Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Help! My bike's dead!

[david.hicks]

I got kitted-up bright and early this morning to leave for Riders at 9am but in the end I couldn't leave home because of an electrical problem with the bike.

It is due to go in for its annual service in the next fortnight so Rich & Dean at Louigi Moto will fix it for me I'm sure but I would like to know what has gone wrong! I have no idea about electrics so any thoughts from those who do would be welcome.

The bike is a 996SPS which are notoriously hard on the electrics because of the extra high-compression engine which requires a lot of battery power to turn over. The battery alwas seemed laboured when I first got the bike about a year ago so I replaced it with a heavy duty Odyssey PC680. This fixed it a treat - the bike turned-over and started easily every time - even though it is only used once every week or two.

However, over the last few weeks it has been more and more difficult to start the bike - the battery seemed to be running down despite the bike living on a Optimate whenever it is in the garage. I have a Datatool Veto alarm on the bike and leave it armed.

Anyways this morning the indicator light on the Optimate was green showing that the state of the battery was A-OK. However, when I tried I could barely turn the engine over at all and it wouldn't start. When I took off the side panel to jump-start the bike from my car I noticed that the battery terminal connectors had been getting really hot and melting the plastic on the top of the battery!

I jump started the bike fine, but when I disconnected the jump leads the engine stopped running. Now the bike is totally 'dead' - the starter button doesn't do anything. I can jump start it, but as soon as I disconnect the jump leads it dies again.

I reconnected the Optimate and seven hours later it is still showing an orange light which according to the Optimate manual means that the battery is 'badly discharged'.

Does anyone have any idea what the problem is?

[SlowLearner]

Have you checked the tightness and cleanliness of the battery connections?, as loose or dirty connection will get very hot.

[moto748]

Also, an old favourite, but take off the battery and battery tray and check the condition of the yellow wires from the alternator to the rectifier. Make sure that connector behind the battery tray is OK.

[Mr.R]

Hi, if you jump a ducati.....they don't like it, i think you've fcked the rectifier, a friend did it on his 916sps, result new rectifier!
Steve
P.S. iv'e fitted an odyssey to my bike, the importors say you must use a C-TEK TYPE charger, i didn't and the battery cracked the outer casing, they replaced it F.O.C.,....GOOD ON THEM!
Steve

[moto748]

I don't know about that; I jumped my 748 a few times. I think Louigi jumps bikes regularly.

That's not to say the rectifier might not be clapped, of course.

[david.hicks]

Originally Posted by Mr.R

i think you've fcked the rectifier

Any test I can do to confirm that?

[madmav]

Dave I recon your battery has cooked it self!
constant charge and discharge " so called " battery conditioning, just wipes the battery out over time!

Some Optimates (although they wont agree) develop faults and even though the "trafFic" lights on the optimate show ,OK, dead , or whatever, It's not always a true sign !

If it's jumping off your car and not under it's own battery steam, then you can bet your battery is boloxed !

try a mates battery before you spend any Dosh!
hope this helps

mav

[Mr.R]

Hi, multimeter across the battery when the bike's running, it should give around 14.7 volts any more and the reg/rec is fcuked. Also replace the wires from the alternator with heavy gauge wire and solder the joints, doing away with the plug in connector. There's a good post about it on here by Shazam, the mans a GOD,
http://www.ducatisportingclub.com/showthread.php?t=1877 I also used the Electrex reg/rec... it's bomb proof.....highly reccomended.
Steve
Odyssey batteries are warrentied for 3 years on a bike, although they should last upto 10 years!

[zhed44]

Originally Posted by Mr.R

Hi, if you jump a ducati.....they don't like it,

oh poo, my battery is a bit old and i often leave the bike alarmed and unridden for a couple of weeks at a stretch so i have to jump my 748 all the time, sometimes from a car, sometimes from one of those powerpack thingies from halfords. everything seems ok so far though







touch wood

[Ray]

Jumped started my 998 many times usually when its been left standing for a while. Still on its orginal battery.

Like Others I don't always trust optimates/oxymisers, you can get 'em to give spurious reading on the lights just by switching em on before connecting to the bike in my experience.

Some types of battery don't like being left to got flat or respond well to trickle charging, from what others have said It might be the optimate that has done the damage.

If the bike won't stay running after being jumped I'd say the battery is finished.

Ray.