Dead new battery

[Water Warrior 2]

Could be that the previous owner bought the new battery and did not charge it properly and it failed prematurely. Hope the replacement corrects the situation.

[zenbutcher]

Just FYI.... I've noticed recently that running my bright light all the time drains my battery terribly. I have just adapted by only switching to bright when I need to do so. Since I've been doing this, I haven't had a single problem with a weak battery.

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by zenbutcher

Just FYI.... I've noticed recently that running my bright light all the time drains my battery terribly. I have just adapted by only switching to bright when I need to do so. Since I've been doing this, I haven't had a single problem with a weak battery.

Any chance there is a bulb with a higher wattage demand on high beam. Could be a 100 watt high beam which would make the electrical system very marginal at best.

[nhcop]

It is a 55/60W bulb. I just rode down to Advanced Auto and they checked my battery. According to their test, the battery is fine.

I noticed there is a plug that goes to nothing inside my headlight housing. This must not be normal is it?
Here it is:

[alantf]

When you look in the headlight, do you see a small 5w "parking light" bulb. I'm not sure if the American GZs have them, like the European version. If there's no small bulb, then the connector is likely for that. Manufacturers seem to like a standard wiring loom that contains the wiring for anything required around the world. Like, our bikes don't have the marker lights in the front indicator housings, but the wiring's there.

[nhcop]

Could it be a bad Stator??? How can I test for that?

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by nhcop

Could it be a bad Stator??? How can I test for that?

You are taking wild guesses again. That is BAD; it will get you into worse trouble.

[Edit] Looks like **I** took a wrong turn somewhere so let's start over.

Exactly what are the symptoms when it fails ??
Is that still the same after charging overnight ??
It is possible that your main cables just have a loose connection.....or the main fuse blew.....or that the battery really IS bad, even though it tests good.

You REALLY need a meter to go any farther......especially before you start talking about stators. They are not a high failure item in the GZ.

[nhcop]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

You are taking wild guesses again. That is BAD; it will get you into worse trouble.

[Edit] Looks like **I** took a wrong turn somewhere so let's start over.

Exactly what are the symptoms when it fails ??
Is that still the same after charging overnight ??
It is possible that your main cables just have a loose connection.....or the main fuse blew.....or that the battery really IS bad, even though it tests good.

You REALLY need a meter to go any farther......especially before you start talking about stators. They are not a high failure item in the GZ.

Ya im tired of wild guesses too. I dont have a meter, but monday after work i am going to drive over to the see a mechanic and just have him take a look at it. I did checked the cables and the fuses and they appear fine.

[wyo guy]

First off, this site is great!! I have benefitted greatly from all the discussions posted here and been able to fix any issues I have run across with my gz.

nhcop,
I had the same issue a year ago with my 04 gz. Seeing you are having the same symptoms with your bike prompted me to register. Start on pg. 168 of the service manual (avail on this site) for some guidance. Your Rectifier is probably shot and your battery is not getting any juice from the stator. The stator puts out around 60 Volts AC and the recitifier (looks like a metal block with fins) located on the left side of the bike changes the 60 VAC to around 13.5 DC. If you start your bike up and unhook the two wire connector comming of the rectifier you should read at least 13.5 volts. If it says -13.5 volts no big deal, just swap your meter leads around. I was able to pick up a rectifier on e-bay for about $29 + Shipping. A dealer wants over $100.00. I hope this helps you out.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by wyo guy

Your Rectifier is probably shot and your battery is not getting any juice from the stator.

That is a good summary of a "not charging" condition......but we don't KNOW yet if that is his problem or not. Some of the information he has provided would tend to indicate that the problem is much more basic than that.

More tests are needed.