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BMW Battery Charger


joeyjamb

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Hello everyone,

 

I have this bmw charger part number 72 60 7 679 040. I got the charger with the bike last year. I have used it to keep the battery maintained but the bike has failed to start twice on me in the last few weeks. Each time it came off the charger just before I tired to start it. I am trying to find out if the battery is going or if the charger is somehow discharging the battery. I put a voltmeter to the charger and it doesn't give me a consistent voltage. It fluctuates between 0 and 13 volts. This is with the charger not plugged into the bike. I didn't think to try to measure it while plugged in. I took a similar reading off of two car battery chargers I have and they provided a constant voltage on each of them. I also cleaned up the contacts on the BMW charger with some steel wool as they were looking a bit dark. Is that fluctuation normal with this charger? Not sure if it matters or not but the previous owner told me he replaced the battery a year before I got the bike. It's a WESTCO and the bike is my 04 R1150RT. Also is this a "smart" charger meaning will it just cut juice when it senses the battery is charged?

 

Thank you in advance,

 

Joe

 

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Some chargers (such as the Battery Tender Series) have a "smart" logic within them that look for at least say +8 V on the output before they will turn on. This is in case somebody connects it up backwards or some other error. I suspect your DVM is looking at that sort of input. Better measure the charge current directly to see if the charger is doing more than just lighting lites or whatever.

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Hello everyone,

 

I have this bmw charger part number 72 60 7 679 040. I got the charger with the bike last year. I have used it to keep the battery maintained but the bike has failed to start twice on me in the last few weeks. Each time it came off the charger just before I tired to start it. I am trying to find out if the battery is going or if the charger is somehow discharging the battery. I put a voltmeter to the charger and it doesn't give me a consistent voltage. It fluctuates between 0 and 13 volts. This is with the charger not plugged into the bike. I didn't think to try to measure it while plugged in. I took a similar reading off of two car battery chargers I have and they provided a constant voltage on each of them. I also cleaned up the contacts on the BMW charger with some steel wool as they were looking a bit dark. Is that fluctuation normal with this charger? Not sure if it matters or not but the previous owner told me he replaced the battery a year before I got the bike. It's a WESTCO and the bike is my 04 R1150RT. Also is this a "smart" charger meaning will it just cut juice when it senses the battery is charged?

 

Thank you in advance,

 

Joe

 

 

Morning Joe

 

You will probably have to plug that charger into your bike (or a battery) to measure output as it only puts out 1 amp & it is an early version of a CanBus "era" type charger so it will have a pulsed current output for the early stages of the charging sequence.

 

I believe that charger is for the BMW Gel type battery & those batteries require a slightly lower charging voltage than lead acid or AGM type batteries.

 

If you are using that charger on a CanBus era bike (ie 1200) then you will have to play the key-on dance-- that is- turn key on, then, hook charger to bike, then, plug charger in, then, turn key off.

 

If you are using that charger on an AGM type battery (most Westco batteries are AGM) then it probably won't properly keep it fully charged as the voltage output is too low as well as the amp output is too low for an AGM.

 

 

 

 

 

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Thanks for the help guys. I ran the bike last Sunday for close to 100 miles. I have a battery booster I used to get it started that day. When I wheeled it in to the garage for the night, I checked the voltage and it was at 12.6. Last night when I posted this message I was reading 12.57 so I thought I hadn't lost much in the 5 days since it was last parked. At no time during the week was it hooked up to a charger. I checked again tonight and it still read 12.57. I hooked up the charger and got a reading of 12.57 while plugged in. I only left it in for a few minutes and then I attempted to start it. No go. I believe now that it's the battery. I will be shopping this week for one. I will also look for a different charger. Thank you again for the advice.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Alan Sykes

Don't rule out a new-tech Lithium-Ion-Potassium lightweight small replacement.

They're getting ever more popular on bikes for their fractional weight and terrific cranking power. And cheaper.

You'll need a few stiff foam slabs to fill out the space in the BMW battery carrier.

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Those chargers were wild. They were meant to be connected first, then plugged in, but the charger, if you had the book is pretty crazy.

It charges while simulating a running bike. The lights flash all over the place and "randomly", it shuts down, starts up, it has a true pattern it follows , but it appears totally random to watch.

With a good battery, it should be ok and get your battery above the plateau of 12.7 which for your 1150 is the magic number.

But see what it does, I say.

If you just hate it, PM me and I'd probably buy it .

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Joe,

 

+1 on what Dirt Rider said, "If you are using that charger on an AGM type battery (most Westco batteries are AGM) then it probably won't properly keep it fully charged as the voltage output is too low as well as the amp output is too low for an AGM."

 

I had the same "no starting" experience two years ago with an AGM battery and a "trickle charger". I got an AGM rated charger/desulfator (BatteryMINDer) along with a new voltage regulator putting about 14.5V into the battery and all has been well. From what I've read, 13V won't get an AGM fully 100% charged. I've found that my Motronic MUCH prefers a fully charged battery.

 

More info on AGM batteries here: AGM Battery Info

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I dunno, I've used a Battery Tender Jr. (.75A) for years and years on my AGM MotoBatts and Yuasa's and it gets all of them above 13V .

I dare say both of those are a better battery than a Westco though.

 

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I dunno, I've used a Battery Tender Jr. (.75A) for years and years on my AGM MotoBatts and Yuasa's and it gets all of them above 13V .

I dare say both of those are a better battery than a Westco though.

 

Morning Tri750

 

The problem is 13v isn't enough charge output to fully charge an AGM battery (most standard AGM batteries need at least 14.5 volts charge rate at enough amp input to come up to FULLY charged, PC 680 requires 14.7v). This is especially important if the battery is allowed to run down before charging or if the battery is charged in cold ambient temps.

 

It will sort of work for a while but below optimum charging input will eventually sulfate the battery & reduce it's capacity.

 

 

 

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