What would cause a battery to dry out?

[rustybronco]

thanks rusty
it's funny that you'd send me a link to "buckets n bits" which is a new zealand bike wreckers yard

Funny or not, it's one of the only sites I've found, that has good information on regulators

[psyguy]

oh, i meant "funny" in a positive way

my rr is marked: sh548-12

i found it on that link you provided, under the suzuki heading, but not related to any particular model

a quick google search comes up with various kawasaki models using that rr, so that's more likely the correct info

i also found that this rr is the oem part on a TRX and found a wiring diagram for that bike but i'm not sure how to read that diagram

[rustybronco]

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showpost.php?p=1704377&postcount=6

Small world.

***EDIT*** I wouldn't worry about if it was wired right, it has worked for two years.
make sure the connections are good electrically and check the stator for proper output.

[psyguy]

small world indeed!

my search came up with that same link and im a member on that forum
i have just had a reply with a wiring diagram for my rr (as found in an italian catalogue...)

so, the rr is hooked up ok
all the connections are clean and greased
the stator tested ok

still need to confirm the voltage drop at the sense wire

i had the battery filled with new acid and it's on the charger now
i was told this wouldnt really work but it's a cheap fix so i wanted to try it first

Small world.

[psyguy]

Voltage drop at the sense wire

i get a 0.6V drop at the rr sense wire as compared to the voltage at the battery (this is with the ignition ON and the lights OFF, and the engine OFF)

is this acceptable?

i cleaned all the connections that i could get to, but there's still the fuse box and the ignition switch that i cant do anything about (can i?)

i've heard it recomended to attach the sense wire to the battery positive so to avoid the overcharging due to the voltage loss at the sense wire

is that what i should do?

[simon kuether]

But you live in Queensland.

I live about an hour south west of Cairns but at almost 1000 metres above sea level.Coldest recorded temp was -13,but regularly get frosts in the middle of the year.Nice break from the heat of the rest of the year.Cheers,Simon.

[rustybronco]

i get a 0.6V drop at the rr sense wire as compared to the voltage at the battery (this is with the ignition ON and the lights OFF, and the engine OFF)

is this acceptable?

0.2v or less, with that said, I don't think that's your trouble, but just to be sure, can you connect it to a different wire?

what voltage is your system charging at?

I suspect the R/R has gone NORTH (bad) on you. (in my hemisphere it's south...)

[psyguy]

all good?!

i tested the charging system with another battery that i know is good and at 5000rpm i get 14.4V

also, with this new battery the voltage drop at the sense wire is 0.4V (whereas it's 0.6V with the old battery)

the old battery that i salvaged after it went dry can still hold the charge but at only 12.4V (overnight)
however it cranks the cold engine just fine so i'll try squeze some more life out of it

what exactly caused the battery to suddenly go bone-dry remains a mistery, it seems


thanks for the input guys!

[simon kuether]

Maybe one of those acid freaks drank your battery man. Interesting though.Still that eltrickery can be weird sh#t sometimes.Might try taking it to an auto lecky and get them to test it under load(careful though because they will tell you it's rooted so they can sell you a new one).Cheers,Simon.

[Matchless]

psyguy,
Unless you have a physical crack or leak then it must be the charging. If all of the charging system is working correctly now, I can only think that sometime recently the battery was being overcharged causing the electrolyte to evaporate. Regulator incorrectly thought battery was low and pushed out a high voltage to your already full battery.

Maybe once you started checking the stator, regulator and battery you inadvertently cleared the condition causing the problem. Which could point to a wire and especially the wiring with a bad, loose, corroded contact.

If it was not that, it may be an intermittant failure that shows itself only under certain conditions, at certain RPM's, high heat or when switching on more current hungry assessories such as lights etc.

I would suggest that you check the battery regularly after and during a run, but you may then not notice anything suspicious if the problem is intermittent.

In such a case the best is to have a volt meter accross your battery while driving and be able to see the voltage at all times.
I would suggest fitting a small digital one or even a small analog one. I have just modified one myself but have not fitted it yet.

[psyguy]

thanks for the replies simon, matchless

i'll certainly keep an eye on it more often now, but as matchless suggested it may have been a one-off or an intemittent prob that's not that easy to pinpoint...

damn, i think i prefer having a flat-tyre-kind-of-prob rather than an electrical prob - a flat tyre is a straight forward fix, this one was a lot of head-scratching

[psyguy]

one more question

would an in-line fuse on the rr positive wire have prevented this failure?

i have yet to install the fuse (i plead guilty to not doing it before)

[simon kuether]

I didn't thunk you neededed one?? Cheers,Simon.

[psyguy]

I didn't thunk you neededed one?? Cheers,Simon.

you do. in stock configuration it's already there as the +wire from the rr goes through the fusebox
if you take that wire directly to the battery then you need an in-line fuse on that wire
that much i know