Leakage path to ground

Snakeoil · Post by **Snakeoil** » Sat Sep 12, 2015 3:26 pm

I just put a new battery in my '67 CL77. Old one died after sitting since June. Before I connected the new battery, I did a current check between the neg terminal and neg cable. I got about a 0.5ma current draw with the ignition off.

Before I started the tracing process, is there any known leakage path to ground on the CL77 with the ignition off? I know many modern bikes draw down the battery with clocks alarm systems and such. But obviously noting like that on the CL.

I have installed a Podtronics rect/reg on the bike and that is my first thing to check.

Just did not want to trace all the wiring to find out that there is a path to ground thru some device, like the stator.

Thanks,
Rob

G-Man · Post by **G-Man** » Sat Sep 12, 2015 3:52 pm

Rob

The Podtronics is the only thing that might do that. Is your meter accurate? If you put the two terminals together on the ma scale whet does it read?

Do you have an AGM battery? I have a couple that have gone bad and a friend has suggested a different way of charging to bring them back to life.

G

Snakeoil · Post by **Snakeoil** » Sat Sep 12, 2015 5:27 pm

Found it. Podtronics has leakage across AC and DC wires in both directions and all three also have leakage to ground.

Fortunately, I still have my silicone rectifier set up and have bolted it in place. Need to make 3 pigtails to tie the spades on the rectifier to the barrel connections on the harness.

Hurricane Giro is this coming weekend so need the bike in top shape.

Thanks for the quick reply G-man. I was probably out in the shop when you were replying. Podtronics was the last thing I did to the electrical system. So that is where I started.

I was worried that I might have a leakage path in the stator. But bike harness is fine wrt leakage to ground.

regards,
Rob

rrietman · Post by **rrietman** » Sat Sep 12, 2015 10:54 pm

Rob; yes the Podtronics leak, almost always. you don't need a regulator, there are a bunch of very simple rectifier fixes. I like the generic solid state units that Jack at Beatrice Cycle sells. yes they are about $14, a little more than the radio shack type. but they come with a correct color code wire harness and are easily bolted in to the original rectifier mount. I have probably a dozen of them running right now, they work.
Good luck
Randy

G-Man · Post by **G-Man** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 12:48 am

Rob

If it really is 0.5ma then that's not really going to draw much down for your battery.

0.0005 x 24 (hours in a day) x 365 (days in a year) = 4.38 Amp Hour

So it would take a year to get rid of half (ish) the battery capacity.

My big Triumph has an alarm which does for the battery so I just lift one of the battery terminals when its in the garage for long periods.

G

Snakeoil wrote:Found it. Podtronics has leakage across AC and DC wires in both directions and all three also have leakage to ground.

Fortunately, I still have my silicone rectifier set up and have bolted it in place. Need to make 3 pigtails to tie the spades on the rectifier to the barrel connections on the harness.

Hurricane Giro is this coming weekend so need the bike in top shape.

Thanks for the quick reply G-man. I was probably out in the shop when you were replying. Podtronics was the last thing I did to the electrical system. So that is where I started.

I was worried that I might have a leakage path in the stator. But bike harness is fine wrt leakage to ground.

regards,
Rob

Snakeoil · Post by **Snakeoil** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 9:40 am

Interesting, Randy. So the the conditions I found with my Pod are apparently normal. That's a bit annoying since most folks with vintage bikes have several and they sit more than get ridden. Glad I never put the batteries in a couple of the bikes I have. They never got started this year.

I may contact Bob Kizer about this. He's the creator. John Healy bought the rights from him and he's the distributor now.

G-man, I would tend to agree that the leakage is slight. But if you have a marginal battery, it could mean the difference between starting and not starting. With aftermarket EI's like Boyers and Pazon, there is a threshold voltage where the unit will go full advance which is not a pleasant experiece if you are kicking a Brit big twin.

Well, Healy said he would test it for me. It will be interesting to see what he says.

I have the silicone rectifier I installed before I got the Pod. It works fine. But there is no control. In motogiros, I have the revs high for a good portion of the time and at one giro, I boiled a lot of electrolyte out of the battery. That was when I decided to go with a Pod.

I wonder if the Tympanium has the same leakage issue. I have on in a BSA. Not battery in that one this year, either.

I also need to check the wiring diagram on the Triumph to see if the Pod is wired to the battery thru the ignition switch. If there is leakage, that is how it could be wired and not directly to the battery. Of course, you switch needs to be able to conduct that amount of energy to the battery. Never paid much attention to the amp rating of the igntition switches.

For my Honda, without looking at the diagram, I would think it is a simple matter of just landing the positive lead from the Pod on the switched +12 post on the switch.

Thanks guys. I'll report back on what Mr. Healy says. I think I'll also check the Pod on my '66 Triumph to see if I get similar readings.

regards,
Rob

mike in idaho · Post by **mike in idaho** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 2:04 pm

If you're really worried about voltage drain you could wire a 5 pole relay in the wire between the podtronics output wire and the battery terminal. Wire the trigger connection of the relay to the ignition coil circuit, then it will be isolated from the battery whenever the key is off. Hook the battery lead to #30 and the podtronics wire to #87. Terminal #87a (normally closed)will have battery voltage with the key off, that would be a handy place to plug in a lead for a battery tender hookup.