If you measure the stock battery, or bring it in to wal-mart, they have a battery the exact same size as the DS battery. terminals are in the same spot and everything. I think it's like 7 3/8in long.

 

TINMAN, does your ds ever heat up and won't shut off with the key? mine did, but only occasionaly, leaving the dealer to change the regulator.(for whatever reason) if this happens to you shut your ds off with the kill switch, let it cool off and it should be okay. anymore questions let me know.

 

No....everything works fine. Thanks for the input though. It's just weird. I give it to the dealer...he checks everything out and installs battery #3. I start it up and load it on my truck, get it home and it wont turn over. He claims it's the RW CDI and that it's drawing the battery down or shorting the cells out. Yesterday I jump started it....rode it all day.....(shutting it off several times).....then put it away in the garage (with the key off).......went out the next morning and got the little clicking noise (wouldnt turn over). I'm gonna sell the ***** and get an old bicycle.

 

i'll give ya $100 and a case of beer for her, [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] j/k man, hope ya can get the problem fixed

 

Find a new dealer, this guy is clueless. The CDI is part of the ignition circuit. The ignition circuit will not "short" out a battery. If it's "drawing down the battery" why does it start up when you are riding it. The alternator on a DS puts out something like 290 watts, if it was pulling that much out it would blow the fuse! I can't be any more clear... this "tech" is in WAY over his head when he comes to work in the morning.

I can't diagnose it over the internet, but I would suspect the voltage regulator of cooking the battery by overcharging it.

PS. I know you've heard this enough, but I too am on my original battery on my 00 DS. You don't need a new quad, you need a real mechanic.

 

Ditto Ken.

gearsmoker - since the cooling fan has permanent magnets inside it, it acts as a tiny generator while coasting after the key is switched off, which creates just enough juice for the ignition to function, which allows the motor to continue firing for a short time unless the kill switch is turned off to ground the ignition. all ds's will do this if the key is turned off without flipping the kill switch while the fan is running.

 

Ken....Thanks for the input. Is there a way to check if the voltage regulator is over charging ? We had a meter on it when it was running (idle) and wound up around 3500 rpm, and with lights on and off, and it seemed to be around 13.75 0r 14.25 (somewhere in that area cause I cant remember right now) but I know it was'nt some overly sick number. Maybe I'm just testing it wrong. Listen....I really appreciate all the help you guys give me. Thanks.


By the way....if I can't get it fixed, what kinda beer you got lilnotts ?

 

I have to agree with Ken, your mechanic (if I can call him that) is weak in the electrical department. If the problem seems impossable - something simple has been overlooked.
If they check the charge output with the engine at idle, it will show an acceptable charge rate. Its when you rev the engine up over ~3000 rpms that the the charge will go into the red. It shouldn't go much over 14.5 volts at any RPM.
This may not be the problem but it does sound like the most likely
Oh yah,...3-1/2 years - original battery.....don't shoot [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img]

 

Mines just the oposite. I am on my 2nd battery and it will hold a charge for ever but if I ride it slow and it gets hot enough for the fan to kick on it wont start after I shut it down. I charge it for a while and it will run and start for quite a long time then out of the blue be dead at the most in opertune time. Anyone have any ideas what could be going on? I would like to figure it out before I go to Colorado in 4 weeks.

 

I just got my first replacement Yusa battery today - Its been on order for 3 weeks! Sheesh ... anyways, here is the Yusa model number ....

Model Number: YTX15L-BS
UPC: 4849362153

Maybe there are some cheaper places besides Bombardier. It's an American made battery being shipped in from Canada. Hmmmm.

Marky