4 wheeler atv?

[ely]

I have a 1999 4wd Honda that is giving me problems... it started to have a dead battery about every four days and no I can charge it and lasts only 3 or 4 hours. this is a new battery, I changed it a couple months ago when I thought the first one died.
does anyone have a thought on where to start checking things out. it seems to have a short in the system someplace but not certain... definatly some sort of draw on the battery.

[goose63]

We had a car like that took a long time to find it it was the alternator might be a place to look

[ohiowoodchuck]

Check the fuses under the seat for voltage when the key is off. See if any have any kind of voltage. There should be none on any of them and go from there. I had a shorted speedometer/instrument cluster that back fed voltage through the light circuit and drained a new battery rather quickly. Battery tender couldn't even keep up with the drain.

[dgdrls]

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/repair/how-to-stop-car-battery-drains

not a whole lot different for a quad.
Make sure the system is charging first.
If not a fused circuit, it may be a dead diode in the alternator circuit
that is open and drawing the battery down.

Good luck with it

DGDrls

[hamish]

What are your symptoms?  How many volts does the battery have after sitting for a couple of days?  Seeing as your Honda is a 99 have you replaced your starter brushes yet?

[ely]

when I put the battery on charge yesterday eve,. it had 8.23 volts in it. I unhooked the neg side and put it on 2 amp charge. I will check it out when I get home as far as the charge and if the machine is charging when running. thanks for the ideas.

[Magicman]

A digital clamp-on ammeter would be your friend.

[PineNut]

If you are going to use a clamp-on ammeter, be sure you use one for DC. Most of the clamp-on meters are for AC and will not work in this application.

[Magicman]

Yup, gotta be a DC ammeter. 

[r.man]

You also need to verify that the machine is draining the battery. Charge it and let it sit unhooked for a few days to see if it discharges.

[Magicman]

That is where the clamp-on would help.  You would see the current draw (if any) without waiting.  The beauty is that you do not disconnect any wiring to test for current draw.

[scleigh]

Is it not the stator that recharges the battery on motorcycles and atvs?

[jwilly3879]

disconnect the (-) terminal and put a 12V test light between the terminal and the cable. If it lights , you have a drain on the battery. Also check the fluid in the battery.

[ely]

battery was charged when I got home...12.78 v. I hooked up the neg ative cable and the voltage was fine still. I turned the key on and battery voltage started dropping, went down to about 9 v pretty fast... I was watching it change on the volt meter. I pulled the starter off and I recharged the battery again... checked it this am and it is still charged.
on the starter it only has one post for a hot wire... where is the solenoid that kicks the starter in located? I will take the starter to a guys shop so he can test it today. when I tried the starter button last eve. it would barely grunt.

and no I have never changed the brushes in the starter, I have owned this ride for a couple years.

[millwright]

One thing to check is all the connections Hondas are noted for having corroded ones

[js2743]

solenoid should be in the battery compartment. I had a 91 and thats where it was.

[ely]

Had the starter rebuilt ...it worked but the brushes were short. Battery tested good with some sort of digital test and a load tester too.
The test light will glow orange when hooked between the negative cable and ground wire. Volt meter shows 12.53 when I hook it up in between that. So there is a short I just have to find it.

[ST Ranch]

I have a 2000 honda 4 trac and have similair problem - honda repair shop checked it out and said it was a problem with the contact on the trans shift lever and did a band-aid bypass repair - it did not work - electrical system has a dead short somewhere and I can not find it either.   I ended up putting a kill switch in the positive lead from the battery and shut it off every time I shut down - PITA but it works.
Tom