Dead Battery after Sitting

Hi everyone, it's been a long time since I posted here, but I am getting back into working on my bike as the weather warms up. You'll probably be seeing more of me as time goes on

Anyways, the single most irritating issue with my bike (from a very, very long list) is that the new battery dies after about a week of sitting. I thought I'd gather some ideas before asking the mechanic to fix it for lots of money.

Some more information:

I got a new battery for the bike when I first bought it because of this problem. Turns out, it probably wasn't necessary, but still a good thing to have. All sparkly and reliable and whatnot.

I believe that when the voltage drops below 10 volts, the starter drain is enough to cause the ignition to not fire.

It turns over fine, just progressively slower as the voltage sags, eventually killing the battery completely.

I tried switching out the ignition fuse and main fuse to no avail.

I can easily start the bike when the battery has charged for a while or if I manage to get a good jump from my dad's.

/Information

So the main concern is that I'll be at work one day and I come out to the parking lot and I can't start my bike. That would be about 2% fun.

Looking forward to hearing your responses

 

you are correct in your thinking about the tci not firing when the voltage goes below 10 volts and the starter does spin strong at 10 volts and below.
Learn how to "bump start" the bike.

The battery should hold a charge for a week do you have any gadgets on the bike?
you should pick up a battery tender to keep the battery fully charged when you do not expect to ride for a while untill you solve the problem.
your battery should hold a charge once you start riding it on a daily basis

when you are going to let the bike sit for a week pull the main fuse see if that helps.

 

Have you upgraded the OEM fuse block. Weak electrical connections can prevent even a good battery from starting your bike.
If your battery is being drained from being parked start testing to see what is causing it. Number one cause for a battery being drained is a faulty regulator/rectifier.

 

this link has solid info on your charging system I suggest you read it
http://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/the-ultimate-relay-switch-sensor-and-diodes-guide.27543/

For all XJ-series models, the maximum available charging output VOLTAGE should be as follows (all values are approximate):
* approximately 500-2000 rpms: 1.8 volts gradually increasing to 14.2 volts
* 2000+ rpms: 14.2 volts up to about 14.8 volts, with a maximum of 14.8 volts
from Factory Service manual

 

I do not have any gadgets on the bike. It's almost completely stock (including 2 fuses :S)
And that's a great idea to pull a fuse and see if it helps, but I'm going to buy some in-line fuses to match the other two that were under the seat when I bought it.

I'm about to. I did a quick test, and even after charging the battery for about half an hour but even when it turned over so beautifully it didn't fire.
I felt the fuses and they were quite hot. I just ordered a new fuse block and I hope to get installed soon.
But until then, is it relatively safe to bridge the fuse so I can ride until then?

And on a side note, I think I found why my starter solenoid isn't working so good. Something under the seat is sparking

 

if you use a fuuse to do it but you will want to solder it to the existing clips or wire
I do not think a half hour charge is going to help you.

is it one of your relays sparking? voltage regulator ?
or the solenoid connections?


good wiring diagram for seca 550
http://www.frankjohansson.com/stuff/xj550/XJ550ElectricalDiagram.html

 

Bypassing/bridging fuses is never a really good idea anywhere, anytime, especially if they are hot, unless you are using a "jumper fuse".

If the wire to the fuses is warm, something is pulling some amps.

XJ550H: great wiring diagram link, nice and interactive, with helpful information!

"My dad could change fuses faster than a jackrabbit on a date, he bought them by the gross..." - Christmas Story

 

Well I broke the starter solenoid, so that's not good...
Anyways, a new one was already on the way along with a new seal for the valve cover and fuse block.

That's an incredible source, XJ550H. I'll be using that for sure.

Also, I removed the stock fuse box and add a 10 and 20 inline for the ignition and main respectively.
I'm pretty sure that it was restricting current from poor connections.

 

found that in one of my many visits to the
The Information Overload Hour
If I new how to down load that wiring diagram I would. sooner or later it will disappear from the internet.

http://www.frankjohansson.com/stuff/xj550/

has a link to down load it

 

There are some nice mini fuse boxes for cheap on Amazon. Before I saw those I used 4 separate ATC inline holders with satisfactory results, just not as neat.