2017 RT Fault Code PO562

[StevenQ]

Recently we went on our first ride for this spring. Just before getting home, some idiot lights came on. Found that the bike had a fault code of PO562, system voltage low. The battery checks out with engine off, and with the engine running. All the connections seem to be tight and clean. One of the causes listed is: external battery charger may have been used. And yes, I have been using an external charger. For a lot of years I used Battery Tender Juniors, with no problems. In January 2021 I bought and hooked up a new Tecmate Optimate 3 Battery Charger. Has anyone had an electrical system problem using this Optimate 3 charger? I have had the bike hooked to this charger up until April, just prior to going on our first ride.
The battery by itself is reading: 12.1 to 12.7 volts. With the engine running, at both idle and 2,000+ rpm's, and hot: 13.7 to 14.2/3 volts. Also, the bike has been starting as advertised- no problem.
Any thoughts of how to proceed would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you:
Steven Q. Bethke or
StevenQ

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Recently we went on our first ride for this spring. Just before getting home, some idiot lights came on. Found that the bike had a fault code of PO562, system voltage low. The battery checks out with engine off, and with the engine running. All the connections seem to be tight and clean. One of the causes listed is: external battery charger may have been used. And yes, I have been using an external charger. For a lot of years I used Battery Tender Juniors, with no problems. In January 2021 I bought and hooked up a new Tecmate Optimate 3 Battery Charger. Has anyone had an electrical system problem using this Optimate 3 charger? I have had the bike hooked to this charger up until April, just prior to going on our first ride.
The battery by itself is reading: 12.1 to 12.7 volts. With the engine running, at both idle and 2,000+ rpm's, and hot: 13.7 to 14.2/3 volts. Also, the bike has been starting as advertised- no problem.
Any thoughts of how to proceed would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you:
Steven Q. Bethke or
StevenQ

Voltage by itself is not a reliable indicator of battery condition. Even a near dead battery can show good voltage. Only a load test can tell you the health of the battery. If you can't get the battery to an auto parts store, or wherever, to get a load test done you can do your own. Connect the voltmeter to the battery. Open the throttle all the way to keep the engine from starting and press the start button. Make a note of how quickly the voltage drops. If it drops below 10.5 in just a few seconds your battery is toast.

How old is it? What may be happening is while riding and going around curves the DPS is assisting your steering. The DPS sucks up a lot of juice, a lot more than what the alternator will provide on an instantaneous basis so it draws the needed current from the battery. If the battery is getting weak the DPS draw will cause its voltage to drop. I don't know off hand what the threshold is to get the code but I suspect the system voltage is dropping below it with the DPS current draw.

[StevenQ]

Thank you very much for the battery information. I will take the battery to the parts store tomorrow to get this load test done. Thank you, very much appreciated.
StevenQ

[2dogs]

Voltage by itself is not a reliable indicator of battery condition. Even a near dead battery can show good voltage. Only a load test can tell you the health of the battery. If you can't get the battery to an auto parts store, or wherever, to get a load test done you can do your own. Connect the voltmeter to the battery. Open the throttle all the way to keep the engine from starting and press the start button. Make a note of how quickly the voltage drops. If it drops below 10.5 in just a few seconds your battery is toast.

How old is it? What may be happening is while riding and going around curves the DPS is assisting your steering. The DPS sucks up a lot of juice, a lot more than what the alternator will provide on an instantaneous basis so it draws the needed current from the battery. If the battery is getting weak the DPS draw will cause its voltage to drop. I don't know off hand what the threshold is to get the code but I suspect the system voltage is dropping below it with the DPS current draw.

Will a volt gauge display a drop in voltage when the DPS draws current in a turn?

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Will a volt gauge display a drop in voltage when the DPS draws current in a turn?

It should, I believe. That is if the current draw is greater than what the alternator can offset and enough to really stress the battery. I say that with a strong battery and a gentle curve you won't see it. I'll have to watch my Battery Bug next time I do a hard long curve!

