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Why Would My Battery Have Died?

2K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  bakdoor 
#1 ·
Hi there,

I'm pretty new to the forum, but was hoping someone could help me here. I got an S40, it's my first bike, and I don't really know anything about maintenance. I took it out on Friday, let it sit Saturday and Sunday, and then went to start my bike on Monday (yesterday). It wouldn't start right up, I had to open the choke. I let it run for a bit, closed the joke, it sputtered and then stalled. I started it again with the choke in, it started up fine and ran for a few minutes. I figured it was good, turned it off, then decided to start it once more for good measure, and it wouldn't even try to turn over. The lights were still on, but they quickly turned off. Now I've got absolutely no power. The bike is an 06, with about 700 miles on it. I got it the beginning of June and haven't had a problem so far with the battery, and I've never heard of one dying over a weekend.
 
#2 ·
If it is the original battery, then it is over 7 years old and well past its life expectancy. Repeated attampts to start it in a short period, without the bike running long/ fast enough to recharge it, were more than it oculd take.
If the tires are original they are also over 7 years old and should be replaced. So should rubber lines like the brake line and fuel hose if they have not been replaced since the bike was new. Time is also the enemy, not just miles.
 
#3 ·
If it is the original battery, then it is over 7 years old and well past its life expectancy.
:plus1:

And if it is NOT the original battery.......check the connections for tightness and corrosion then charge the battery with an external charger and then take it to a battery or bike shop to have the battery and charging system tested.

A maintenance free AGM type battery is highly recommended.
 
#4 ·
Thanks guys, I figured it probably did have something to do with the bike being old and just sitting for a long time. Know any good reputable sites where I can order a battery? There are a few shops near me that can order one, but I've heard mixed reviews about them.
 
#6 ·
Get one in person at a Batteries Plus or bike shop. SHipping is high on batteries, and wet cell batteries will be shipped without any acid in them, so it will not be ready to use when you get it. Once from an actual store will be charged and ready to use. If you don;t have a Batteries Plus, bike shop, NAPA, O'Rileys auto parts, or Wal-Mart anywhere near you, order a battery from the shop. On a cash and carry purchase, their "reviews" are irrelivant.
 
#7 ·
Just got around to reading this thread, I know I'm a little late. On my wife's S40 (that we just traded in,) I couldn't keep her battery charged. Also an '06. I could charge the battery, unplug the charger, and two days later it would be dead. This on a battery that was just replaced in June. I'm thinking there might have been a short somewhere, possibly voltage regulator. It was maddening, and part of the reason she wanted to get out of that bike and into something new. It was a good little bike but the battery thing was super annoying.
 
#8 ·
It was a good little bike but the battery thing was super annoying.
It really should NOT have been.
That is the classic symptom of an old, worn out, sulphated battery that self-discharges when just sitting.

While it is possible that you had a "phantom" drain when off, it is HIGHLY unlikely.
Leaving it disconnected for a couple of days should have convinced you that the battery was
losing charge just on it's own. A new one would likely have fixed the problem.
 
#9 ·
I know it should NOT have been. As I stated, the battery was replaced in June of this year, by the dealer, with a brand new battery. This, after I also replaced the battery with a brand new one last year as well. So there was definitely something wrong with the bike, not with the battery.
 
#10 ·
So there was definitely something wrong with the bike, not with the battery.
Well it's gone now so this is moot but you don't KNOW that without testing things.
Those tests are quick and easy and should have been done when the battery was replaced the first time.
AND it is not impossible that you got two bad batteries in a row; unlikely maybe but not impossible.
 
#11 ·
It would actually have been 3 bad batteries--the one that was in there when I put one in last year (which I think was actually the 2nd battery that was in the bike since new,) then the one I put in, and then the one the dealer put in this past June to replace the one I installed. I'm thinking that 3 bad batteries in a row is mathematically impossible. The bike was at the dealer at least twice during all this, and I'm guessing that they never checked the charging system or to see if there was a slow current draw or short. I sure wasn't pulling the thing apart!:shock:
 
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