72 Hours with my Spyder RT-S SE5

[NancysToy]

I got my Spyder back yesterday. Dealer acknowledged they found 2 low voltage conditions codes when they ran diagnostics. They cleared the computer codes. Drove it around and said it was fine. They assumed that the problem was due to the battery being low, but I explained to the GM that the battery was 100% charged when I got the cascading warnings. This fact seem to escape him. I asked did they check for loose connections and he was like "sure..sure...sure". I may be cynical, but I am less than convinced. I drove the Spyder and everything seems fine, but when I was done for the day I put the battery on the tender charge. It took 4 hours for the red light to blink green (battery charged to 80%) and 2 more hours for the light to turn steady-on (100% charged). Is it normal after riding the vehicle that the battery should be discharged this much that it requires 6 hours of charging? I have 0% faith that problem is resolved and fully expect to find a battery that gets more and more discharged over the next few days. I will not use the tender anymore and monitor the voltage drop.

If the battery remains strong, then I will recant at a later date. Is it really true that the magneto does not charge the battery until 4K rpm is reached? This seems odd as I rarely see the Spyder reach 4K rpm when in 5th gear at average city cruising speeds. Why didn't Can-Am just go with an alternator? Isn't a magneto a bit dated?

Aside from this...I had a great time riding yesterday. This thing guzzles gas like my twin brother puts away Vodka!

I that the problems are resolved. Fingers-crossed.

Your dealer's response to the situation is disappointing, to say the least. Techs that clear codes, then say everything "seems to be OK", give me a rash. There are certain diagnostic tests and other inspections that should have been performed, like checking the terminal tightness. I would be skeptical, too. The good news is that the battery is warrantied for six months, so if it fails you have time to address it later.

If you are doing a lot of running around in rpm ranges below 4K, your time on the charger could be perfectly normal. Plug it in and forget it. The Spyder does charge below 4K, but it does not charge hard. At 4,000 rpm the charging output is about half the full rated wattage. The output drops off even more below that. Depending on the number of starts, the length of your ride, the weather, and what accessories and lights you are running, the battery could be reasonably low after a ride. I do think leaving it off the charger will tell you if your problem remains, though. If the Spyder is being used every few days or better, you should not need the Battery Tender.

There are good reasons to use a permanent magnet alternator (magneto), instead of an AC alternator, on a Spyder. Perhaps the best of these is the fact that the magnetos tolerate heat better. The Spyder does not have an open engine compartment, or substantial air flow past the engine, to allow alternator cooling. I wouldn't second guess the engineers on this one. Just keep the revs up.

[Yfactor]

This seems odd as I rarely see the Spyder reach 4K rpm when in 5th gear at average city cruising speeds.

The only time I use 5th is above 60mph. Most city cruising is done in 3rd and once in a while I might get
to 4th. I try to keep the RPM's around 3500 to 4500.
seems to like this range and downshift around 3000 RPM.

[draboo]

Living where we do, I cannot use a battery tender. I have one from our ATV days back in MI. Neither Spyder we have owned ever had any problems with low batterys. They have sat from a week to a few months and always fired right up.

As far as gas consumption goes, I was rather surprised on how fast the analog gauge on the left side of the dash pretty much dives toward empty..until I read Fred's commentary about how much gas is still left after it hits the "red zone" which is, in fact, around 2 gallons. I have not checked the consumption rate as of yet. I m guessing a tad below 30, riding 2 up with the pooch bolted on the back,too.

[spyryder]

I've had my Spyder for THREE years now.....never even looked at the battery other than to check voltage once in a while when parked for up to 2 months in freezing temps. Those readings never went below 12.6 volts. When IDLING at 1500 RPM's it's charging around 13.77 volts......yes it maintains that voltage even with stepping on the brake, 4 way flashers etc. At 3000 RPM it's around 14 volts so there SHOULDN'T be a problem maintaining a charge even without any type of battery tender or charger.

P.S. The R/T charging system puts out 650 watts @ 2000 RPM.

[JonGalt]

Okay, here's a real unscientific study.

My RT was last driven a week ago.
It sat in the garage for a week without the maintainer on.
We took it out today and putzed around the secondary roads, rarely reaching over 4k.
Two stops and two starts.

Brought it into the garage, plugged in the maintainer and 40 minutes later it went into 'maintain' mode (as opposed to 'charge').

Your mileage may vary.

I was expecting this to be the case yesterday, but I have no idea what was done at the dealership before they handed it back to me.

I do know I started this morning with a fully charged battery after 6 hours last night. I drove for about an hour and will monitor the voltage drop from here on out.

My battery measured 12.88Vdc after my hour drive. I measured it an over hour later & it was 13.03Vdc. This makes sense as the battery has a load on it for about 45 minutes while the computer is making that high pitched sound while it plays with the throttle something-or-other. I forgot what scotty or someone said in the other thread.

So far so good!

