battery issue

markevnic72 · Post by **markevnic72** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 4:56 am

Hi all,

Looking for feedback. I ve been riding for less than a year, about 10 months to be exact. About one month ago I experienced problems starting the Blur. Either no juice, or so little as to get a sloowwwwww start occasionally, and the problem got more and more frequent over two weeks.

I bought the Blur new in 2008, but it's a 2006 model. The mechanic here in San Francisco said that normal riding does not 'top up' the charge for the battery, the way that driving a car would. He said that it's normal for the battery to deplete and wanted to sell me a cable to attach the battery to a wall socket to recharge periodically at home.

Is this really normal? Do any of you have trouble with the battery or the wiring /electrical system, especially within the first year?

Will I have to go in for a recharge every 9 months???

Thanks for your experience and advice on this one. Recommendations on mechanics in SF ?

Cheers,
Mark

charlie55 · Post by **charlie55** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:12 pm

It's also been my experience that short trips at low speeds do not do a good job of topping off the battery, and I think that that holds true for many scooters since the electrical systems are nowhere near as robust as those used in automobiles.

Your best bet is to get a battery minder (basically a smart charger that gets the battery to peak charge and then maintains it with a trickle charge). Most come with a quick disconnect adapter that you can bolt directly to the battery. So, it's a simple matter to just hook it up to the minder overnight (or whenever you think it's needed), disconnect it in the morning, and then just go on your way.

My battery's been suffering as the result of cold weather and and infrequent rides, so I'm relying upon the battery minder heavily during the winter. Summer's another story: hardly ever need to use the minder.

In any event, these units are extremely inexpensive (got mine at Wal-Mart) for less than $30.00), easy to use, and worth their weight in reduced agita (sic).

Post by **jmazza** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:14 pm

I can't speak specifically for the Blur, but on the Buddy the battery does get charged while riding but no, it's not as strong as a car's alternator.

So, like your mech said, for that reason many people do use a Battery Tender to trickle charge their battery and keep it in top shape.

This is most needed in either colder climates or if you do not ride frequently (or only do very very short rides). It's also what you want to use to keep the battery ready to go during winter storage.

It is definitely possible that you got a bad battery to start with but I believe the battery warranty is only a few months so buying the Battery Tender (if you buy it at the link above, you should check out this thread on how to receive 10% off- the regular price is $29.99) is going to be cheaper than buying a new battery.

Good luck, I hope this is helpful info!

Post by **Lostmycage** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 1:15 pm

I've not personally had this problem with my Blur. It's an 06 too. Babblefish was having problems with the under seat light draining the battery and unplugged the relay that keeps it on. He also has the Silverstar lamp in his Blur (an 06 as well).

Here's a link to the thread where he came to the conclusion that the under seat light was causing his Blur to not keep a good charge:

viewtopic.php?t=3259&highlight=blur+relay#38263

With my Blur, I tend to ride it for at least 5 miles every time I get on it. I also have the stock 35/35w headlight in it and I have the under seat light unplugged because I was pulling measurements of the lamp for an LED replacement.

Is everything sill stock electrically on your Blur? How far do you ride it when you go out? Those two things are the biggest factors in how your battery charges.

Hope that helps.

fs8gbe · Post by **fs8gbe** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 2:11 pm

i keep a tender on my battery just to improve the life of the battery anyway. it's only 24 bucks or so, and if you have to store your scooters for extended periods, it's a good tool to have.

GFridrich3 · Post by **GFridrich3** » Wed Mar 25, 2009 11:25 pm

One battery tender is way cheaper than a new battery every riding season. The stock battery should last you a good 4-5 years no problem if you keep it topped off on a battery tender.

Post by **jrsjr** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 2:02 am

Two words - Battery. Tender. Seriously, a Battery Tender (Jr is fine) with a pigtail hooked to your battery so you can just plug it in like charging a cellphone.

gearhead · Post by **gearhead** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 4:02 am

if you don't use it the blur for a couple of weeks, just disconnect the batt

Post by **Lostmycage** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 4:19 am

Added bonus, the direct connect pigtail for the Battery Tender also works with the Slime Powersports air compressor, the one that fits in the palm of your hand ($30).

beelzebubbles · Post by **beelzebubbles** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:08 pm

I had a problem with my battery early on. I got a 2007 Blur new. I started working from home and mostly shopped local, and for a few months I wasn't riding at all. By then of course the battery died. I already had a recharger but I had the mechanic check it out and by all accounts the battery was already ready to be replaced. So OK, new scooter, cheap battery. I got a new one, and haven't had any problems since. If your 2006 Blur had the same battery my 2007 Blur had, you may be in line to replace it sooner than later. This appears to have been a common problem - I seem to recall a thread about other Blur owners having problems with their first battery.

Maybe now I ride just enough to keep it from dying (or maybe I've recharged it once or twice since, I'm not 100% sure). But also, when the mechanic was checking out the battery, he also taught me how to use the kick starter. That's definitely one of the awesome features of the Blur! (I know there are other new scooters with this feature, but from the sound of it not all kick starters work so well.) Now I kick start pretty much all the time. I've never had any battery issues since. I understand starting the engine can really drain the battery, so I don't know if it's a cure, but it does seem to help.

Also, as someone has already mentioned, if your key is in the 'Off' position, you are still draining the battery via the under-seat storage light. Kind of an odd implementation, that (why not have it on when the key is in the 'On' position?). But making sure to put your key in the 'Lock' position when your scooter is not moving is another thing to save your battery.

blurblaine · Post by **blurblaine** » Sun Apr 05, 2009 4:30 am

'cage' mentioned the 'light' issue, which I did ...

