Continuous Drain of Battery

I've installed LEDS on my bike that turn on/off with the flick of a switch. Now, the switch lights up when you ground it. Because I didnt ground the switch, do you guys think it could be the cause of my continuous battery drain? I charged her completely full last night around 11, and came out to ride around 3. Wont fire the cylinders. Got two of em tryin to start on the first try, nothing after that. So i'm thinkin, batterys dead. Put her on the charger and she wants to charge all right.
So, maybe if I ground the switch it wont try and push power through? and drain the battery??
-Chris

 

It sounds to me like your battery might have bit the bullet. I'd take it in to get load tested. If the battery passes the load test, then you definitely have a ground problem.

Checking the battery first is much easier than checking all your wires and eliminates a normally overlooked problem

 

It was holding a charge great until i installed the LEDs. I grounded the switch, and then disconnected from the Pos side of my battery, and am now charging her again. I'll let her fully charge again, sit overnight, and see how she reacts.. If she holds a charge well, I'll reconnect the LEDS. If not, then new battery, even though I bought this battery in FEB and have never left the headlights on.
-Chris

 

Let's see.
Worked fine.
Installed new electronics.
Now drains.
Hmmmm...
Something shorting to ground?
A single LED would not drain that much I don't think...

 

You should not direct wire that to the battery anyway.

 

KT, how should I wire it? Its
-Battery
Fuse
switch
then split to 4 strands of 24 bulb 12v LED

Is there a better way to wire it to my bike?

 

If you wire directly to the battery, then if there is a drain it will always be on.

Better to splice in to one of the circuits that are only on when the bike is on (or atleast the key is turned). That way, when the bike is off so is that circuit (or most likely is).

Of course all this is just M.O.

 

Your opinion matters trust me KT. And yes, I think thats my prob. It wants to push power through all the time cause its connected to the battery, thus making it hard for me to start. I want to keep the LEDS, i dont turn them on hardly ever, but its good for that "Wow" effect. So now i just gotta figure out how to splice into the ignition
-Chris

 

What's the draw? You might want to splice into the headlight - that way it's not pulling anything until AFTER the starter's already turned over.

 

So, while she's running. Would be a good idea. Not sure what the draw is. Do you know which color wire I should splice into in the headlight?

-Chris

 

Erf, I really don't know; the only diagrams I have are for my 550. Anyone got the headlight/cluster wiring diagrams for an '85 XJ700?

 

I don't have that one either. The draw on these things should be minimal. Porbably less then one turn sig or tail light. Unless something is a miss. They should draw nothing if they are wired correctly in the off position.

 

Hmmmm... She seems to be holding a charge fine again btw. Havent conected the LEDS back up.. Dont think I will until I figure out thow to splice to the ignition. I got a few more strands comin in, and after I wire those, then I'll tinker a bit.. If a wiring diagram is found for my bike, i'd greatly appreciate it if it was posted. Maybe after that ya'll can show me where to splice.
Thanks a million
-Chris

 

just use a test light to find which wire only powers up when you have the key on, try something from the horn or head light circut, stay away from anything that could draw power or create a surge in your ignition system
Shaun

 

In the 650 bucket, there's a blue wiere that is on when the keys on.. Believe this is the running light wire. Not sure about 700. I ran my little day light halogen's to that and ran the wire to my switch. Haven't had any drain problems, so you might want to run your LED + to the switch and the +Feed to that wire if you have one in there.