[JonGalt]

I've had my Spyder for THREE years now.....never even looked at the battery other than to check voltage once in a while when parked for up to 2 months in freezing temps. Those readings never went below 12.6 volts. When IDLING at 1500 RPM's it's charging around 13.77 volts......yes it maintains that voltage even with stepping on the brake, 4 way flashers etc. At 3000 RPM it's around 14 volts so there SHOULDN'T be a problem maintaining a charge even without any type of battery tender or charger.

P.S. The R/T charging system puts out 650 watts @ 2000 RPM.

I want your results to be mine. If this keeps up I will just install a car battery in the rear storage.

[JonGalt]

Living where we do, I cannot use a battery tender. I have one from our ATV days back in MI. Neither Spyder we have owned ever had any problems with low batterys. They have sat from a week to a few months and always fired right up.

As far as gas consumption goes, I was rather surprised on how fast the analog gauge on the left side of the dash pretty much dives toward empty..until I read Fred's commentary about how much gas is still left after it hits the "red zone" which is, in fact, around 2 gallons. I have not checked the consumption rate as of yet. I m guessing a tad below 30, riding 2 up with the pooch bolted on the back,too.

How do you bolt your pooch? I am considering letting my 3.6lb runt Japanese Chin go for a spin. She's more adventurous then me and if I am ever to take long trips, she will either have to come or shipped in a box ahead of me.

[spyryder]

I was expecting this to be the case yesterday, but I have no idea what was done at the dealership before they handed it back to me.

I do know I started this morning with a fully charged battery after 6 hours last night. I drove for about an hour and will monitor the voltage drop from here on out.

My battery measured 12.88Vdc after my hour drive. I measured it an over hour later & it was 13.03Vdc. This makes sense as the battery has a load on it for about 45 minutes while the computer is making that high pitched sound while it plays with the throttle something-or-other. I forgot what scotty or someone said in the other thread.

So far so good!

Those sound like pretty good voltages. I'd try leaving the tender off and monitoring those voltages for a few days. If it stays above 12.6 you should be fine.

[RoadHammer]

I will pick up a voltmeter tomorrow. I finally picked up a good socket set to get in there and tighten everything, but since the dealership wants to pick it up and get this resolved I will give them the opportunity. I'm glad I got to my driveway when all these diagnostic lights went off, I might have freaked out on the highway if it happened at 70mph half way home on the interstate. I just wish my initial experience was more positive, I have little faith in the quality of this product. I am used to Toyota, Honda, & Lexus quality. This...well...not so much.

Pick up a pack of smokes, and get ready to wrench. Weclome to the world of the canam spyder.. (just kiddin).. Hope it works out for ya.

[JonGalt]

Your dealer's response to the situation is disappointing, to say the least. Techs that clear codes, then say everything "seems to be OK", give me a rash. There are certain diagnostic tests and other inspections that should have been performed, like checking the terminal tightness. I would be skeptical, too. The good news is that the battery is warrantied for six months, so if it fails you have time to address it later.

If you are doing a lot of running around in rpm ranges below 4K, your time on the charger could be perfectly normal. Plug it in and forget it. The Spyder does charge below 4K, but it does not charge hard. At 4,000 rpm the charging output is about half the full rated wattage. The output drops off even more below that. Depending on the number of starts, the length of your ride, the weather, and what accessories and lights you are running, the battery could be reasonably low after a ride. I do think leaving it off the charger will tell you if your problem remains, though. If the Spyder is being used every few days or better, you should not need the Battery Tender.

There are good reasons to use a permanent magnet alternator (magneto), instead of an AC alternator, on a Spyder. Perhaps the best of these is the fact that the magnetos tolerate heat better. The Spyder does not have an open engine compartment, or substantial air flow past the engine, to allow alternator cooling. I wouldn't second guess the engineers on this one. Just keep the revs up.

My battery measured 12.88Vdc after an hour drive coming off a fully tender charged battery today. I measured it an over hour later & it was 13.03Vdc. This makes sense as the battery has a load on it for about 45 minutes while the battery is keeping the throttle-thingy making that dog-whistle sound.

I misread the original poster. He said maximum charging isn't reached until 4000rpm.

Thanks for clarifying about the magneto vs alternator. My wannabe know-it-all friend kept razzing me about the Spyder having a magneto charging sytem and I didn't have an explanation. Now I can tell him to go himself.

We know who the real know-it-all is Thanks Scotty!

[JonGalt]

Those sound like pretty good voltages. I'd try leaving the tender off and monitoring those voltages for a few days. If it stays above 12.6 you should be fine.

So shall it be electronically conveyed....so shall it be done.

[JonGalt]

I felt my hand under the front nose of my Spyder and was pissed.

Another email to my dealership.

