Parasitic draw MAY be radio, just not sure!

[Motorider]

My New battery goes dead after one week in the Valkyrie Interstate, if not run. My parasitic draw is 1.84 milliamps with radio plugged in and .74 with the radio unplugged. Steps I have taken so far. Removed 15 amp fuse in the Audio back up, circuit draw is down to zero. Replace that fuse and draw is back, remove 30 amp fuse from starter relay, draw is zero, replace that fuse and draw is back. Disconnect starter button, no difference in milliamp reading. Do these radios short out or is there something drawing power in this circuit that I missed? Does anyone repair these radios IF that is my problem? Thanks for any helpful information you can provide!

[WintrSol]

The 15A audio fuse also powers the radio control module, which explains the draw when just the radio is unplugged. The keep-alive load of 1.84mA doesn't seem out of the ordinary, and represents a discharge of the battery of about 2.5% over 7, 24hr days (~0.3A-hr). That should still leave enough to start the bike, unless the battery is getting weak, or doesn't fully charge when you ride. It takes more than a few miles to put back what starting takes out of it, so several short trips will pull it down enough for the radio and controller to kill it after a week of no charge. I'd say you need to have your battery tested, and hook up a battery tender when the bike is not in use.

[Motorider]

First off, let me make it clear, I suck at fixing electrical issues. I have turned wrenches my entire life, but electrical is a whole different story. Battery is brand new, manual says the current leakage should be less then .1 milliamp. I also unplugged the radio controller, that made no difference. So you think 1.84mA is okay? I am a little twitchy when it comes to battery tenders. Fifteen years ago my garage burned to the ground, it was determined that the Harbor Freight battery tender I had on my Corvette started the fire. At least that is what I was told. I do own a Battery Tender (trade name). Perhaps I will plug it in during the day and unplug at night, as our fire was at 2:30 am.

[Ricky-D]

If you're so worried about a fire from the battery tender, then locate the battery tender remotely, outside and in a way that a fire cannot get inside.

That shouldn't be so difficult to accomplish.

[Jess from VA]

There is always a (fire) risk I suppose, but I keep three Battery Tender (Jr's) plugged in 24 X 7 X 365 for over ten years.  These are in sheds, NOT attached to my house.  All are on GFCI circuits, and each Tender is fused (and the bike is fused).  Over 20 years, I've only lost one Battery Tender Plus to old age (and it just stopped working, with no sparky/flamey symptoms).  Both my bikes are interstates with radios, and I never had a radio draw problem (but I wouldn't know with the Tenders always plugged in when not riding or traveling).

Is it possible you did not properly give your new battery it's initial charge?  It's the most important charge of all.  

So my Valk batteries last many years.  

I did develop an entirely confusing parasitic draw in my dodge car a few years ago, and the battery was fine, but in 10days-two weeks of non-use it wouldn't start.  Rather than pay an exorbitant amount for a lengthy diagnosis and fix, I just threw a Batter Tender Jr on that too.  And that kept the car starting (but didn't fix the problem).

Another way to go with a Tender (in an attached garage) would be to put a timer between the outlet and the tender.  Run the tender all day, but off when sleeping.  Or something like that.

And, you can always add a fused power strip between the garage outlet and the tender, adding (yet) another fuse to the equation.

I suck at auto electric, and am incompetent to work on it.  I just do workarounds that I don't suck at.      

[Motorider]

I thought about putting the Battery Tender on a timer, and will probably do that.

[WintrSol]

Battery is brand new, manual says the current leakage should be less then .1 milliamp.

Note that spec is for the Standard, and probably applies to the Tourer, as they are basically the same, electrically. I find nothing in the manual about draw for the radio and controller, but if your radio remembers channel selections, it has to have some backup supply.

I also unplugged the radio controller, that made no difference.

You didn't mention unplugging the controller, just the radio and audio fuse. You said the current dropped 1.1mA when you unplugged the radio; what was it when you unplugged the controller, and was the radio in or out when you unplugged it?

So you think 1.84mA is okay?

It is typical for any radio system with a memory, and possibly a clock running, too. By my calculations, it should not discharge a good, fully-charged battery in a week, or even two weeks. Also, new batteries are not always good; there's always some that fail when new.

[gordonv]

The IS has both the radio memory, and the dash memory (trip/time).

As said, 1.8ma is only .0018 A, that should be nothing for a good battery. Mine wasn't a good battery, and anything over 1 week, would make it hard to start or dead.

I didn't know about there being a proper way to charge up a new battery for the first time, and it's VERy important to get the proper life from it.

New batteries can fail, even after doing nothing wrong. Can you bring it back for a test? If so, remove from the bike and charge i over night.

I don't like the Jr tender, I think it killed my battery. I bought a CTEK 3300, and it recovered the battery and I got another 2 years out of it.

I replaced my failing battery last year with an el cheapo one from amazon, like $35. By the time it fails, I expect to have my own home built Li-FePO4 battery built, either for replacement or for jump starting (post sometime after COVID19, when the border opens up).

[gordonv]

Does anyone repair these radios IF that is my problem? Thanks for any helpful information you can provide!

I don't know if anyone needs too, there are a lot of radios out there still. Might even be easier to just use the AUX side of it, and use your MP3/cell/etc instead.

These guys repair the GW ones. No clue on if they now anything or will do anything on the Valk.
https://www.sierra-mc.com/

[Steel cowboy]

What brand is your battery and date?
Cold cranking amps?
Have you done a load test on it
I would check what the alternator is putting out with a volt meter too

[Motorider]

Time to drop back and punt! This is not a battery or alternator issue, they are both good. This is a parasitic drain issue. I did find another source of drain on the battery. I have multi color changing LED lights installed on the Valk. They require a controller which I have wired to a fuse panel that is always hot. My plan is to put an on / off switch in line so it is only pulling power when the switch is on. I may have a bad controller, I have sent an email to the manufacture to see how much power that should be pulling. For now I am going to disconnect the controller, put everything back together, use a battery tender on a timer and hope for the best. Thanks again for all the input everyone has provided.

[gordonv]

My parasitic draw is 1.84 milliamps with radio plugged in and .74 with the radio unplugged.

OK, but your 1st statement said that the 1.84mA drain was your problem. So what kind of drain do you have, not just one of your segments.

What do you get off the battery + to the positive lead?

As for your external fuse box, apply a relay to get power to it, and use your AUX port under the right side cover to trigger the relay. It's powered from the key, and I believe it works in both aux and on.

A switch is something I would do, but you said you have a fuse box, so why not place them all on a keyed circuit, who knows what else you might add on in the future.

[Motorider]

You are correct, I did state 1.84mA draw, at that time the fuse box was disconnected. Then yesterday I checked the draw from the fuse box, and it was 6.43mA, which I traced to the LED controller. The only other things connected to the fuse box are plugs for my and my wife's Gerbing 12 volt heated clothing which draw no power unless plugged in. I understand your reasoning for putting in a relay, but I don`t know how to wire that, or where I would put it, as there is no room left. The fuse box and controller take up a lot of room. I do know how to wire a switch and would like to go with what I know.  I very seldom ride at night because I live in whitetail deer country in rural Pa. So the LED lights only get used three or four times a year. So a switch is no big inconvenience. I do thank you for your suggestion.

[WintrSol]

With everything connected, have you removed the main 30A fuse on the starter relay, and measured the current through it? Assuming the connections are clean, that should give the absolute total load on the battery.

Now the current is up to about 8.27mA, it will draw about 1.4A-h from the battery in seven days, or a little over 10%. It should still be able to start the bike after over 4 weeks of sitting.