Digital Cluster causing power drain

[Biker_Andy]

I really like the digital cluster overall compared to the analog one that came on my TT250 originally. My only gripes are the fuel gauge with only three bars doesn't really tell you how much gas is in the tank compared to the old analog gauge. A few more bars would make it a lot more precise.

The other issue is that it slowly drains my battery. With a brand new battery I can go 3 or 4 days till it won't start unless kicked. As the battery ages the amount of days I can go between rides drops until if I don't ride it everyday it won't start unless kicked. Then after that it even has issues staying running at idle. I only get one season before my battery is ruined and I need a new one.

Does anyone else have this issue or is it just my digital cluster? I'm considering buying a new one if it's just mine that's bad.

[Biker_Andy]

That's about when I got mine. Glad I didn't rip it apart to try and fix it. Sounds more like a design flaw. Thanks!

[TxTaoRider]

Mine hasn't shown any signs or draining and it usually gets ridden on weekends.

[Biker_Andy]

Maybe just a bad batch of clusters? You ran a power wire directly to the battery as well? I wonder what would happen if I hooked the battery wire up to ignition power.

[Biker_Andy]

Has anyone tried hooked up the power wire for these cluters to ignition instead of direct to the battery like the instructions say? I doubt it would affect anything as I don't loose my odometer reading or speedometer calibration when I remove the battery for months over the winter. Might make it take a few more seconds to startup after turning on the key but I could deal with that rather then a dead battery.

[CaesarVis]

I have the exact same problem with a Samdo (Sambo?) cluster on my Bashan Storm 250. I hooked it up to batter power because it has a clock on it that resets without power. A cheap built in battery SHOULD have been used for time keeping but whatever. I keep the bike on maintenance charger to help but it's kind of ridiculous for a clock the drain the battery in a week or so. I am probably just going to rewire it to the ignition instead!

[grumpyunk]

Might be a good thing to put an ammeter between the power source and the cluster to see what amperage it is drawing. If the wiring is crossed a bit, and the cluster lighting it enabled constantly, it will draw more. A clock should draw in the milli-amp range.
If the cluster draws more than 5-7ma, it may have a problem.
There may be a specification of normal 'sleeping' current draw in the instructions.
tom

[CaesarVis]

I finally hooked my multimeter up to the bike and came up with the following results straight to the battery.

Nothing but "security system"/other electronics hooked up - 3.12mA
Gauge Cluster initially plugged in and "booting up" - 75.7mA
Gauge Cluster in "stand-by/off" mode - 6.75mA
Gauge Cluster and "security system" removed - 0.00-0.01mA

So basically the gauge cluster in it's off but powered mode draws about 3.63mA and the "security system"/other electronics (turned off) draws 3.12mA.

I'm certainly no electrician, but does this explain why the battery is getting killed after just a week or two?

[CaesarVis]

***Update***

I just removed all of the security system nonsense and the bike started fine without it. I think I'll just leave it unplugged. That cuts the battery drain almost in half. I'll see how that works.

[Biker_Andy]

Any constant draw will eventually kill your battery, the more current the faster it will drain. Ideally there would be zero current drain. Most clocks draw in the micro amp range and would take years to drain a battery.