Battery keeps dying...

[DieHardBigRaw]

Hey everyone, new rider here. I have a 2000 GZ250 which I bought used about a month ago. Everything was fine until one day I left the keys in the ignition (got distracted, yeah I know, bad me) and killed the battery. I charged it on a trickle charger over night and it fired right up, but ever since then it will randomly die and and wont hold a charge. I took it to AutoZone and it wouldn't get over a 75% charge even after being plugged in for over 4 hours. It sat at 75% for 2.5 hours! I am just wondering if the battery is gone or if there is an issue in the charging system that is causing the battery to die. I only drive it about 10-15 miles a day. I live on a military installation and only drive it to work. I have taken it for a few long rides (about an hour) but dont want to take any chances until I figure out why it will die randomly. I also dont have the money for guesswork? Thanks guys!

[OldNTired]

Hey everyone, new rider here. I have a 2000 GZ250 which I bought used about a month ago. Everything was fine until one day I left the keys in the ignition (got distracted, yeah I know, bad me) and killed the battery. I charged it on a trickle charger over night and it fired right up, but ever since then it will randomly die and and wont hold a charge. I took it to AutoZone and it wouldn't get over a 75% charge even after being plugged in for over 4 hours. It sat at 75% for 2.5 hours! I am just wondering if the battery is gone or if there is an issue in the charging system that is causing the battery to die. I only drive it about 10-15 miles a day. I live on a military installation and only drive it to work. I have taken it for a few long rides (about an hour) but dont want to take any chances until I figure out why it will die randomly. I also dont have the money for guesswork? Thanks guys!


Welcome.
That said, normally I would and would suggest a handful of things to try,
BUT since the battery was charged apart from the bike and its charging system
with no good results, the only thing I could suggest now would be to
buy a new battery.
Leaving that key in the 'on' position put the finishing touches on what was, no doubt,
a battery on its last legs.
Sorry.

[alantf]

And like we keep saying, and keep saying, and keep saying.....................

If you buy a new battery, even if the salesman says otherwise, give it a good charge before fitting it, or it'll never hold a good charge. Suzuki recommend 0.75 amps for 5 to 10 hours, but certainly no more than 2 amps overnight. :2tup:

[Road_Clam]

Hey everyone, new rider here. I have a 2000 GZ250 which I bought used about a month ago. Everything was fine until one day I left the keys in the ignition (got distracted, yeah I know, bad me) and killed the battery. I charged it on a trickle charger over night and it fired right up, but ever since then it will randomly die and and wont hold a charge. I took it to AutoZone and it wouldn't get over a 75% charge even after being plugged in for over 4 hours. It sat at 75% for 2.5 hours! I am just wondering if the battery is gone or if there is an issue in the charging system that is causing the battery to die. I only drive it about 10-15 miles a day. I live on a military installation and only drive it to work. I have taken it for a few long rides (about an hour) but dont want to take any chances until I figure out why it will die randomly. I also dont have the money for guesswork? Thanks guys!

Yup sounds to me like your battery is junk. Do you have a volt meter ? Test the battery after an overnight trickle charge and you need to be at about 12.6-12.9 V .

[mrlmd1]

Make sure you have not been leaving the bike with the key in the PARK position, next to the OFF position, otherwise you are leaving on the rear parking lights which you may not realize, and are discharging the battery.
You can check the charging system by measuring the battery voltage at about 2500-3000rpm. You should be reading around 14 V, but you may not get that if your battery is caput. Do not try to charge the bike letting it sit at idle, there is no significant charging output at that engine speed.
The only way to see if the battery is bad is to try to charge it up to full charge then do a load test on it.
If you get a new AGM battery, YOU must charge it up fully before first use or it will never hold a full charge and you will be back at the store getting a new one real quick. Do not rely on the salesman in the store telling you your new battery is all set to go when you buy it.

[DieHardBigRaw]

Thanks everyone, I am pretty proficient when it comes to cars and trucks, but motorcycles are a new thing to me. I will replace the battery and let it charge and go from there. Thanks again!

[Rookie Rider]

When buying a new battery and before putting it on bike it should be charged fully. Can that be done with the trickle charger for the first full charge ?

[alantf]

Yes, like I said, Suzuki recommend 0.75 amps for 5 to 10 hours, but anything up to 2 amps for anything up to overnight is fine. Also, read anything that comes with the battery, to see if the manufacturer has any recommendations. :2tup:

[Rookie Rider]

Cool, thanks alantf

[DieHardBigRaw]

Hey everyone, I replaced the battery and it ran for a few days fine. I went to leave for work this morning and it wouldn't turn over. I am thinking maybe starter or alternator or whatever the motorcycle equivalent is? prob not starter since it starter after a brand new battery was put in it. so I am thinking alternator?

