so i have a new to me scrambler 400cc.

its cold as hell here and i have only ridden it once.

im gonna wait a few months.

i have it stored in my garage on a 4x6 trailer.

every few days i go out and pull start it and let it run for 5 mins or so.

it has a dead battery, and the key is broke off into the ignition.. in teh on position.

so i just pull start it.

it came with a new battery but im not gonna put it on till it gets warmer out and im actually riding.

i do plan on changing the fluids. i ordered a repair manual for it and it should be here soon.

one thing i noticed is when i start it, the brake light only comes on when i rev it. (parking brake is set).

is this normal with a dead battery when its just started and at an idle? like does it have to run enough to charge the battery a little, or if the battery is completely dead will it not run enough to power the lights without revs or what?

also when i do my fluids i was going to run a mixture of seafoam and gas through.

has anyone else here done that? and what mixture do you reccomend? 50/50?

thanks

 

If the battery is "dead", meaning it will not hold a charge, then I am not surprised by the tail light behavior, since it is powered directly off the battery, which is not holding a charge and will only provide power when it is being charged heavily by the alternator.

Be careful not to run it with NO battery. I have heard that bad and costly things happen when you do that.

Just curious, what is it that you gain by cranking it every few days? I mean, if you already know the battery is toast and you will be replacing it, what else do you gain by cranking it every few days? Maybe I can learn something here.

 

i dont know really.

it gets in the -30s here, and i have a jeep i dont drive in the winter very much, and i go out and start it every day or every other day to keep the battery charged.

guess theres really no point because the battery is already dead lol.

good point.

 

Ease up on the Sea foam. 50/50 is way too much. If your car had a 20 gallon tank would you run 10 gallon of gas and 10 gallon of sea foam? Don't think so. If your concerned about it being carboned up try putting a little in every tank full for 5 or 6 tanks. I would say no more than 1/8 to 1/4 can per tank.

 

sorry i meant half can into fuel and half can into carb.

your right it is too much.. didnt think about how its only a 4 gallon tank

ill probably do like 1/8th each tank, and a little through the carb