So, i bought an earth cable from halfords, connected it in and it seemed to work a little, the bike seems to turn over a TINY wee bit faster.. but still no luck... after trying to turn it over twice, the ofxord oximiser shows me 12.1v with the charger indicator being in the 50% mark...... what the hell is draining this battery so fast, ive also checked all fuses they are all good and corrosion free. and of course.. the battery is NEW and was trickle charged overnight, and was showing 13.5v on the oximiser right before i tried to turn the bike over. i think there is something else in play here...could it be my PCIII? i havent yet tried to start the bike without that.... anything else to look out for? also, forgot to mention.... when i connect my old battery along side the new battery via jump leads... the bike starts no problem... looks like the old battery has enough juice to get the bike going... but again.... still doesnt explain why the bike wont start with the NEW battery alone... thanks!
Check where the lead is crimped to the metal connector that goes on battery. These wires can corrode but still look good. Known fault.
i might have another battery somewhere that i could try... i really dont wanna spend 40 odd quid on another battery since this new one is literally a month old....and hasnt been used! the bikes still off the road as you can tell. the wires where the lead has been crimped have a few wires that are detached... looks like some wires are also dark in colour.. oxidation ? but how can i fix that without changing the entire wire harness?
Can you cut it back 20mm and recrimp or solder it? @DjM had this problem and was scratching head for a week.
Xivlia, ignore the readings from the Oxford Optimizer, I have an Oxford Maximizer 3800 myself and on the bike setting it is no good as it has incorrectly set charging set points and/or the meter is out of calibration - qc issues probably. I do use it for the car and it seems to work ok for that, however. In any case unless you are getting readings some time after trying to start the bike or sometime after disconnecting the Optimizer your battery voltage will be affected by the switch on/start current draw or the varying charge or rest/test voltage decay and will need time to settle. As I said earlier you need to be checking voltage at the battery posts preferably with a digital millimetre. If you have to use the dash voltage readout the voltage drop for a new good battery after turning ignition on (lights off) ought to be around 0.3-0.7v before you hit the start button. It will probably drop into the 11s whilst it is spinning over and will gradually return to close to its rest voltage if left a while after a failed starting sequence. The pc3 is an easy unplug/disconnect to restore the bike back to just its own ecu so do that (disconnect both power and the ecu connector). As a matter of interest have you tested the battery voltage across the battery terminals with the engine running? For the few wires that are detached could you post up a picture?
I dont think i can cut and re crimp, looks the terminal cable is very short and if i cut it off it wont reach the battery.. and Denzil, i have a digital multimeter, and i have tested the voltages of the new battery when the bike is running and it was showing 13.3v, but thats okay... cause the bike is running and its charging the battey. However, i only managed to get the bike running with 2 batteries connected... and then disconnected the old battery. I just cant get the bike to start with the new battery alone, the Oximiser and my multimeter shows me between 12.1v - 12.3v after turning the bike over a couple of times. i think i will stick the battery back on charge, and tomorrow will remove the PCIII and try it without it. see if that makes a difference.
Can you connect a jump lead from battery+ to wherever it goes to test oe cable. - should be ok with halfords job.
do you not have the receipt for the new battery,, take it back, also ,if the old battery will start the bike then why not just leave it in .
Xivlia, 13.3v with the engine running is not that good, to charge a battery the alternator and regulator delivers higher voltage than that. Should be 13.5-14.5 and the dash voltmeter will show similar voltage to the battery voltage with the engine running. 13.3v on a new battery is barely charging at all. If you can check the voltage at fast tickover and it is still 13.3 then the most likely issue will be a reg/rec failure to earth. If the wires that are cut are earths (black) you just pull them out of a the loom and crimp/solder a new ring and fix them to a convenient earthing point that can be any engine screw or frame mounting point. Just means a new set of exige supplied leads is more important..
Sounds like you are going round and round in circles. Listen to the advice given, start with the basics and work your way up. Check your fuel relay behind the battery box, better still change it, £3 on eBay or motor factor. Clean the battery leads, starter leads and earthing points, or as advised make or purchase new earth leads, the loom on these DO go bad Battery - Well that sounds goosed to me, they can only be drained so many times before they are fooked. Once you have done all the above it should be ready for starting. I would also check handlebar switch gear seeing as you left it outside for soooo long. Take them of, clean contacts and a quick squirt of lube. If you still have issues after this then you may have to start spending. Oh and try new fuel, it is possible it has gone bad over time.
You say you have a PC3 fitted. There is a fly lead from the PC3 that connects to the -ve battery terminal.
