Battery Drain

I was wondering if anyone else that runs many electrical accessories off the battery have problems with the battery dying after a couple of days. I've got 110W worth of fog lights, ~40W Gerbering heated gloves. I guess the first thing to do is check the leakage across the battery and make sure it's in spec. Any other ideas?

Are your accessories wired through a relay such that they have no power when the bike is off?

That's correct. I guess the only thing is that I have an alarm that I generally turn leave on over night. I guess I'll try going a night without that and see what happens.

The alarms are ofen a large drain on the battery.

Any other ideas?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe that Amp sucking horn you installed recently http://www.vfrdiscus...tyle_emoticons/default/wink.gif

Well, it shouldn't be sucking any amps when the bike is off since it is on a relay.

Looks like you have a VTEC. Did you have the stator recall done?

I had the sub-standard stator and after killing the battery enough times, a cell in the battery calfed. I had the stator replaced along with the battery and it runs beautifully now.

So I think my problem was just the cold weather. I've not been riding for about a week now even though it's been getting warmer (tsk, tsk, yeah, I know, I know) and this morning I was able to fire up the V4 without a problem AND I had the alarm on the entire time. So I guess my battery doesn't like cranking the motor after sitting for even just two days in 25 - 30 degree overnight weather. :unsure:

So I think my problem was just the cold weather.  I've not been riding for about a week now even though it's been getting warmer (tsk, tsk, yeah, I know, I know) and this morning I was able to fire up the V4 without a problem AND I had the alarm on the entire time.  So I guess my battery doesn't like cranking the motor after sitting for even just two days in 25 - 30 degree overnight weather.  :blink:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmmm how old is your battery? typically unless of course you do find a culprit that is stealing AMP's at night, a battery will decline like that after the cells lose their ability to retain the charge... Big battery advocate here, i just sold a GEM car, they are electric golf cart /road legal cars.. anyway they use 6 deep cycle batteries and that was a big issue with them...

FYI: i am researching a battery for the VFR right now, they will be pricey,, however they are "DRY-CELL's" with about 6x the cold cranking amps of our current wet cell and maint. free VFR batteries! :unsure:

Michael

The battery is original. The bike is 3 1/4 years old with 12K + miles.

The battery is original.  The bike is 3 1/4 years old with 12K + miles.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Could be that your battery is just exhausted, i know i replace my lawn tractor battery every 2 years it dies, and the bike batteries are smaller. you can buy a battery tester at wall mart or any place really they are like a buck... they measure i believe the specific gravety of the acit in each cell. this will tell you, or better yet pull that puppy out head up to autozone and have them bench test it...

Michael :unsure:

Looks like you have a VTEC.  Did you have the stator recall done? 

I had the sub-standard stator and after killing the battery enough times, a cell in the battery calfed.  I had the stator replaced along with the battery and it runs beautifully now.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Stator Recall? What's the deal with that and I wonder if the recall already expired. I did a search on the forum and couldn't find anything.

I'm not sure about previous generations, but you can't test the specific gravity of the battery's electrolyte on the 6th gens. They use a sealed battery due to the mounting position. However, you could probably get it tested at Autozone. I've never tried to have them test a battery that small though, their machine might not go low enough.

Chris

Stator Recall?  What's the deal with that and I wonder if the recall already expired.  I did a search on the forum and couldn't find anything.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Call any Honda dealer and give them your VIN# they can see if it has been done, and if not, they can do it.

I have an '03 as well. I noticed a lack of battery power on start-up after about a year. Over the course of a few months (in the winter when it was rarely started) it got to a point where it almost wouldn't start. I bought a battery tender and that prolonged things for another few months until it started doing it again...

I replaced the battery. :thumbsup:

It has been going strong for over a year now.

I don't know anything about a stator recall for an '03, but if your motorcyle is registered with the DMV, and it was affected by the recall, you would have received notice. If you want to check, go to http://www.recalls.gov/

I did a little googling and found this little tidbit on the "stator recall."

When the 2002 VFR had a stator "recall," Honda just quietly announced it as a "model upgrade." OTOH, any 2002 VFR owner (even 2nd and 3rd owners) could bring it in for a new, free stator and, get this - you have 7 years to get the service done! No complaints, even though they didn't denominate it a "recall." Larry

Stator Recall?  What's the deal with that and I wonder if the recall already expired.  I did a search on the forum and couldn't find anything.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you don't use something like a Battery Tender most of the time a 3 year old battery is getting old !!!
Stator recall was on 02-03's and the up-grade did NOT increase Output at all, all it does is start charging sooner(lower RPM). If you did lots of city driving with high beams on and or several accessories, you could have a charging problem on the original Alt.. Also riding at any speed with lots of accessories and the High beams on will cause a drain on the battery because there's not enough extra watts to charge the Battery too ! I think there's less than 200 extra watts available and just running the high beams take 100 ! http://www.vfrdiscus...tyle_emoticons/default/+1.gif
I have 34k miles on my stock stator/alt. w/ no issues. I run Gerbing jacket liner(77watts) and socks(22watts), heated grips(? watts) radar detector. If I also run high beams it won't charge the battery, even at 11,000 rpm !

Call any Honda dealer and give them your VIN# they can see if it has been done, and if not, they can do it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The Dealer would add a Punch mark on the Vin. tag to indicate the recall was done and another punch to indicate that the rear subframe recall was done. I don't remember what corner of the tag each make was placed.

These may not have been true Recalls, so they might not be listed on the Recall site mentioned. All the info here was lost or deleted.
Google it ! http://www.vfrdiscus...tyle_emoticons/default/+1.gif

The Dealer would add a Punch mark on the Vin. tag to indicate the recall was done and another punch to indicate that the rear subframe recall was done.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Interesting about the subframe recall. I asked Honda Australia about mine (an early model 2002) and I was apparently fixed on the production line - the 60th one after the fix was applied, apparently.

No word on stator recalls here in Aus though. Any other Aussies here get their stator replaced - or even notified?

Kaldek