Optimate displayed Error - Battery passes drop test

[Pigeon]

Recently while charging the battery on my ST the Optimate3 showed up with a red solid light. This indicates that during the testing phase the battery failed to provide 12v.

I switched everything off, left it for a bit and turned it back on.
At some point in the next 24 hours it failed again. And again a few days later when I tried again.
So I took the battery into Triumph and it passed a "drop test".

When I got home, I attached the Optimate again, only this time not using the auxiliary cable, but instead via clips to the battery terminals direct. It proceeded to charge and pass it's testing phases continuously for the next 4 days.

So I'm thinking there might be something wrong with the aux cable, or possibly the way I set it up.

Rather than purchase longer battery screws to attach things to the batter direct and avoid having all the extra electrical devices attached via inline fuses all over the place, I bought a fused box with 1 live in and 4 individually fused live outs (with LED's to show a broken fuse).

Battery + to Fuse box, 4x + to other devices (in this case Optimate External lead and a Ciggy Adapter). Then the negatives from the devices got a bolt (not attached to anything) which goes to the battery and the negative of the bike wiring loom which includes an earth.

https://i1329.photobucket.com/albums/w559/pigeon35/Random/20150128_22000101.resized_zpsidgq4zqy.jpg

I could detach my wiring bodge and connect the aux cable direct to the battery as a test, but it would mean soldering an inline fuse in and soldering ring connectors. A new cable is £4.85, so I'm thinking of just buying a new cable but wanted to check if the above sketch would show an obvious cockup on my part.
The way I had/have it seemed to work in so much as the Optimate regularly went through its green test/charge/test cycles for the last year and all of sudden its now failed.

The only other thing to add possibly, is that last week on my way home my high beam dash light appeared to flicker on/off rapidly for a few seconds several times on my way home. I could not tell if my headlights were also flashing or if it was just the dash and it didn't happen very often. It had resolved itself by the next day. May be irrelevant, but thought it worth mentioning.

Garage is quite damp unfortunately.

As always, thanks for your expert eye

[davebike]

Optimate type chargers often have problems if connected by lots or extra wiring that is why they supply you with a dedicated charging lead to connect to the battery

Just wire it properly and all will be well
____________________
Dave
NC750Xdct + others at work !
davebike1@gmail.com

[Bikeless]

The one I've got kept playing up like that turned out to be the lead connectors, I chopped them off an fitted bullet connectors, it not pretty but it works now.

[Pigeon]

OK, thanks all. Have ordered a new cable, just need to source some longer battery bolts from ebay.


Thanks!

[ADSrox0r]

To back this up, my old Optimate had the square style connector (TM Type) which was a bag of shit for doing this trick on me. Forever wiggling it around to get it to engage properly.

New style Optimates have a two pin bullet type connector (SAE Type) that's pretty much foolproof.
____________________
Current bikes: '08 VFR 800 VTEC(yo) , '07 ZZR1400 Winter hack: '95 Aprilia 650 Pegaso Currently lusting after: RC30

[WD Forte]