[alantf]

The only way to go now is TEST. It's no good guessing. :) Put your meter across the battery at around 4000 to 5000 rev/min, then let us know what voltage you get, so we can go to the next step in the flow chart. :2tup:

[Road_Clam]

Hey everyone, I replaced the battery and it ran for a few days fine. I went to leave for work this morning and it wouldn't turn over. I am thinking maybe starter or alternator or whatever the motorcycle equivalent is? prob not starter since it starter after a brand new battery was put in it. so I am thinking alternator?

Well, the most expensive but complete method of guessing is to replace both the stator and the regulator, then you will be good to go...

I am also now experiencing battery issues, even though I also had a faulty regulator. I'm pretty sure the previous owner of my bike, just kept driving and charging the battery. My battery looks almost brand new, but it won't hold a correct charge.

[DieHardBigRaw]

I dont have a Voltometer or an RPM Gauge so I am probably going to have to pay the shop $80+ plus going without my bike for a week or longer, just to tell me whats wrong with it.... Thanks for all the advice guys, I really appreciate the input!

[mrlmd1]

Did you bother to fully charge up the new battery before you used it for the first time? If not, that's why it's dead and won't hold a charge. The battery now has to be tested with a load tester after charging it again to see if it has failed.
What do you mean it wouldn't turn over? Does the starter run, does it click, or is there nothing, no sound?
Do you have lights when you turn the key to ON?
Is the RUN switch on?
Are you pulling in the clutch when you try and start the bike?
Like I asked you before, are you turning off the bike with the key in the PARK position instead of OFF, and thereby leaving on the rear lights and draining the battery?
Buying a voltmeter (and you can get a decent one at Harbor Freight for $3.99) is the first thing you have to do. It will help you and us diagnose what is wrong. It's a lot cheaper than $80/hr bringing it into the shop for them to tell you what you are doing wrong. There is probably nothing wrong with the bike.

[DieHardBigRaw]

I charged the battery before putting it in the bike. When I turn the key from OFF to ON my lights all light up like normal. When I press the starter button I hear a sound like the fuel pump is kicking on (?) but all the lights go dim. I plugged jumper cables from my truck battery (truck wasnt on) to my bike battery. Within 10 seconds the bike turned over. This seems to let me know that something was bringing the battery down from a full charge, which means there is something wrong with the charging system. But I am not 100% sure. I will look and see if I can get a Voltmeter locally pretty cheap. How do I gauge the RPMS though? I dont have an RPM Guage on my bike? Thanks

[DieHardBigRaw]

Oh, and am I just hooking it up to the battery? (The voltmeter that is?) Thanks

[DieHardBigRaw]

I have one of these voltmeters, would that work? Thanks! http://www.walmart.com/ip/Calterm-1100- ... r/19899681 (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Calterm-1100-6160-Calterm-Automotive-66316-Giant-Auto-Tester/19899681)

[DieHardBigRaw]

I just realized that the Run button was mentioned, is that the RED KILL SWITCH? If so then I always flip that back down after I use it to turn the bike off, then turn the key to OFF and I then flip the red button back to its original position so its ready to start the next day. Is that what my problem is? If so I feel like a big IDIOT.

[dentheman]

I just realized that the Run button was mentioned, is that the RED KILL SWITCH? If so then I always flip that back down after I use it to turn the bike off, then turn the key to OFF and I then flip the red button back to its original position so its ready to start the next day. Is that what my problem is? If so I feel like a big IDIOT. Yes, the red kill switch. If that's what you are doing, it is not the problem. But why do that when you can just turn off the ignition key? In fact, my owners manual recommends NOT using the kill switch (Honda Shadow) so as not to inadvertantly leave the ignition on and drain the battery through the lights.

I know others have mentioned not leaving the key in PARK, but make sure by walking around behind the bike to be sure the taillight is off.
If all that doesn't help, I would take it to the shop. (I know others here do a lot of their own work, but I would rather spend some $ to have a pro do the work rather than screw up someting I know little about.)

[mrlmd1]

It sounds like your battery is discharged, Charge it up again, bring it back to the store you bought it from and have them do a load test on it. and that will be free. That is the only way to see if the battery is any good.
You may have gotten a bad battery altho that is unlikely, but maybe it wasn't fully charged when you started using it.

That thing from Walmart is not a multitester, it is a continuity tester. You need something that will measure voltage, and that is a multitester - if you don't know what it looks like or can't find it, ask a salesman.
You just connect the pos wire to the pos battery terminal, neg to neg , make sure the scale is set right, and read the voltage. A fully charged battery should read 12.6-12.8V. The instructions for using the thing are in the package, and you really can get a decent one for less than $10 at an auto parts store or Walmart, Lowes, etc.
You do not have to know the exact rpm - anything above a fast idle, less than midrange rpm, should put out sufficient charging voltage, and with the meter connected to the battery, that should read 13.2-14V depending on the state of the battery if everything is working.
Get that voltage measuring multitester and have the battery checked before you bring it into a shop. And also make sure your battery connections are both clean and tight.
You can diagnose this, it's not really nuclear physics or quantum mechanics (or rocket science).
FYI, the charging system on this bike puts out very little juice at idle. You cannot charge the battery with the bike sitting in the driveway idling for 15-20 min.. You will use up more juice starting it than you will replace into the battery doing that, besides the bike overheating from lack of cooling air flow around the engine - not a good idea prolong idling.