Bruce,


Do you know which one of the people who loaded or unloaded my Spyder scraped the hell out of the front end nose of my Spyder? When that dude came I warned him he was going to scrape the front end. He lurched backward a bit, & I guess maybe he did because he brought the wrong ramps. I’m pissed off to say the least. I know it wasn't me because I have driven this thing a total 1 hour since owning it and have not hit or run over anything at all. The fact the it’s the nose piece only makes it obvious it was caused from loaded or unloading on a angle. This is suppose to be a new vehicle, it’s a week old and the front end has plastic scraped off the front end nose and paint missing! This thing cost more than my 2010 Honda Accord, and I’ve had it a year and it has no scrapes, dings, paint missing, etc.

This along with the other issues makes me really start regret buying this thing. Please call me Tuesday.

Jonathan

[napper39]

tell them to order you a new front peace and there should be no proublem,most dealers will take car of there mistakes.hang in there.

[JonGalt]

tell them to order you a new front peace and there should be no proublem,most dealers will take car of there mistakes.hang in there.

Yeah, I suppose they will. I get this feeling that the people handling these things don't get that they are not 4-wheelers and they cost as much as a car. I so wanted to be the one to bottom out the front-end on a speedbump. They have taken all the fun out of it! /sarcasm!

Maybe I should wait until I screw up the front end myself before having them repair it?

I have taken it out for 2 hours and the voltages are steady So far...so good. I can't wait to see what the battery is holding at tomorrow morning.

[Roy Witzel]

Congradulations on your new . I have user battery tenders for years and they are used to keep your battery fully charged when not being routinely used. I have several of them and I love one made by BLACK & DECKER that can be adjusted from 1 volt to 2 volts. I tested a brand new 2011 SPYDER and it started fine on the dealers showroom floor, but when we took it outside, it wouldn't turn over. They had to charge the battery for awhile before we could drive it. I really think that your battery could still be fine, but if the dealer changes it , than when you get it home, put your battery charger on it overnight. The green light should come on pretty fast if the battery is fully charged.Enjoy your new ride!!

[draboo]

How do you bolt your pooch? I am considering letting my 3.6lb runt Japanese Chin go for a spin. She's more adventurous then me and if I am ever to take long trips, she will either have to come or shipped in a box ahead of me.

We had a rack made for our RT and purchased a T-Bag for the dog. We affectionatly call it the "Kiddohut". Kiddo loves riding with her head in the wind, does not matter what weather conditions. There are openings on both sides and one in the top/middle. All openings have screens. She is tethered inside with a strong strap to her harness. The bag runs around $130 or so.

[MouthPiece]

We had a rack made for our RT and purchased a T-Bag for the dog. We affectionatly call it the "Kiddohut". Kiddo loves riding with her head in the wind, does not matter what weather conditions. There are openings on both sides and one in the top/middle. All openings have screens. She is tethered inside with a strong strap to her harness. The bag runs around $130 or so.

Saw ya'll at Daytona this past bike week. I saw that set up and meant to get with ya and talk about how you did that. Interesting to say the least. Perhaps you'll be at Spyderfest? I won't be so timid if ya'll are.

Chris PE# 0004

[fishcraz]

I keep the Spyder RT on a battery tender 100% of the time, except for riding time. No matter how long or short we ride it usually takes 4 - 6 hours or more before it switches to maintain mode....but never an issue with the battery not being charged. I use a Battery Tender II, it may be slow, but my understanding is , is that is what you want...slow and easy.

Duane

[JonGalt]

Saw ya'll at Daytona this past bike week. I saw that set up and meant to get with ya and talk about how you did that. Interesting to say the least. Perhaps you'll be at Spyderfest? I won't be so timid if ya'll are.

Chris PE# 0004

Thanks

[JonGalt]

Well after a short 10 minute ride today the battery voltage has dropped from 12.98Vdc to 12.72Vdc

I'm starting to think either the battery is a dud or the spyder is not charging it properly.

It's looking like I have to go back to the dealer again!

I am getting less and less impressed with the service department at this point! How can they miss this? It's pretty basic isn't it?

[ataDude]

Well after a short 10 minute ride today the battery voltage has dropped from 12.98Vdc to 12.72Vdc

I'm starting to think either the battery is a dud or the spyder is not charging it properly.

It's looking like I have to go back to the dealer again!

I am getting less and less impressed with the service department at this point! How can they miss this? It's pretty basic isn't it?

Once this is all settled, it sounds like you may be comfortable with something like this:

[spyryder]

Check your voltage with the engine running. It should be over 13 volts minimum.

[JonGalt]

Once this is all settled, it sounds like you may be comfortable with something like this:

Me likey, where do I get one?

I have a handheld one like that. It would be nice to have one of these perm. mounted.

[Lamonster]

Me likey, where do I get one?

I have a handheld one like that. It would be nice to have one of these perm. mounted.

http://www.directlineparts.com/byPro...=Meter&str=290

[JonGalt]

Check your voltage with the engine running. It should be over 13 volts minimum.

I get 13.9-14Vdc with the engine running. When I turn it off I am back to 12.72Vdc. The day before I was at 12.98Vdc