Left my taillight on... [Archive]

alanmcorcoran

09-06-2008, 11:19 PM

...overnight and most of today. Had to push start the bike. Was able to start it twice after riding. Then I left it on for another two hours. (Yes, I am an idiot.)

Does this mean I have hosed my battery beyond recovery? I'm going to fire it up and ride it around to get it juiced up a bit.

primal

09-07-2008, 01:01 AM

alanmcorcoran

09-07-2008, 01:09 AM

I really hate the parking lights... I wish they would have designed the ignition to not allow you to remove the key when the parking lights are on...

Roger that.

Easy Rider

09-07-2008, 12:00 PM

...
Does this mean I have hosed my battery beyond recovery? I'm going to fire it up and ride it around to get it juiced up a bit.

From that other thread:

Experience tells me that once you completely discharge the battery on a GZ, it might take a LONG time (never) to get it back to full charge without some external help.

Since yours is relatively new, you should be OK......if you get it back to a full charge soon.

Mine wasn't.....new or OK. Them little suckers are kinda expensive! ~ $85 !! :cry:

mrlmd1

09-07-2008, 01:56 PM

Put the battery on an overnight charger to get it fully charged. The amount of current in the charging system of the bike when running will probably take you a whole tank of gas at highway speed to fully charge it up. I wouldn't trust just a 10 min ride to charge up the battery, you may not have enough juice in it to restart it again.

alanmcorcoran

09-07-2008, 03:23 PM

Is there a special kind of overnight charger for an MC battery? Can I get one at an automotive store or do I need to go to an MC dealer? (I don't even know where the battery is on the thing but I guess I can find it if I look it up in the MOM.) I'll assume it's got + a - marked on it, + being the business end.

Sarris

09-07-2008, 03:32 PM

Alan;

There is a "Battery Tender" available with quick disconnect harness that I use on all my bikes.

It is available here on sale. http://www.bikedepot.net/battery-tender-junior.html

Good luck.

:jo:

Edited for spelling.

Easy Rider

09-07-2008, 04:14 PM

Is there a special kind of overnight charger for an MC battery?

No.

Since you live in an area where there is no appreciable down time..... :skull: .......I'd suggest a multi-purpose, dual range charger.....from Wally World or similar.....with ranges of something like 2 amps and 6 amps. A built-in meter is preferred. Can be had for ~ $30.

On low, it can be left on overnight without any harm. On high, it will boost a weak battery enough to start in about 20 minutes or so. When the meter shows it is drawing 1/4 the charging capacity or less, it is pretty much fully charged (that is, on the 2 amp range, it draws .5 amp or less). Works for cars, trucks and lawn mowers too.

Battery is located behind the right side plastic cover. Red(+) to red; black(-) to black.

mrlmd1

09-07-2008, 06:42 PM

Go to WalMart or any local discount auto parts store and get a 1.5-2 amp charger. You don't need anything fancy. A higher amp charger can burn out the battery as these are much smaller and lower capacity compared to a car battery and best to charge slower. Mine, a Schumacher fully automatic battery charger maintainer with float-mode monitoring, I think was less than $30 out the door.
Most of these come with spring clips (alligator clamps) that can attach to the battery, and also with a flat 2 pole connector on the end (the alligator clip end plugs into this). Open the box and look at the wires. If it's not in the box with the battery charger, get a mating flat 2 pole connector which attaches to the battery terminals permanently, and leave it hanging on a short lead under the right side battery cover out of the weather but where it is accessible, so that if you ever have to charge it up again, you can just attach the charger without taking off the side cover over the battery and trying to reach the terminals. Just make sure the polarity hookup is correct. You can also use this flat connector off the battery to supply 12v to some small accessory, like to recharge a cellphone or power a GPS, nothing big or you won't keep up with the bike's charging system.

alanmcorcoran

09-07-2008, 07:41 PM

Thanks for the detailed instructions mrlmd1. I was going to buy the Battery Tender recommended by Sarris above with the easy disconnects. Does that conflict at all with your advice? It seemed to fit the bill and had the quick connect capability.

