone put one in at a later date? A thorough examination of the wiring harness reveals no strange wiring changes. Hmmmm.......
I go back to the battery, and just for giggles, put the voltmeter on the poles. 0.00 VDC. WTF? I pull the battery out and check it again. 0.00 VDC. Never seen that before. I grab another battery that's been on a charging station (I have five identical AGM batteries that float around between bikes and chargers), put it in, carefully install the mounting bracket, and turn the key.
All lights come on. Horn works. Push the starter button, she roars to life. Voltage is 13.0 VDC at idle, 14.6 VDC at 5,000 rpm. Hmmmmmmm.......
I put the fried battery on the charger. It shows no continuity. The amber light won't even come on (this charger shows a red light when the charger has power, amber when it is charging a battery, and a green light when the battery is charged and the charger is idle).
I'm not sure what happened to that battery when I arc'ed it, but it is now a door stop. After eight hours on the charger, the red light is still lit on the charger, and the voltage reading across the terminals is still 0.00.
Any ideas on what happened inside the battery? It's a sealed AGM type, it is a "Scorpion" brand, and looks outwardly identical to a Yuasa AGM battery I also own.
On this motorcycle, there is a mounting plate the goes above the battery, and serves as a mount for the rear tang of the gas tank and front tangs of the seat. It is very tight in there, so some fiddling with the tank in one hand and the mounting bracket with the other is required while installing the bracket, then you have to hold the bracket in place while you jack around with the mounting nuts for it.
The little rubber insulating boot slipped off the positive terminal while I was doing this, and as I was wiggling the bracket into place, it shorted across the + and - terminals on the battery, producing a brief flash before I yanked it out of the way. "Well, probably blew the main fuse" I thought, and a quick turn of the key seemed to verify this, as nothing happened when the key went to "On". No lights, no horn, nothing happens when I hit the starter button. Hm.
I pull the fuse box cover, and find it's a bit different than a typical GS setup. There are the usual fuses, and also relays for the ignition, main circuit, turn signal, and all lights. I pull the main fuse, looks good, has continuity. Hmm.
I pull the other fuses, they're all good. Check the relays, they all test good. Hmmm......
I break out the shop manual and look to see if there is an in-line fuse somewhere on the main circuit I'm missing. Nope. Maybe someone put one in at a later date? A thorough examination of the wiring harness reveals no strange wiring changes. Hmmmm.......
I go back to the battery, and just for giggles, put the voltmeter on the poles. 0.00 VDC. WTF? I pull the battery out and check it again. 0.00 VDC. Never seen that before. I grab another battery that's been on a charging station (I have five identical AGM batteries that float around between bikes and chargers), put it in, carefully install the mounting bracket, and turn the key.
All lights come on. Horn works. Push the starter button, she roars to life. Voltage is 13.0 VDC at idle, 14.6 VDC at 5,000 rpm. Hmmmmmmm.......
I put the fried battery on the charger. It shows no continuity. The amber light won't even come on (this charger shows a red light when the charger has power, amber when it is charging a battery, and a green light when the battery is charged and the charger is idle).
I'm not sure what happened to that battery when I arc'ed it, but it is now a door stop. After eight hours on the charger, the red light is still lit on the charger, and the voltage reading across the terminals is still 0.00.
Any ideas on what happened inside the battery? It's a sealed AGM type, it is a "Scorpion" brand, and looks outwardly identical to a Yuasa AGM battery I also own.
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