64 CA77 - Battery Not Holding a Charge!

[ericmanuel]

Hey guys,
I could use some help. My 305 died at a red light. Got it home and charged the battery fired right up, 5 minutes later it was dead as a door nail. Charged it again. Then the same thing happened.

Bought a new battery charged it then same thing happened.

This has me stumped. Not sure what is draining the battery. I am planning on checking the wiring from front to make hopefully I can find a short and that will be the solution.

Anyone else encounter this type of challenge.

Thanks for your support
~Eric

[LOUD MOUSE]

Take a good visual look at ALL the wiring.
I'd say you have a wire contacting a ground somewhere. .............lm

Hey guys,
I could use some help. My 305 died at a red light. Got it home and charged the battery fired right up, 5 minutes later it was dead as a door nail. Charged it again. Then the same thing happened.

Bought a new battery charged it then same thing happened.

This has me stumped. Not sure what is draining the battery. I am planning on checking the wiring from front to make hopefully I can find a short and that will be the solution.

Anyone else encounter this type of challenge.

Thanks for your support
~Eric

[revlover]

Does it happen anytime or just when the lights are on?The combination switch adds extra stator power to the system when the lights are switched on to compensate for the heavier load. Your best diagnostic tool is to connect a volt meter temporarily and monitor the voltage as you ride.

[ericmanuel]

Spent the last couple of hours checking every wire and connection from front to back. Did find a ground wire that was rubbed bare near the headlight. put a piece of heat shrink over it and zipped it up out of the way.

Connected the battery to charger and had power to headlight.

Continued my inspection on the left side of the bike with the battery still connected to charger.

Decided to check headlight again. No light.

Continuing my inspection to the right side and discovered that my rectifier had broken where it bolts to the mounting bracket. Could this be my problem? Thankfully, I had backup. So, I installed it and it cranked immediately.

Seems like I had two separate issues. The frayed ground wire in the headlight bucked and the busted rectifier. I will know for sure tomorrow.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

~Eric

[DianneB]

A broken wire on the rectifier means you battery isn't getting any charge and will die in short order.

A frayed ground wire wouldn't cause any problems unless:
1- it is touching a hot wire or terminal somewhere - or -
2 - it ISN'T a ground wire!

[malcolmgb]

Why not just put an ammeter on the battery 12v temporary while the bike is standing, your original post suggests it is happening after the battery has been charged and not run, if nothing else it will show you have no short with the ignition off and key removed. It can even show a short in the ignition switch due to damp/dirt across internal connections, very rare but I have heard of it.
DO NOT run the bike with the ammeter connected unless you know about the ammeter and wires used.

[LOUD MOUSE]

I think he said the engine "Fired right up". ...............lm

My 305 died at a red light. Got it home and charged the battery <<<<<<<<<<<fired right up,>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 5 minutes later it was dead as a door nail. Charged it again. Then the same thing happened.

Why not just put an ammeter on the battery 12v temporary while the bike is standing, your original post suggests it is happening after the battery has been charged and not run, if nothing else it will show you have no short with the ignition off and key removed. It can even show a short in the ignition switch due to damp/dirt across internal connections, very rare but I have heard of it.
DO NOT run the bike with the ammeter connected unless you know about the ammeter and wires used.