Time to upgrade the RZR Battery

[GRAZOR]

I'm not yet sure where my problem is. Bad battery or something I added pulling a constant drain but every time I go to fire up the RZR out in the very cold shed, the battery is dead.

I can't decide between the Optima or Odysee batteries and keep reading about problems some have had with them not lasting very long.

First I have to figure out if I do have something I added that is the problem or I just have a bad stock battery.

Does anyone have a clue how I might use my digital multimeter to look for a drain from what I am guessing is the stereo radio. It has a yellow wire that is hooked to a constant 12V to maintain the clock and programing and a red wire that is switched to the ignition. When the key is off so is the radio but the clock is always on much the same as the speedo dial on the RZR to maintain memmory.

Any ideas which battery to go with between Optima and Oddysee and where to find decent prices?

[caglezxj]

There has been questions about both, I have used a Optima and I liked it. To use your multimeter, just turn it to DC and place the black wire on negative and the red on positive. I know you know this already. Take the reading, then crank it and see if it is charging. If it is dead it will propbably be hard to show around 12. -13. v while charging. You might have to charge the battery then take this measurement. You could then check the battery every hour to see if the battery is dropping. Then if it does drop unplug the radio from the system. Then take a measurement and see if it drops every hour after that. If it does check one of your other mods. You could have a bad connection somewhere, or something shorting to ground. I have my stereo on a toggle switch, and have the battery wire from the radio straight to a 12v source just like you have to keep the settings programmed. I suspect that if your radio is keeping the clock on and it sits in cold for a long time it could be enough to drop your battery down that it would not crank. You do have cold winters. Make some checks and let us know.

Josh

[GRAZOR]

Thanks Josh. Since the RZR does not have much in the line of accessory connections, I built this fuse block out of parts I had lying around and have added all accessories thru this and it is direct wired to the battery with 8 gauge wire.

All I need to do to stop any electrical flow to accessories is remove the fuses which I have done.



So far, every time I have gone to the very cold shed to take the RZR for a ride the battery has been dead and required a jump from another battery to get started. It then charges up fine from the RZR system but will be dead the next time I try it.

Yesterday I removed all fuses to accessories and fully charged the battery with a trickle charger for 24 hours.
I will check it tomorrow and see if it is dead again and have my answer except that it has been unseasonably warm here most of this week.

[Bigdog800efi]

As for the battery, Bigger is better. If a truck style battery (Optima) will fit that is what I would go with.

[caglezxj]

Looks nice I did the same thing to my overhead console with a terminal strip, and fused the stereo and then fused the main power in case something shorted. I like to see it when people takes there time to do things right, it makes it easier down the road.