Trickle Charger not charging while battery connected | GTAMotorcycle.com

Trickle Charger not charging while battery connected

R

R3d

Active member
Hey Guys,

Had this issue in the Fall, but totally forgot about it until now.

I have an 06 FZ1 with an ECU Flash and a power commander. In the Fall when I put it away in storage, I tried to hook up my smart charger (can't remember brand or model, but it's orange, lol) while the battery was still connected in the bike (as I always did with my previous bikes).

The charger just shut off (as if it was unplugged from the wall, no lights on it at all). I disconnected it, turned the ignition, everything seemed fine, (didn't start it). Connect Charger again, and the charger shuts off, again. I take the battery out, disconnect everything, and charger works fine.

My question is, do you think the PowerCommander or the ECU Flash could have caused this behavior, or is there something else I should be looking at? Is this normal in some bikes?

Thanks for any input.
 
are you connecting battery tender directly to the battery terminals ?

ahhh yes some bikes need to have the ignition turned on and off to let the ecu know it has a tender on it, but that is usually if your going through a power port of some sort, if it's straight to battery then it should not matter
 
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Yeah, it was straight to the battery.

And oh, interesting fact about the on and off. Did not know that. My concern was just frying the PowerCommander, or something else, since other things were connected to the battery leads (aux usb and PC).

Thanks for the input!
 
Any chance the polarity is reversed? It probably has auto shut off in that scenario. If not I would test it on a different battery and if you get the same result then the tender is probably faulty.
 
No, polarity is not the issue. I tried both ways. And it works once I pull the battery out.
 
This is a smart tender/charger. When it is full, it goes into trickle mode. However in this case, it didn't go in trickle mode, it would just shut off (as if shorted out?).
 
Awesome! Thanks for the tip. I will give it a shot.
 
Yeah, I don't recall. Will check when I get home tonight.
 
Assuming your battery is not completely dead and shorted out.
Put everything back together and hook up your charger direct to the battery and plug it in at the wall. Still no lights on the charger? Now try turning on your ignition but don't start the motor. After a minute the trickle charge should kick in. Once it's charging turn off the ignition. And hopefully it will go into float/standby after charging.
If it won't charge at all, then your smart charger doesn't like your bike.
 
R3d said:
No, polarity is not the issue. I tried both ways. And it works once I pull the battery out.
Click to expand...

you tried it both ways? ummm.... this may have caused some problems with your bikes electrical. Hopefully you have just blown a fuse - check them. Be sure to install the battery with correct positive and negative.
 
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empty said:
Assuming your battery is not completely dead and shorted out.
Put everything back together and hook up your charger direct to the battery and plug it in at the wall. Still no lights on the charger? Now try turning on your ignition but don't start the motor. After a minute the trickle charge should kick in. Once it's charging turn off the ignition. And hopefully it will go into float/standby after charging.
If it won't charge at all, then your smart charger doesn't like your bike.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I will give it a shot. Battery is/was not dead, as I had just ridden it in for storage.
 
boyoboy said:
you tried it both ways? ummm.... this may have caused some problems with your bikes electrical. Hopefully you have just blown a fuse - check them. Be sure to install the battery with correct positive and negative.
Click to expand...

From my understanding, electrons go from negative to positive. If you hook it up the wrong way, nothing should happen (not charge or short), either way behavior was the same. I have checked all the fuses (they fine), and turned the ignition on after the brief switch. All seemed the same.

Was just curious as to why or if anyone else had experienced the charger just shutting down like that.

Thanks!
 
R3d said:
From my understanding, electrons go from negative to positive. If you hook it up the wrong way, nothing should happen (not charge or short), either way behavior was the same. I have checked all the fuses (they fine), and turned the ignition on after the brief switch. All seemed the same.

Was just curious as to why or if anyone else had experienced the charger just shutting down like that.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Current flows from positive terminal to negative terminal in a battery.

It's odd that it would behave normally with battery out of bike vs hooked up to bike. Are you certain it's not a function of the charger that perhaps just looks like it's shutting off?
 
AF4iK said:
Current flows from positive terminal to negative terminal in a battery.

It's odd that it would behave normally with battery out of bike vs hooked up to bike. Are you certain it's not a function of the charger that perhaps just looks like it's shutting off?
Click to expand...

yes, your both right. current and electrons flow in opposite directions. one semester too many of chemistry..this thread is a good head scratcher..
 
Is there a draw somewhere on the bike that would cause the charger to shut off?
 
boyoboy said:
yes, your both right. Current and electrons flow in opposite directions. One semester too many of chemistry..this thread is a good head scratcher..
Click to expand...

til;
 
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