Also, like you Florida boys, I'm in a warm weather climate, which is a lot easier on the batteries than elsewhere.

Easy Rider

09-07-2008, 08:26 PM

Does that conflict at all with your advice? It seemed to fit the bill and had the quick connect capability.

The Schumacher from WalMart IS a battery tender.....just not the Battery Tender brand.
Since I DON'T live in a warm climate, I have TWO of them. :)

I also have a "real" charger since the tenders aren't worth much if you have a dead battery and need to get going quickly. Like you said earlier, most cars and trucks these days are REALLY hard to push start (impossible), as is my tractor and 2 lawn mowers!

jonathan180iq

09-08-2008, 08:55 AM

This isn't a sure fire thing, but just go for a ride of an hour or longer.
That should charge you back up. If it doesn't you're not out any money and you got a nice ride in. Then, if needed, you can get a battery charger.

mrlmd1

09-08-2008, 09:55 AM

[quote="alanmcorcoran"]Thanks for the detailed instructions mrlmd1. I was going to buy the Battery Tender recommended by Sarris above with the easy disconnects. Does that conflict at all with your advice? It seemed to fit the bill and had the quick connect capability.

I was only trying to save you the $7.95 shipping fee and give you a reason to go out to the store on your bike. You could spend the $7.95 on gas instead of postal fees. They all work the same way (and are all probably made by the same company anyway, with different brand names).

alanmcorcoran

09-08-2008, 01:21 PM

I like the "going to the store on my bike" part! Not as fond of trying to find anything I want and dealing with the help when I get there.... "If we have one, it's out there somewhere."

I've got a Pep Boys nearby. I'll give them a look see before I shop online. I spend more on cable every year than I do on gas - if i really wanted to save money, I'd tell my wife to listen to the Angels on the radio.

jonathan180iq

09-08-2008, 01:27 PM

An Angles fan? How did she feel about the Teixeria deal?

alanmcorcoran

09-08-2008, 02:01 PM

She was a major Kotchman fan but she got over her bummage when Tex hit a grand slam on, like, day two. We have a stupid song we made up, and Kotchman was in it, so we had to replace him in that lineup as well.

jonathan180iq

09-09-2008, 08:57 AM

Hahahaha. Yeah, we had a fan song about Tex. It really helped, as we were 5 games under .500 during his Atlanta tenure. :roll:

'Ole John made a bad move by selling the farm to get one player. We have more problems than just needing a slugging firstbaseman.

Kotchman has a good make-up, he just doesn't seem to have it together right now. I always liked him while he was you guys.

I hope you guys sweep the Cubs in the WS.

alanmcorcoran

09-09-2008, 01:06 PM

To the tune of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Also, you must pronounce Chone "Cho-nee", not Shawn. Don't ask.)

Howie Kendrick, Juan Rivera!
Chone Figgins, Mark Texeira!
Tori Hunter, Vlad Guerrero! Oi!

(you can vary the lineup and the order - just like in the game! We used to have Kotchman in the leadoff position, and Cabrera had Texeira's spot in the rhyme scheme. Gary Matthews works as does Reggie Willets and Eric Aybar. Garrett Anderson not so much. K Rod is right out.)

I guess I will take my nerd badge now. Sigh.

PS. The Angels tend to suck in the post season, '02 nonwithstanding.
PPS. My wife is the sports fan. I just have to live with her.

jonathan180iq

09-11-2008, 09:20 AM

I don't need to hear you whines about sucking in the post season. I'm a Braves fan, remember? :)

Easy Rider

09-11-2008, 09:24 AM

I'm a Braves fan, remember? :)

:crackup :haha2: :haha: :oops:

I'll be down again for the Nascar race at the end of October.....but not on the bike.
Might try to rent something for the week before.

jonathan180iq

09-11-2008, 09:30 AM

Maybe I can catch up with you this time. Not into NASCAR though.

alanmcorcoran

09-11-2008, 01:00 PM

Believe they wrapped up the regular earlier this season than any AL west evah... Poor, poor Yankees. Sniff. Feel so bad for them.

