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honda 300 fourtrax battery wont stay charged

22K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  Fastas 
#1 ·
Whats up guys I could use some suggestions, I have a 96 honda 300 that keeps draining the battery, I had replaced the battery with a new one but that did not correct the problem, after a couple of days the battery will be completely dead and will not start.
I remove the battery and kickstarted it with a volt meter hooked up to the battery wires and was getting 3.5 volts dc from the generator at idle speed, the quad ran fine, lights worked
I then checked the starter cylinoid for continuity and did have continuity accross the terminals with the battery hooked up, I was also able to start my honda by shorting the terminals on starter cylinoid with the iginition on and with it off, which didnt seem correct, I wouldnt think you could start the motor by shorting the terminals on the starter cylinoid with the ignition off and no key in it and still have it start- is this how it is suppose to be, I dont wanna start buying parts that I dont need, I also checked all the wires and connections and they checked out ok - PLEASE HELP thanks
 
#2 ·
YOur voltage should max out at about 12.5 to 13.5 and starting at Idle gradually increase your speed and watch your meter if it dosen't get to peak voltage then I would say that you have a bad regulator.and the couple of days your getting to ride is purely off the battery.
 
#4 ·
A TRX2five0 suggested, check the output with a Meter while the engine is running. If you're not getting 12.5 to 13.5 Volts you should be getting? This is the first place to start. Once you verify the system isn't charging you can begin to check these other areas.

Check to make sure the wiring is where it belongs and they are also clean and tight. I've seen battery terminal wires broken under the heat shrink tubing that made it look like these cables were in-tact when they weren't. To check this out you can twist the cable end back and forth, or just pull out on it to see if the end separates from the cable. You can also use a meter on continuity and go from end to end of these cables.

I've also seen wires come off of the terminal going to the battery due to stress on the wire and it breaks off, or the wires are eaten away by corrosion causing them to either fall off, or not carry enough amps to charge the battery. So make sure all wiring is accounted for and hooked to the correct location (if you find a loose wire? Find out where it's supposed to be). One other suggestion is to make sure you have at hand a GOOD HONDA Model Specific Service Manual that shows you where all of these wires begin and end.

Understanding what is in the Manual may be the difference between replacing parts you don't need to replace, and finding the problem the first time and replacing only the parts that are bad.

Good Luck.
 
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