I've just had the scoot serviced and asked the tech to check the battery and charge rate as it seems to be draining between rides. A week is about as long as it lasts now without a ride to almost flatten it. The check showed the charge rate and battery condition are good.

07 Fatboy with TMax, V&H Bigshots, SE Highflow A/C and no electrical draining accessories. He said straight away it would be the TMax that is the problem. This is what I am told :- unlike the original ECU and some other aftermarket units, the TMax uses some power through the ignition when swithed off and can cause other elecrical problems like disabling the alarm and shuting down the engine from a minor cause like a blown bulb or something. I haven't had any issues like that but he said I probably will and quite a few owners are removing theirs. This dealer used to sell and fit them a lot but won't anymore.

The solution he tells me is to have them refit the original ECU and for me to buy a SE SuperTuner which is loaded with the correct map for the bike and then downloaded to the ECU then removed. Cost is about $800 for this procedure. One thing I like about the TMax is I can fiddle about with settings etc with my laptop but it seems that to have any adjustments done with the SEST I have to take it to the dealer. Is this right?

I decided to have a think about all this and would greatly appreciate any help from the more experienced among you. This really is a fantastic site and I have learned a hell of a lot just reading about stuff that happens to other bikes. Think I'll go for a run now to keep the battery charged...........

hi guys, i surpose the dealer didn't tell you either that the security alarms on 07 and later bikes drain the battery after a while to. i don't know how long it takes but it's one thing  that wouldn't help your problem either.

Baz

Thanks Scotty, I gave that a go but can't hear a peep out of it. Took the A/C cover off, cupped my ear to the intake area, all I hear is the alarm beep and then nothing. Is it so quiet that I need a stethescope type of thing to hear it? What is an IAC motor and where exactly is it? I appreciate your help.

Oh yeah, I see now. It's dead quiet here now so just had another listen for a few minutes. The little motor noise goes for about a second after turning off the ignition but there is absolutely nothing after that.

Thanks. I'll see what I can find with the multimeter. Hope I can work out how to detect a drain................

Hope I don't sound too thick - still trying to work this one out.

I pulled the fuse out for ECM power. Ignition off. Multimeter probes on each side of where the fuse was. Reading is 12.4V. A tiny spark when I replaced the fuse. Should that read zero? Other fuses show zero reading (except when I pulled the battery fuse the alarm went beserk until I replaced it and turned the ignition on) The battery shows 12.4V also which after 4 days of no riding is not enough to fire it up.

Thanks Scotty, that would be a big help. If that's the big one in front of and above the battery, when I took it out the alarm went off. How do I test the drain, what should the multimeter reading be etc? I appreciate your help. Mick

The first thing I did was get the battery checked by the dealer and was told the charge rate and battery condition were both good. Now you mention it, maybe they didn't do a load test. Will I drag the battery out and take it in to a battery place to have that done? If I disconnect the battery will the alarm go berko - if so what's the procedure? Thanks for your help

Have done a couple more tests to try and get to the bottom of the draining battery problem.

Today I took the battery out and had it load tested and a CCA reading.The tests showed the battery to be in good condition, all cells fully functional and readings in the green range. Voltmeter shows 12.5 to 12.6v.

I pulled the 40v main fuse out with the ignition on, bridged it with the multimeter and it showed 12.6. Turned the ignition off and it showed the same. Does that mean anything and how do I find if there is a drain on the battery with the ignition off?

I'd be very grateful for any help

Thanks Scotty, I think I've done it all as you suggest. The meter shows about 5-7 for a second or two then quickly down to 1 or so then fluctuates around point something or other to settle at .001 or zero as the photo shows. I pulled the ECM fuse and replaced it which made the meter move up and down a little bit to settle again at around zero.

Whadayathink?

Looks like the problem is resolved! Thanks heaps for all the help. I didn't know what else to do and the battery was draining in about three days if not used.

Booked it in with the Brisbane dealer I bought the bike and the Tmax from and told them the story. I could find no drain across the main fuse and even though the battery tested OK, I really was starting to think it was stuffed. 1 month to go under warranty.

Left it with them for the day. Was told it is probably the Tmax, they don't sell them anymore and I should buy a SEST and the battery tests OK and it's all normal and there's nothing wrong with it and I musn't ride it enough. Don't you hate being bullshitted to? I decided to buy an Oxford Maximiser to hook up to the battery when not in use and keep it at the proper charge level and see if that might do the trick. Saddled up to ride 1 1/2 hrs back up the coast and it was too flat to start right outside their front door as the were locking the stealership to go home. I thought this is going to be good - what are they going to do now, jump start my baby and tell me it's normal? So I sat around and 15mins later out came my scoot with a new battery under warranty. They couldn't really do anything else after telling me everything checks out fine.

So there was no drain, the Tmax wasn't the problem, the battery seemed to be OK but not strong enough to hold the charge. The battery maintainer I now use is the duck's nuts. It's small, has digital readout showing voltage and amps, cuts out whenever battery is at peak charge, and hooks up so there is only a small connector poking out under the seat to plug into so you don't need to remove anything to keep it fully charged.

Thanks so much for the suggestions on fixing this, especially Scotty. Without eliminating everything else I wouldn't have been so certain that it was just the battery all along. Learnt a few things as well!!!!

mmm saturday i go to start my bike n the sucker is totaly flat

maybe it was the thundermax or as my missus says it was a OMEN

had the BACA lads n girls up 4 the weekend and i would of joined in

GEE i felt left out