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Post by tomster on Oct 7, 2010 18:45:02 GMT
Well me and the red FZ haven't been speaking for a while, due to it flattening the battery on me a little while ago. I've already had alternator trouble with this one so I though here we go again. Since it was a nice night tonight, I though I'd have a look at it and checked the alternator to battery connections. Re-made two connections and fired it up, lo and behold it's throwing charge into the battery just as it should. Great!!! I let it warm through for 10 minutes with no problem and then took it out for a run. 3 miles down the road it died on me. The battery's flat again. What the hell is wrong with this bike???
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Post by Graham on Oct 7, 2010 19:28:59 GMT
What the hell is wrong with this bike??? Ooh ooh me me, I know this one.. . it's shit? ;D Is that it? Am I right? Am I? Having similar trouble with my fireblade today Tom if it makes you feel any better? Maybe battery just needs a good charge but mine is fairly new so can't see me being that lucky. You might be though?
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Post by tomster on Oct 7, 2010 20:28:07 GMT
Nah, not battery as if it was it wouldn't idle or anything, it would just die. This is ok and gradually flattens the battery as if I've got a drain on it or the rectifier is shagged or something. But I have to give you a gold star, Graham. It is indeed shit and I'm assuming we'll be undergoing a prolonged period of not speaking again.
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Post by boatbuster on Oct 12, 2010 9:42:14 GMT
Hey Tomster A couple of things you need to do: start by load testing the battery, if it is sulfated in any way your alternator will not be able to fully recharge the battery, then you need to check how much juice the alternator is giving you after the rectifier - if you do not have full power coming out you will be drawing off of the battery to keep the ignition and lights going. These batteries are pretty small and will not last long if this is the case. You mentioned that you remade some connections - this could have fried the rectifier prior to your repair???
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Post by tomster on Oct 12, 2010 17:48:48 GMT
I tested it at the battery after making the connections off, to make sure I had charge and it was making 14.5V which is about right I would say. I'm losing the connection at some point so it is going to be a pain in the arse to trace. Could be a rogue fuse which I could eradicate by changing them. It could be a partial connection which I can't find by testing, but which isn't making enough of a connection to give full current to the battery, so I'll have to check the amps as well as DC volts next time. The tax runs out at the end of this month anyway so I think I'll call it a day for the winter. Or will I...............
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Post by fz750horse on Oct 12, 2010 19:42:18 GMT
Apologies if I'm teaching my Grannie to suck eggs but... Boatbuster is right - a battery can be completely shagged and still showing normal voltage readings on a multimeter. A dealer/workshop will usually test it under load for free. If it's more than two or three years old it's probably not holding enough charge (a bit like a knackered phone battery - shows full charge but dies as soon as you make a call) to run the ignition system. I've fallen into this trap so many times in the past - spending hours and £££s trying to sort out running and charging problems that all went away when I spent £25 on a new battery Good luck with it, Horse
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Post by tomster on Oct 12, 2010 19:52:49 GMT
While what you're saying is true....... my battery is going flat while I'm riding it which suggests it's losing the connection with the alternator and using the battery power alone to run the bike, until it has insufficient charge to do so. Almost certain I've a bad connection somewhere but where???
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Post by fz750horse on Oct 12, 2010 20:05:23 GMT
I'm told that a good battery, even 9Ah rather than the standard 14Ah, will easily do three laps of the TT circuit running total loss - i.e. well over 100 miles. If your battery is ok it shouln't be giving out that quickly even if it's not charging at all unless you've got a serious short somewhere?
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Post by tomster on Oct 12, 2010 20:12:03 GMT
The last time I was out I went for a run for the sole purpose of charging the battery because the previous time I was out it did the same so the battery was flat. The point being that when your alternator is poviding full charge, the battery can be disconnected and still run the bike, so it's got to be alternator related. If it was a massive short I'd expect it to blow a fuse or kill the bike dead.
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Post by scobri on Oct 13, 2010 20:12:44 GMT
Check your earths,specifically the one on the engine. I had one come loose & another which had an alarm soldered into it,that caused major headaches & all sorts of awkward problems
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wheaty
Full Member
1986 FZ (1FN model) FZR1000 engine, EXUP swingarm, Ohlins shock, Marvic Penta wheels, R1 forks.
Posts: 123
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Post by wheaty on Oct 13, 2010 20:28:00 GMT
I reckon you got your major headache from looking in the mirror. Ha! Ha!
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