[alantf]

[attachment=0:2zuhy665]img023.jpg[/attachment:2zuhy665]
Like I asked you before, are you turning off the bike with the key in the PARK position instead of OFF, and thereby leaving on the rear lights and draining the battery?


This is one question you haven't answered. Some of our members don't know that if you turn the switch all the way anticlockwise, you are turning the rear light on when you leave the bike (and therefore running down the battery). You should turn the key one position less (see diagram) before removing it.

[DieHardBigRaw]

I always switch the ignition to OFF, I think once I locked the front fork, but I couldn't even turn the key to the PARK symbol, so I know that is not the issue. Besides the battery is not completely dead, like I said I have lights when I turn it on. I will see if I can get a charger and multitester and go from there. I will keep you guys updated.

[mrlmd1]

You can have lights with 10 - 11 V but that's nowhere near enough to turn over the starter motor which draws 60 amps. The clicking you hear when you hit the start button is the relay and the starter making noise but not rotating = not enough amps in the battery.
To go over this again here - a fully charged SLA battery reads 12,66V - a VRLA is 12.85V
SLA 12.45 V = 75% charge = VRLA 12.65 V
SLA 12,24V = 50% charge = VRLA 12.35V
SLA12.06V = 25% charge = VRLA 12.00V
SLA 11.80 V = 0% charge = VRLA 11.80V
After you get the multitester/voltmeter let us know what the battery reads at rest and with the bike running fast idle or midrange, measured at the battery terminals. And get the battery load tested. Until you can do that, there's nothing else we can tell you.

[alantf]

I always switch the ignition to OFF, I think once I locked the front fork, but I couldn't even turn the key to the PARK symbol,

Sounds like you need to lubricate the ignition lock. I know I have to oil mine every so often, to make the key turn easier. Don't forget, it's open to the elements. In "off" the steering doesn't lock.

[DieHardBigRaw]

ok, I charged the battery to 12.8 V, I put it on the bike, started it and when I revved the engine the Volts dropped to 12.2/12.0. At rest its 12.5/12.6

[DieHardBigRaw]

I just had it load tested and it test at 12.5V. I am wondering if I am not driving it enough to recharge the battery. I live on a military installation and drive it about 2 miles back and forth to work about 4 times a day (to work, lunch, and then home.) so I am only driving it maybe 8-10 miles a day, but am starting it 4 - 5 times? Any thoughts? Thanks guys!

[blaine]

I just had it load tested and it test at 12.5V. I am wondering if I am not driving it enough to recharge the battery. I live on a military installation and drive it about 2 miles back and forth to work about 4 times a day (to work, lunch, and then home.) so I am only driving it maybe 8-10 miles a day, but am starting it 4 - 5 times? Any thoughts? Thanks guys!
Yep,your not driving far enough between starts for the battery to recharge.It may help to keep it on a charger/tender at night.
:) :cool:

[dentheman]

I just had it load tested and it test at 12.5V. I am wondering if I am not driving it enough to recharge the battery. I live on a military installation and drive it about 2 miles back and forth to work about 4 times a day (to work, lunch, and then home.) so I am only driving it maybe 8-10 miles a day, but am starting it 4 - 5 times? Any thoughts? Thanks guys!
Yep,your not driving far enough between starts for the battery to recharge.It may help to keep it on a charger/tender at night.
:) :cool:
And take her for nice long, enjoyable rides when you can! It will be good for you and her. (my bike is a she)

[DieHardBigRaw]

Oh I try too last few weeks have been hectic. Thanks for being patient with me. I feel kinda retarded right now, lol. I'm gonna leave this up for future newbies, but It would appear the problem is resolved. :) thanks again all!!

[OldNTired]

ok, I charged the battery to 12.8 V, I put it on the bike, started it and when I revved the engine the Volts dropped to 12.2/12.0. At rest its 12.5/12.6


That sounds exactly the way that my rectifier acted when it died!
It also explains all of your problems.
If you MUST drive it before you replace the rectifier,
only drive for SHORT distances,
and charge the battery after you drive, or else you will
either break down, or ruin the new battery,
or both.
But first, BUY A MULTIMETER!!!!
Download the manual from this site, and test your stator coils.
Two tests, really. First check for a ground with the engine off,
then check for AC voltage when the bike is running.
The manual will tell you how,
but if you have trouble just ask here.
I just went through all of this not long ago myself.
You can expect to pay between $75 to $150 for a new rectifier.
If you are lucky, you can try for a used one (ebay?). They cost
as low as about $10.
Don't be afraid to do it yourself, it will save you a lot
and you will learn a lot about your bike.