voltage

[slayergsxf1]

Battery went dead on the Kat last Fri. Put a new one in checked the voltage and it was between 13 and 15...is my bike charging to high??
The dead battery was put in March of 06..It had about 3500 miles o it..

[smittyrock]

Was that reading off of battery alone or was the bike running? I'm relatively new to the bike scene but in cars the charging system will read more than 12 volts while the vehicle is running. Car systems that are rated @ 12 volts are usually 12-14 volts.

[slayergsxf1]

It was with the bike running..

[crazypj]

With a new battery (well, 2 months old now) my Kat shows 15.23V @3,000 RPM.
I thought it was a bit high so fitted a new voltage regulator.
Now it shows 15.25 V @3,000 rpm
Its a very reliable system as long as you haven't been jump starting a dead bike.
If mileage is very high the generator brushes could be worn or you could possibly have a diode shorted?
At least you can get to everything reasonable easy after removing left fairing (I remove sprocket cover/clutch cable as well to make things easier)
PJ

[Nero]

Man, sounds like the last battery sure didn't last too long.

[The CyberPoet]

Typical Voltages & Power-Draws, 98-06 GSXF series (most or all probably also applicable to pre-98's):

Bike off or disconnected from bike
Brand-new, Fully charged battery: 12.9-13.2 volts
Used battery, fully charged, healthy: 12.7 - 12.9 volts
Charge/retest/replace if battery remains under 12.6 volts
Stable Voltage Test: with battery disconnected from bike, charged, voltage should remain stable or increase (not decrease) if measured twice, 12 hours apart. Replace battery if voltage falls.

Bike off, Battery installed:
Power-draw, key-off, 98+, tested between negative battery lead and battery's negative terminal: under 1 milliAmp (1mA) total draw [for fuel gauge and clock]. Installation of always-on items may greatly increase this value (such as many alarm systems).

Bike running:
Typical minimum at idle, Katana: 12.9 - 13.1 volts (unlike some bikes, the Katana is designed to positively charging even at idle).
At 5k RPM: 13.6 (fully charged) - 14.4 volts, typical 13.9-14.2 volts.
According to the Suzuki Factory Manual (pg 6-8): if at 5k RPM, the reading is below 13.6 or above 14.4, inspect stator coil, rectifier and IC regulator (all of which are mounted on the generator).
If you slap a "dead" battery into a Kat (or jump a heavily discharged battery) and then ride to charge it, voltages in the range of 14.7-14.9 are typical until the battery is recharged to close to capacity. This charge rate can make the battery very hot to the touch and may warp the container walls of the battery.

PJ, I'd be quite concerned about that 15.2x voltage (that's high enough to cook off batteries every few months, esp in Florida's summer weather) -- have you rechecked with a different volt meter just to be able to rule out that your voltmeter isn't inaccurate? And I;'m curious about how often you have to add distilled water back to your battery to refill the lost electrolyte?

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[slayergsxf1]

I'm going to check the reading with a different meter today and see what happens..
Thanks..

[md86]

My charging system always seemed a bit high , too . I put in a new regulator , same thing . Put in a new alt , same thing . My battery does ok . I check it a little more often , but it's usually not TERRIBLY low . And if it is , big deal , just add some water . I'd rather it be a little high than low anyway .

[slayergsxf1]

I checked mine with the same meter last night after running it a while.It was 14.9 to 15.2.
Just got to work this morning after riding 40 or so miles and the battery is a little warm,just as warm as everything else in the compartment frame, disk lock ect. I'm still going to check it with another meter and see what happens. Other than that just keep a closer eye on the battery..Thanks again.

[crazypj]

Typical Voltages & Power-Draws, 98-06 GSXF series (most or all probably also applicable to pre-98's):

[


PJ, I'd be quite concerned about that 15.2x voltage (that's high enough to cook off batteries every few months, esp in Florida's summer weather) -- have you rechecked with a different volt meter just to be able to rule out that your voltmeter isn't inaccurate? And I;'m curious about how often you have to add distilled water back to your battery to refill the lost electrolyte?

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

I was pretty concerned about it which is why I changed reg.
I haven't had to top up yet but I don't use bike everyday.
Its the rainy season in Florida, I leave for work just as downpours start, can hear the thunder as I type this
It didn't need any topping up after a 150 mile run though.
I've tried a couple of different meters and they all show the same (which is surprising, usually expect a production variation)
I see one of the other posters has 15.2 volts as well so it may be about right?
PJ

[The CyberPoet]

I see one of the other posters has 15.2 volts as well so it may be about right?

Normally, I'd expect only to see 15.2 volts if the battery was particularly low on charge or there was an issue with the charging system...

MD86 said he was getting something in the same general range as yours... Pre-98 values may be different from what the factory manual calls for for the 98+

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[md86]

No , factory manual calls for up to like 14.9 or something . Mine was for SURE higher than what the manual said anyway . I replaced the regulator , same thing . Replace the whole alt , same thing . Only had my battery go dry on me once , and I just make it a habit to check it once in a while . It really doesn't seem to go too low that often .