[DuginMT]

I like my 2014 UForce 800, currently having new tires put on at 2,600 miles.  For the past two years though, I have had a problem with the battery draining when it is shut off.  When the problem started, the battery would last a couple of weeks, but now lasts only one day without charging.  The battery is a fairly new MotoBatt and checks out OK.  When running at idle, voltage across the battery reads 14.5 volts, so it appears the charging system is working.  My mechanic says there is a strong draw on the battery when the unit is shut off.  I called CF Moto and they said they would only give advice to a dealer, and my mechanic is not one of their designated dealers.  I called my local dealer, and they said to check and make sure the winch does not work with the key off, and then basically said bring it in and they can try to trace out where the current is going.  They were not aware of this being a common problem on the CF Motos.  I will check the winch.  Anybody else have this problem or solved it and how?

[impact]

I have a 2016 and the winch is always live key or no key.

The way to trouble shoot this is to put an ammeter is series with the main cable coming off the battery.
Look at the reading and start pulling fuses one by one until the meter reads a minimal draw and that will tell you which circuit is the culprit. I'm surprised your mechanic did not continue troubleshooting knowing there is a "strong draw"

[NMKawierider]

I have a 2016 and the winch is always live key or no key.

The way to trouble shoot this is to put an ammeter is series with the main cable coming off the battery.
Look at the reading and start pulling fuses one by one until the meter reads a minimal draw and that will tell you which circuit is the culprit. I'm surprised your mechanic did not continue troubleshooting knowing there is a "strong draw"

Nothing surprises me anymore these days...and if after you go through all the fuses and the draw is still there, pull power to the winch controller. They sometimes get moisture inside and partly short across the internal posts. Or you could pull the cables on the winch and see if it goes away.

[ctdls]

Why wouldn't your mechanic just troubleshoot & figure it out? A large draw that kills the battery that quickly is easy to find. 

[DuginMT]

Thanks for the advice all.  My mechanic did offer to start "pulling fuses and see where the draw was going", but I decided to just have him finish the other things (tires, brake pads, full service) while I researched this issue to see if there was a common problem that I could fix myself.  It appears this is not a common problem, with a common solution.  I do have a multi-meter and plan to check some things myself when I get it back home.  Twice now, people have mentioned the winch, so I will definitely be checking that out.  I can connect the battery to a trickle-charger after every use, but that is a hassle, and if I go camping or hunting for more than a day, I will need to rely on a jump-starter.  My Plan B is to drop it off at my local CF Moto dealer and see what they can do.  On a positive note, the Goldfren brand rear brake pads I found on eBay and sold by DGElectrical for about $30 for both sides were a perfect fit!  They were listed as fitting the 2013 model, but matched my 2014 Uforce as well.  The old (original) rear brake pads were severely worn on kind of a slant (not uniformly worn).  Will see if the new brake pads wear any better.  Have a great weekend!

[DuginMT]

Got my UForce home, measured battery draw of only 10 ma, which from what I've gathered, is normal.  So I have a new battery on order, and installed a Quicktender charging port.  I think I may have damaged the Motobatt AGM battery by using the wrong chargers, it only lasted about a year.  So now I will put a Quicktender on the new battery about every week or two.  Thanks all!

[NMKawierider]

I just use a Tender Jr and leave it plugged in all the time. Once charged they shut off so.. no issues of over charging. And it depletes as it charges down to like 1/4 amp. Once the voltage falls below a given point its on again until fully charged. Battery is the original.. made in late 2014. Still going solid. Got one on my truck too.

[DuginMT]

Thanks NMK, mine's a Tender Jr. also.  I'll be on my third battery in my 2014.  One thing I learned was don't use a high amp charger on your AGM battery.  I've also used a quick-start power pack on it, which might have hurt it also.  The Tenders seem to be great.  I may keep it plugged in more often than not!

[DuginMT]

Waiting for my new battery to arrive.  Have had the Motobatt on trickle charger, hoping to use the UForce tonight for Halloween fun.  The battery couldn't even start the UForce today, just after unplugging the charger.  So, now I have my lawn tractor battery temporarily installed, and it started right up at 80 percent charge!  I'm now charging it to full.  It does not sit level in the tray, but it works and will get me by tonight.  Wish the tray would accept these wider batteries, and then we could save money on batteries, for sure, $25 vs $100+.