[Panhead Jim]

Dead battery? Unexplained? Where to start?

Disconnect the negative and charge the battery fully. Then meter across the battery negative to solid frame ground with all switches turned off. If you get any hit at all, you have a leak. Something is demanding voltage somewhere. It's up to you then to check each circuit, starting with the most obvious, whatever that might be on your particular bike. The point is, with all off, there should be no voltage demand at the battery ground, period, unless you have a clock or some geeky shit like that demanding some small charge. Git 'er done.

WINNER!

Winner??

 

[jabber]

If I can add something.........

You need your multimeter set on amps for this, not volts, and .003-.005 is normal. And also, you have to wait a like 10 seconds for it to "settle down", it'll read like .9 then .5 then .04 and smaller and smaller and smaller.

-john

 

[Panhead Jim]

If I can add something.........

You need your multimeter set on amps for this, not volts, and .003-.005 is normal. And also, you have to wait a like 10 seconds for it to "settle down", it'll read like .9 then .5 then .04 and smaller and smaller and smaller.

-john

Thank you, John, and you're absolutely spot on. HOWEVER, a first gross check on volts will find a short, which is about 99% of the elec problems out there. I run my first with a light, not a meter, then go from there. FWIW, excellent addition to my post, and I say thanks...

 

[jabber]

cool, cool.

I just do this every day and thought I could add a little extra, being a euro car tech I deal with parasitic drains alot. Can we say 23 computers all on a can bus.......not fun.

 

[Panhead Jim]

cool, cool.

I just do this every day and thought I could add a little extra, being a euro car tech I deal with parasitic drains alot. Can we say 23 computers all on a can bus.......not fun.

No, we cannot say that, and it you ever say that again, I will hunt you down and...

Of course we can say that, but only on another forum!

 

[jabber]

yeah, I'm looking forward to my bike only having about seven wires.

 

[Panhead Jim]

yeah, I'm looking forward to my bike only having about seven wires.

If I'm not mistaken, seven is the magic number. No shit!