Is Your Clock Always On?

Hi there, hoping you can help out with trouble shooting an issue I'm having.

My battery kept dying last year so this spring I got a new battery assuming that it was on it's last legs. Unfortunately I've been crazy busy with work so I haven't been riding as much as I would like (about every couple of weeks). When I go to start my bike after the two weeks, it won't start and I have to jump it.

I noticed that my clock is always on (I can see it on the dash), even when the key is out. Is this normal?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Veefar

veefarI noticed that my clock is always on (I can see it on the dash), even when the key is out. Is this normal?

Mine's always on, and doesn't seem to drain my battery even if I don't ride it for a few weeks during the winter months. Sounds like you have a current-leakage issue somewhere in your system.

The clock on the bike is the only thing in the garage to tell me when to go inside and head for bed when I'm puttering on the bikes in the evening.

Good luck finding the issue. Others here can be of service with advice on likely areas to start with.

Clock is always on.

Do you have your battery connected to a Battery Tender? If not - get one and connect it up. It'll keep your battery nice and charged.

The clock pulls milliamps of current. It has negligible effect when it comes to discharging the battery.

Thanks guys! I guess it's not the clock then... I did have a battery tender over the winter, but haven't been using it. Maybe I'll try that...

Any ideas on potential electrical leakages pls let me know!

Veefar

The battery tender, mentioned previously, is a good idea, butt even that, judiciously used, may not give satisfactory battery performance. New battery choices and prepping a new battery correctly is essential. If this was not done the result could be the problem you're having. If the battery you purchased came dry with acid separate, you must follow the directions to the letter. Especially out-gassing/settling time for all air bubbles to release. Follow that with a final top off with acid, if necessary. Then the battery should be slo charged to it's maximum capacity. Typically 14 plus volts. Let it sit overnite and measure again in the a.m., to be certain it holds the charge. Too often battery retailers don't go thru all of these steps. The result will be a battery that will never fully charge, in the bike or with a battery tender. Subsequently, the battery will have a limited service life. . Good fortune, B~

Roebling3The battery tender, mentioned previously, is a good idea, butt even that, judiciously used, may not give satisfactory battery performance. New battery choices and prepping a new battery correctly is essential. If this was not done the result could be the problem you're having. If the battery you purchased came dry with acid separate, you must follow the directions to the letter. Especially out-gassing/settling time for all air bubbles to release. Follow that with a final top off with acid, if necessary. Then the battery should be slo charged to it's maximum capacity. Typically 14 plus volts. Let it sit overnite and measure again in the a.m., to be certain it holds the charge. Too often battery retailers don't go thru all of these steps. The result will be a battery that will never fully charge, in the bike or with a battery tender. Subsequently, the battery will have a limited service life. . Good fortune, B~

:biggrin: Excellent advice!

Disconnect the negative cable from the battery, put an ammeter in line with the circuit you just broke by taking the cable off the battery post, and find out what it's reading. It should be very small, like 50 milliamps or so (I don't know what the factory recommends here, someone else want to second opinion my number here?) and if it's greater then you have an electrical problem. Smaller and you may have a battery problem, or a charging problem.

And just for the record, my clock is always on, and always wrong! I should probably figure out how to reset that thing some day...

pres589And just for the record, my clock is always on, and always wrong! I should probably figure out how to reset that thing some day...

Try holding both bottons at the same time to set your clock.

pres589And just for the record, my clock is always on, and always wrong! I should probably figure out how to reset that thing some day...

1) Turn the ignition on.

2) Push and hold both the Select button and the Reset button for more than 2 seconds.

The clock will be set in the adjust mode with the display flashing.

3)Push the Reset button until the desired time and "AM/PM" are displayed.

The time is advanced by one minute each time the button is pushed.

The time is advanced by 10 minutes each time the button is pushed and held.

Voila!

The clock LCD draws so little amperage that it is insignificant for battery drain.

A trickle charger/battery tender used consistently is HUGE for battery life extension.

My 6 year old battery has been on a Optimate for the past 5 years. I regularly test it by leaving it off charge for a week, it still starts up without hesitation.

It could be that your battery is at the end of its life. You can take out the bettery and go have it tested. If its not the battery, you might want to check out the wiring harness and see if any of the wires have worn through and is grounding out. Your clock will not drain the battery that fast. I have heard of people having the wires wear through near the bottom of the handle bars. Good luck.