To sell for spares or as a whole? (MK1 T-max)

[kegelban]

A-a-ah!
Why is it that I have to experience every single issue that has ever occurred to a t-max? Now it seems to be charging fine whilst riding (which was an issue before) but the battery only holds charge overnight? So from "no charging" problem to "charging fine but discharging" problem, it seems.

After I replaced the starter relay assembly I was holding my breath for two weeks to see if the battery really recharges and is not holding on to the initial charge. The scoot would start every morning although it seemed to have harder times doing so in the second week. Then I did not ride it for 2 days and the following day it was completely dead. Not even faint dashboard lights showed. I charged it again and it has worked the same for a week -- on a morning a kind of hesitant start when I can hear it just about being able to turn the engine, in the evening when I go home from work it starts quite eagerly. No problem with multiple stops at shops. The next morning -- again an uneasy start (even after I have had a spirited 20 mile ride the previous night). I may get laughed at here, but I have started riding with no dipped beam in the daytime and tentatively attribute that difference in starting feel to whether or not the lights have contributed to depleting/not topping up sufficiently the battery during the ride.

Further particulars: the battery is a new CT9B-4 bought in August, but it went flat twice on me first when it was not recharging, and the second time after I replaced the starter relay assembly, but had a break riding the scoot for two days. Can it be that these two experiences have damaged the battery? Or could I have damaged something else when I crossed the wires (the cause of blown fuse in the old assembly)? Can any of this be solved with an Optimate? Or is it clearly the regulator/stator?

[Taipan]

Are you any good with a DMM (digital multi meter), or do you have one? You need to perform a parasitic draw test. First make sure your battery is fully charged. Leave the battery for a half hour or so after charging so it settles. Check your battery is reading around 12.6 or at least over 12 volts. Now set your DMM to amps, start high at 10. Remove the earth lead from the battery (some people use the live feed but I dont to avoid short circuiting my DMM). Put the meter in line e.g. touch the battery lead with one probe and put the other probe on the battery terminal. You shouldn't get any reading here or if you do it needs to be milliamps. If you do have a reading you need to find what circuit the draw is on. So remove one fuse at a time and recheck the reading with your meter until you've found what circuit its on. Then start looking at what could cause it on that circuit. Incidentally do you have an under the seat light? These are notorious for staying on and flattening batteries. So if its on the lighting circuit, or just do it anyway, remove the bulb from there and recheck your meter reading. Keep us posted.

[Deeping]

If one coil is down or just lower in volts the reading across the battery will be fine in volts but no power will be put into the battery. I know - been there.
Stop messing about, take of the left hand side Tupperware cover, find the convector that has 3 white wires in it and maybe 2 others in it - disconnect it.
Meter to AC volts, pick any 2 white wires coming from the stator and connect the meter to them, start the bike, with revs it should reach almost 75 volts
Now pick another 2 and do the same
Now pick another 2 and do the same
They should all read the same-ish, if not one is faulty.

Turn meter to ohms, same 3 wires check each one to the stator casing (engine casing), they should all read open circuit, if not its dead
Meter still on ohms check between 2 white wires, then another 2, then another 2, they should all be the same-ish - you need a quite good meter for this not one that will read open circuit if the resistance is very high but one that will actually read it -

If you check the tmax page - if its still there - I wrote an in-depth article on how to check this and the rest of the charging system. Also how to change the stator which is really very easy, hardest part is getting the Tupperware off.

hope this helps - recon rewind cost me about £100 with 12 month warrenty

[kegelban]

Thanks gents,
looks like I have sorted my problems with the power draw. Hope there are no more surprises in store for me.

[Taipan]

Thanks gents,
looks like I have sorted my problems with the power draw. Hope there are no more surprises in store for me.

What was it?

[chippie]

Thanks gents,
looks like I have sorted my problems with the power draw. Hope there are no more surprises in store for me.

What was it?

Battery?