Something's Leaking Electrons

Hi Folks,
I'm struggling with an electrical problem on my '85 Voyager.
What ever could cause a 22 MA current to flow anytime the battery is connected irrespective of the key position and even though all the fuses have been pulled?
TIA
Bill
Later: Not quite. I missed the inline fuses tucked in on the left side of the bike.

You are looking initially at anything that isn't a switched live (stator output etc) worst case is that it's in the wiring (unlikely) could also be leakage through a build up of muck etc behind the fuse-box, across the starter solenoid etc. Do you have a wiring diagram and I can better advise a test plan ?

I believe any other places batt + goes other than a fuse, is the starting solenoid, and voltage rectifier.       Could you disconnect those see if it stops??, if it does, connect one at the time and read current.     If not fused, most suspect would be the rectifier.   This is also connected to alternator and regulator.

Hi Wookie,
Here's a link to the wiring diagram from the File Base.
www.kzrider.com/filebase-alias?view=summ...ng-diagram&catid=121
Regards
Bill

Hi Bill, complete the below and let me know what your findings are (this should isolate which circuit the drain is on)

This harness is not too worn but a little greasy in the nether regions. I doubt that the harness itself is shorting out, the current is too consistent.
I disconnected the voltage regulator. Three yellows in one connector, from an alternator and five wires, two black/yellow, two white/red and a pink in a second connector. The leak continued unaffected.
Thanks
Bill

Hi Wookie,
The one amp fuse interrupted it. Need I go further?
Bill

KZQ wrote:

Hi Wookie,
The one amp fuse interrupted it. Need I go further?
Bill

Not for now, let me look at what that does and I will get back to you with next steps

KZQ wrote:

Hi Wookie,
The one amp fuse interrupted it. Need I go further?
Bill

If you take everything out of the diagram to isolate this line it goes to the drive computer and the LCD dash display. You can unplug these one at a time to split which is drawing current (I suspect it will be the dash display if it has a digital clock as these often require a constant live to maintain the correct time. If that is the case I think it's a "characteristic" rather than a defect)

Wookie58 said: "If that is the case I think it's a "characteristic" rather than a defect"
That's likely it. I'll follow that white/red tomorrow and see what's involved in disconnecting that LCDisplay. I'd love to strip this harness bare except that the digital fuel injection is interwoven with two display screens.
 I went back after having calibrated my meter and measured the current at 10 or 11 MA. Still that's enough to exhaust a battery after a couple of days.
Thanks for making it simple !
Bill
 

KZQ post=919847 userid=1568Wookie58 said: "If that is the case I think it's a "characteristic" rather than a defect"
That's likely it. I'll follow that white/red tomorrow and see what's involved in disconnecting that LCDisplay. I'd love to strip this harness bare except that the digital fuel injection is interwoven with two display screens.
 I went back after having calibrated my meter and measured the current at 10 or 11 MA. Still that's enough to exhaust a battery after a couple of days.
Thanks for making it simple !
Bill
 

I think the fact that these items have a "constant live" would suggest there will be some current draw. Are you using an analogue or digital meter ? You can use the below calculator to work out discharge time for your battery but 10ma should take 75 days to fully discharge an 18ah battery so I would still expect it to have enough to start after a couple of weeks. If the drain is indeed 10ma and the battery is discharged after a couple of days I would suspect the battery has reached "end of life" (don't want you to go mad looking for a fault that isn't there)
Battery Drain Time Calculator - Calculator Academy



 

Hi Wookie58,
I've a confession:
I haven't yet replaced the stock 26 AH battery. It was my temporary 12 AH battery that I was exhausting in just a couple of days. It's not likely in it's best condition either.
If the system is designed to constantly use some power and the drain is entirely through that one amp fuse, I'll just install a switch on that one circuit to save the battery between rides.
Thanks for your help.
Bill