Battery drain

[Anonymous]

Thanks in advance for any help. I have a 1979 GS550L that I have had and enjoyed (for the most part) for the past two years. (I previously owned a GS650G.) Anyway, since I got the bike I have had problems with consistently getting it started. I have read the Stator papers and am aware of the charging system problems on these cycles. I have bought a new battery each spring because I had trouble keeping a charge in a battery once I started riding. For the past year I had largely kept my battery on a trickle charger between rides but even this didn't seem to keep the battery adequately juiced. This year I decided to test the charging system (via the flow diagram in the Stator papers) after I got a new and freshly and adequately charged battery. I just completed the testing today and results suggest that the charging system in okay. I had to do only the 1st two steps (voltage at 2500 and 5000 rpms) since these came out okay. So if the charging system is okay, why does my battery keep getting drained? Am I missing something obvious here? Sorry about the long-winded request for help. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks again.

[argonsagas]

You should not have to replace a battery every year....they should last several years.

Since you are trying to maintain a trickle charge between rides, and you are losing juice at a slightly greater rate than your charger puts out, you either have some electrical component turned on, or you have a partial short somewhere.

With the ignition off, check all youur lights to be sure there is not a glimmer of light from any of them.

Pull your headlight out and, with the ignition switch OFF, check all the leads, with a Volt/ Ohmmeter. Do them one at a time, making sure each is properly reconnected before you continue to the next.

Clean your fuse block thoroughly....you may have some electrical crossfeed due to dirt/grease etc.

We have now reached the ignition circuit....the most likely electrical draw, as it can be "on" but be invisible, except to a meter, and you may find components warm or hot.

This could be due to the fuse block or a faulty ignition switch, with weight of suspicion falling on the switch.

Wiring is all that is left, but this is not likely, since it has lasted a several seasons, and wiring with a short inside tends to deteriorate further over time, and make things much worse.

[Anonymous]

Building on Rons comments, I would disconnect the positive battery terminal and put a test light between the wire and the battery. If the light turns on something is sucking power from the battery.

Steve

[Anonymous]

The term is called a "parasitic draw "(obviously from the word parasite)
More precisely you need to hook up a multitester in the "amps" configuration and jump the leads similar to Mr. Revetts description. A draw of any value is too much as these machines have no systems that are powered 24/7. To test that the tester is wired correctly turn the ignition "on" you will see the amps jump up to perhaps five amps or so.(Have the tester set at the highest amp setting possible..usually twenty amps). I would suspect you have a draw somewhere in the half to one and a half amp range. From there you can start to unplug connectors and pull fuses to isolate the suspect circuit.
Rick..........

[mcconnell]

After trying, unsuccessfully, to start my 1100G after about 2 months of sitting, I found the battery nearly dead and only about 1/2 full of electrolite. Hooking up an ampmeter between the positive lead of the battery and the harness (key off), I found no draw except through the Electrex R/R. It was about 40 milliamps. Not much, but over 2 months it was enough to drain the battery. I don't know if this is normal or not; I'll just keep the battery disconnected until I'm ready to ride.