I also went through a time when I'd try to start and nothing. A second later I'd hit the starter switch again and it would turn over. I just figured the original battery on my 2006 Blur was close to 'life' ... but then I was driving one day and the dash cluster cut off twice (I did the upgrade to the newer PGO unit). When I checked, the battery terminal screw was coming loose. Tightened it down and no issues since.

I do use a battery tender over the cold winter months in Ohio, but have never bothered with it during 'driving season' since I'm on the scooter ever day or two or three.

Just check your battery connections ... consider pulling the light ... and get a battery tender.

Vortechs · Post by **Vortechs** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 7:12 pm

Lostmycage wrote:I've not personally had this problem with my Blur. It's an 06 too. Babblefish was having problems with the under seat light draining the battery and unplugged the relay that keeps it on. He also has the Silverstar lamp in his Blur (an 06 as well).

Here's a link to the thread where he came to the conclusion that the under seat light was causing his Blur to not keep a good charge:

viewtopic.php?t=3259&highlight=blur+relay#38263

The battery on the 06 Blur I bought a few months ago has died. I bought a replacement and am going to install it.

I've read that at least one person had issues with the relay for the under seat light having a very small current even when off which resulted in draining the battery if not ridden in a week or so.

Can somebody describe the location of the relay for the underseat light and how to unplug it?

charlie55 · Post by **charlie55** » Sat Apr 20, 2013 9:01 pm

Vortechs wrote:
Lostmycage wrote:I've not personally had this problem with my Blur. It's an 06 too. Babblefish was having problems with the under seat light draining the battery and unplugged the relay that keeps it on. He also has the Silverstar lamp in his Blur (an 06 as well).

Here's a link to the thread where he came to the conclusion that the under seat light was causing his Blur to not keep a good charge:

viewtopic.php?t=3259&highlight=blur+relay#38263
The battery on the 06 Blur I bought a few months ago has died. I bought a replacement and am going to install it.

I've read that at least one person had issues with the relay for the under seat light having a very small current even when off which resulted in draining the battery if not ridden in a week or so.

Can somebody describe the location of the relay for the underseat light and how to unplug it?

No need to hunt for the relay - disconnecting the light itself is easier.

- Unlock the seat and open it.
- Remove the (4, I believe) bolts holding the pet carrier in place.
- Lift the seat/pet carrier out of the scooter. You'll only be able get it part way out because the wiring to the compartment light will stop you.
- Follow the wire and you'll see the connector.
- Disconnect it and wrap the "live" end (the end that doesn't go to the light in the pet carrier) with some electrical tape, securing it with tape or a cable tie so that it doesn't flop around and get damaged or cause a short.

Vortechs · Post by **Vortechs** » Sun Apr 21, 2013 4:36 pm

Thanks for the info on how to disconnect the under seat light. I was looking at the light and wondering how to access the bulb but it wasn't obvious how to remove the plastic lens to get at the bulb. It sounds like you need to remove the plastic "pet carrier" insert and access it from the back side. I was hoping the relay would be somewhere easier to get at so I could experiment with unplugging it.

The battery might just have died from old age but when I read about Modern Buddy member babblefish seeing a current draw from the relay even when the light was off, over in this thread: viewtopic.php?t=3259, I thought it sounded enough like what I was seeing that I should check out that possiblity.

Vortechs · Post by **Vortechs** » Sun May 12, 2013 5:48 am

I found out a few things:
1) The relay for the underseat light on my 2006 Blur draws ~12mA when the light is off, even if the light itself is unplugged.
2) It is easier to unplug the relay than to take the pet carrier/seat off to unplug the underseat light.

Details:
I checked the current draw at the battery of my 06 Blur using a Fluke 77 multimeter with the underseat light (pet carrier light) both on and off. When the underseat light is on it is drawing about 190mA, which ramps slowly down until the light turns off at which time it drops to about 30mA which then ramps down to 12.29mA and stays there. I took the pet carrier/seat off (4 bolts) so I could unplug the underseat light. Even with the underseat light unplugged I was reading about 40mA initially which ramped down to 12.22mA and stayed there. I then tried experimenting to find the relay for the underseat light and found it on the first try, it is a small white rectangular box just behind the battery on the far left (facing forward). With the relay unplugged the underseat light does not come on and I only read 0.04mA, so the relay for the underseat light on my '06 Blur draws ~12mA even when the light is off. At ~12mA the relay would completely drain a new stock 7Ah battery in about 24 days, though from what I observed last January/February in cold weather it could drain a older battery enough to to prevent the scooter from starting in less than a week.

So it looks like I was having the same issue as Modern Buddy member babblefish of seeing a current draw from the relay even when the light was off, which was detailed over in this thread: viewtopic.php?t=3259

Vortechs · Post by **Vortechs** » Sun May 12, 2013 6:11 pm

Has anyone ever replaced the relay for the underseat light?

From looking at the Blur parts list at http://www.modernbuddy.com/pdf/Blur_Parts.pdf it looks like the part would be: M25843000000 LUGGAGE LAMP DELAY CONTROLLER

I found that part in the The Scooter Lounge online catalog (http://www.scooterloungeonline.com/genuineblurparts), it is listed at $12.50 so maybe it might be worth trying a new one, http://www.scooterloungeonline.com/product/M25843000000

battery issue

battery issue

2006 Blur underseat light relay draws 12mA when off