[2dogs]

It should, I believe. That is if the current draw is greater than what the alternator can offset and enough to really stress the battery. I say that with a strong battery and a gentle curve you won't see it. I'll have to watch my Battery Bug next time I do a hard long curve!

Me too. I think I'll go over to an empty parking lot and do some figure 8's and see what happens.

[Peter Aawen]

......I have had the bike hooked to this charger up until April, just prior to going on our first ride.
The battery by itself is reading: 12.1 to 12.7 volts. With the engine running, at both idle and 2,000+ rpm's, and hot: 13.7 to 14.2/3 volts. Also, the bike has been starting as advertised- no problem.
Any thoughts of how to proceed would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you:
Steven Q. Bethke or
StevenQ

Hey Steven, was the 12.1 volts reading you got after the Spyder had been standing without the charger connected/engine running for at least a couple of hours??

12.1 volts on a 'resting battery' (one that's been off the charger/not running for some hours) suggests that the battery is pretty flat & probably quite tired if not dying/dead already!! Come to that, a reading of 12.7 volts immediately after disconnecting from a charger that's been connected for a while/over-night isn't all that great either.... it should be up over 13 volts if the battery &/or charger is in good condition!! . But at least your 'engine running' volts suggest the alternator is doing its thing properly! Still, from all the info you've already given, ie, those voltage readings, the '2017 RT' bit (suggesting the battery's a few years old) and the 'connected to the Optima battery charger ever since Jan 2021', it all adds up to suggest that even given the lack of a proper load test yet, your battery is pretty tired if not dying!

Besides all that, leaving a battery connected to anything that's not a 'smart charger' or a proper 'battery tender', ie, charging devices with a charge/rest/discharge/recharge cycle (maybe even a 'de-sulphation' period too!) isn't really a great idea at the best of times; and leaving a battery connected to any charging device, even a smart charger/battery tender etc ALL the time isn't such a great idea either, not unless you're putting it into storage for a few months or more!! . Batteries work & last best if they are used & then re-charged properly, then let rest for a while (without charging/tending) before being used again - altho storage connected to a smart charger/tender is still the only real option available for 'long term storage', but you should try to take it off the charger/tender for at least a few hours before putting it to use again..... that's partly why smart chargers/battery tenders have that essential 'rest' period in their cycle! Leaving the battery connected ALL the time can hide a tired &/or dying battery by giving it a 'surface charge' that will let you start it sorta OK immediately upon disconnection from said charger (due to that 'artificially propped up' charge level) but then you might find that if you stop for anything more than a short while at any stage after that 'propped up' start, the battery just might not be up to starting your vehicle's engine again!! To avoid this, if you aren't putting it into long term storage, then you should really let your battery 'rest' for a while after each run/proper charge and for a while before you want to use it again; or if you are riding once a week or fortnight, then just leave it off the charger/tender entirely between runs if you can, or at least for a few hours before each use/run. By doing this, you will be leaving your 'fully charged' battery to rest for a while before each run/usage so that it should last longer and let you know that if it's strong enough to start your Spyder's engine at home, cos if it is able to do that after a non-charged rest at home, then it should also be strong enough to start it once you try to restart again after a stopped/non charged rest break once you are away from home & the artificial support provided by that charger/tender isn't there to top it up.

So even if it was/is the DPS power drain or something/anything else that dragged/is dragging the battery voltage down low enough to result in that code you got, it's still really only trying to tell you that without external charger support, the battery isn't up to its task & is on its way out, so you should probably get the battery load tested and replaced if there's ANY indication that it's not fully up to par!! Then once you have a fully charged/new battery, even if you do feel you need to hook it up to a charger/tender between rides or for long term storage, try to disconnect it at least a couple of hours before you want to start up & ride.... Good Luck!

[StevenQ]

Thank you very much Peter, for all the good to know information. Very much appreciated.
Have a great day and a good week. Enjoy the ride.
StevenQ