Over charging the Battery

[rick8150]

My Tank 150 Touring D is over charging the battery. I replaced the voltage regulator but that had no effect on it. The volt meter starts out at 12 to 14 volts when I first start it, but after a few seconds slowly goes up to the top where it stays unless I pull the brake lever slightly to activate the brake lights then it drops slowly till it's at 14 volts.

The same thing happens when I put the headlight switch on low beam then hold it down on the passing mode so that both the low and high beam stay on.

I put a volt meter on the battery and it reads 13 to 14 volts with the motor off and when it's charging and the dash volt meter is pegged out it says 17 volts at battery, which by the way is dripping acid out of the top now and then because of the overcharged condition. I have checked all the connections I could think of, by taking of the side plastic over the area where the voltage regulator is and also removing the front to get at the dash area.

Anybody have any Ideas?

[Sparky]

It sounds like the electrical system has dead short in it somewhere. Start pulling all the plastic off the right side and the hump, and the cowl, and the trim piece in front of the handlebars (over the windshield bolts). This will give you access to the entire electrical system.
If the charging system has a short in it somewhere, the amperage will climb way up, resulting in the readings you get.
It probably fried the voltage regulator the moment  it happened, and the one you replaced it with.
Look for where the wires come out of the magneto on the crankshaft of the engine, and follow them, you should find the problem along the wiring somewhere. (If nothing else it will give you an opportunity to become intimately familiar with the electrical system....lol)

Keep us posted!

[rick8150]

Thanks for the info Sparky. I will check it out and see what I can find, although my days off are not till next Thursday and Friday. So may not get to it till then.


Will post what I find out when I do it

Rick

[Sparky]

It could be something as simple as an electrical connector full of water, have you had it out in the rain?
( I just noticed you are in Oregon)
be sure to tape up all the electrical connectors with a good quality tape like 3M super 33 or 88, especially the ones under the cowl that aren't hooked up to anything.

[rick8150]

I did ride in some light rain a time or two, plus I did wash it off a couple of times and may have done it when I hosed it off.

Especially when washing the front and the windshield/dash area.

Will look at the connectors in that area for sure.

Thanks

[Sparky]

I f you threw away the manual like most others did, you missed the part where it says NOT to use a hose to wash these scooters. (It shows a picture of a hose with water coming out, with the circle/slash over it.)
 I'm pretty sure the Chinese did this to cover their ass over the non- waterproof electrical connections they used to assemble the bike.
I use a spray bottle and towel to keep mine clean, and a coat of spray wax helps to keep it that way. If you do it as soon as you get home from a muddy ride, it's easier to keep it clean.

[Old Gringo]

Rick,
Mine has been doing this since I got the bike. Haven't noticed any boiling of the battery. If I turn on high beams it drops to 14-15 volts, ditto on the brake light and so on. I'm not too sure of the dependability of the insturments tho.

[rick8150]

Well I took off half a day to trouble shoot, pulled the front end off and the piece below the windshield. took all the tie straps off and pulled all plugs apart and sprayed them with CRC QD electronic cleaner. I by passed the alarm remote start and tried it and the volt meter would still slowly go to 16 volts so hooked the alarm remote start back up, no difference.

Took the cover off the hump and the side body parts on the right side off to get to the rest of the wiring, pulled all those tie wraps off and all connectors apart and used the cleaner on them and still no diference.

So I then left the regulator unplugged and noticed the lights got real dim at a idle and considerable brighter when I speeded up the motor.

So not thinking about the outcome I went around the block and burned out both high beams and 1 low beam before I figured out that was not the way to go, plus burned out both tail lights.

Luckily the brake lights still worked as well as all the turn signals. So know i can order the 35 watt bulbs for the headlights, and I had two tail light brake light bulbs so they are working now.

So the regulator is  working as far as keeping the bulbs from burning out.

So maybe the battery is just defective.

After reading what Old Gringo posted. :?

[Phil12string]

My 2006 Urban Touring 150 DE has just developed the same problem.  The volt meter slowly climbs to maximum and returns to 12 volts  when the brakes are applied.  The regulator is OK, ond all other systems are woirking fine, so I'm thinking that the battery has an internal short and is going belly up.   The bike's only 2.5 months old, but judging form other posts I have read on the subject, that kind of OEM battery life may, unfortunately, be par for the course.

[Phil12string]

Ok, went to WalMart to get a new Everstart battery.  Boy,was I surprised to see that  their batteries are identical to the 9 amp Taiwan Presidential battery that came with my scoot.  I got one anyway, since I was already there.  Anyway, before setting up the new battery, I used  a volt meter on the old battery and got a solid 13.5 volts after a trickle charge overnight.  I put the old battery back in the bike and it started perfectly.  The dash volt meter climbed up to 14 volts for a few seconds, and I thought the prioblem I described in my previous post was still there, but the needle then declined down to a little above 12 volts and held.  Back went the WalMart battery.  Maybe the TANKs quick charge a low/recently drained battery, causing the voltage spike.  I did nothing to the bike other than remove, charge, and reinstall the old battery.  I'll keep my fingers crossed

[Sweeney]

I had the same issue with my Tank 150 and then I took the battery out for charging. After I reinstalled the problem went away. I did remove all the covers and inspected the wiring. I did not find anything and I think I put everything back the way I found it. I wish I could find something a little more concrete then "it just went away". Anyone have any ideas?