What were we talking about? Oh yeah, my goddamn taillight.

jonathan180iq

09-11-2008, 01:41 PM

I don;t know what you guys are complaiing about with the taillight.

There is a little "P" with shiny light rays coming off of it to indicate the parking lights.

alanmcorcoran

09-11-2008, 01:51 PM

Did I mention how old I am? I see a little tiny | that I have trouble fitting the key into. I know it's "on" when he lights are on, and off when the lights are off, and "locked" when you can't move the handle bar. There's writin' on there? Maybe I can feel it if I run my fingers over it.

How often have you used that "feature"? It seems the battery has the power of a half dead firefly and one doesn't dare even turn it to "on" unless one is planning to immediately start the engine. Running a light with the engine off just seems right out.

In any event, now that I know it's there, it's not a problem anymore.

Magnar Infectus

09-11-2008, 02:54 PM

I never noticed it 'till this thread. I don't remember seeing it in the manual either. And when I check the PDF (just now) the page that shoud have it on it (page 14) is missing. Maybe it's a conspiracy between Suzuki and the battery makers for us to kill the batteries so we'll have to buy new ones?

jonathan180iq

09-11-2008, 04:23 PM

The only time that I used that parking light feature was to take a photo on the side of the road one night, high up in the mountains where there were no other street lights.

mrlmd1

09-11-2008, 05:01 PM

It's supposed to be a safety feature so that if you're stopped on the side of the road at night for a short while, someone might notice you instead of plowing into your rear.
Just take a quick glance at the rear of your bike when you walk away from it and look at the lights so you don't leave the key in the wrong position.

primal

09-11-2008, 06:30 PM

How often have you used that "feature"? It seems the battery has the power of a half dead firefly and one doesn't dare even turn it to "on" unless one is planning to immediately start the engine. Running a light with the engine off just seems right out.

In any event, now that I know it's there, it's not a problem anymore.

To be fair, leaving the parking lights on is NOTHING compared to the power-sucking headlight. I left the bike on for about an hour when I cleaned my chain for the first time and had to charge the battery with a charging unit. In comparison, I accidentally left the parking lights on for about 6 hours one day before I realized what I had done. Put the key in and it started right up. I make sure to double check whenever I park my bike now.

Easy Rider

09-11-2008, 09:08 PM

To be fair, leaving the parking lights on is NOTHING compared to the power-sucking headlight.

You got that right, for sure. I ran mine down testing/installing turn signal buzzers. Ended up having to get a new one. :cry:

Jenny

09-12-2008, 10:19 AM

I've done that a few times (though not overnight). I really hate the parking lights... I wish they would have designed the ignition to not allow you to remove the key when the parking lights are on...

I wouldn't think that discharging it once would do much immediate damage.

I have no idea of the truth of this, but I've been told that the reason for that parking light option is that the a law in the state of California requires the parking lights be left on in certain situations.

alanmcorcoran

09-12-2008, 11:50 AM

Wouldn't surprise me.

primal

09-12-2008, 02:59 PM

I have no idea of the truth of this, but I've been told that the reason for that parking light option is that the a law in the state of California requires the parking lights be left on in certain situations.

I don't have a problem with the parking lights themselves, just Suzuki's choice of how to turn them on. Do other manufacturers use the same layout for turning the parking lights on? The design just seems to be asking for people to accidentally turn the key too far when locking the forks.

Easy Rider

09-12-2008, 07:23 PM

Do other manufacturers use the same layout for turning the parking lights on? The design just seems to be asking for people to accidentally turn the key too far when locking the forks.

Yes. It has been a problem for about 20 years now.
BUT.........it should not be a problem for YOU anymore, right ?? :biggrin:

alanmcorcoran

10-07-2008, 02:14 AM

PS. The Angels tend to suck in the post season, '02 nonwithstanding.

Don't know much about adjustin' brakes,
Don't know much about my front wheel shakes,
Don't know much about the octane rating,
Don't know much about windshield mating,
But I do know...
...the Angels tend to suck in the post season.

(apologies to Mr. Simon.)

Moedad

10-07-2008, 11:27 AM