Battery drain with key on, kill switch off?

S

snerkman

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Mar 8, 2012
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Went to start the 02 Vmax and battery was dead. Totally dead as in 0.0 volts. Sled was last shut off with kill switch and key in on position about 2 months ago. This battery was new last year and a genuine Yuasa not Walmart cheapo. Is there anything that could drain the battery with the kill switch off or did this battery just die?

FWIW, I've always shut my sleds off with kill switch and left key on when trailering so the key can't fall out of the ignition.
 
any sled with e-start will drain the battery when the key is left in the on position. bikes, atv's, etc, even you car/truck will do the same thing.

when you actually realize what the kill switch does, basically exactly what is described, "kill" the ignition, your leaving a drain on the battery by having the key on. the kill switch grounds out the electrical signal from the mag/cdi and shuts the engine down. couple hours down the road on the trailer isnt enough to drain the battery, but a few months with the drain on and bam, dead battery.

shut out all the lights in your house, turn only one on, and go watch the meter spin. yes, its a slow turn, but a draw on the system none the less. same thing with e-start systems.
 
But what is drawing current? There's no lights on when the engine isn't running. None of the electricals work until the engine starts. Turn the key on your cycle and the lights come on. Not so on the sled. I never had this problem with either of my e-start Polaris sleds.
 
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im not sure on non-power valve sleds, but i know that the servo for the power valves is always running when the key is on. that does not apply here but i do know that my old 99 vmax would drain it down after sitting. i just got in the habit of using only the key a few years ago.
 
Looks like I'll have to change my sop for the Vmax. I was always under the impression that hitting the kill switch and turning the key off did the exact same thing electrically.
 
The fuel gauge is draining the battery.

The earlier Yamaha's with electric start can be left with the key on. I never turn the key off on my old Phazer, it is always on. I did learn that locking the brake while trailering causes a dead battery, the brake light stays on.
 
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