RTV900 Battery keeps going dead between uses.

[MuGGzy]

RTV900 Diesel 4WD model, unsure of year, assume late 90s or early 2000's.

Battery keeps going dead, if I charge it up it will start, sometimes the little battery icon will come on on the dash but not always. When I turn it off and make sure nothing is left on, the next time I go to start it the battery is dead again.
New battery bought like 6 months ago.

I'm guessing maybe vermin chewed through something and I have a short somewhere. Not sure how to track that down.

Would a bad alternator cause something like this?

Ideas?

 

[GreensvilleJay]

some ideas...
1) could be bad battery. remove,charge on bench, leave overnight, check voltage with 1157 load...should be >12.6

2)alternator could have bad 'sense' diodes or regulator. disconnect alt, charge battery, run,turn off, wait a day, see if t starts or 'dead battery' again.

3) check wiring, you'll need proper schematic. Put ammeter in series with battery. with key off, should read ZERO amps.ANY reading indicates a 'load' and it'll drain battery.

 

[200mph]

If uncertain how to do basic electrical diagnostics, recommend finding someone who knows how to do so or take it to a professional. Swapping out parts can get expensive and lead to frustration.

 

[eserv]

RTV900 Diesel 4WD model, unsure of year, assume late 90s or early 2000's.

Battery keeps going dead, if I charge it up it will start, sometimes the little battery icon will come on on the dash but not always. When I turn it off and make sure nothing is left on, the next time I go to start it the battery is dead again.
New battery bought like 6 months ago.

I'm guessing maybe vermin chewed through something and I have a short somewhere. Not sure how to track that down.

Would a bad alternator cause something like this?

Ideas?

A common reason for a RTV 900 to not charge is a blown 15a fuse in the fuse box over the engine. A common reason for that fuse to blow is damaged tail lights. The brake lights run off that fuse so if the wires or tail lights themselves are damaged it shorts out when you press the brake pedal blowing the fuse. This fuse being blown also causes the electric radiator fan to not operate and the accessory work lights and accessory terminal to not work.

 

[mike paulson]

Let's keep it simple. Charge your battery, then start the RTV. Take any cheapo voltmeter and measure across the battery terminal's. You should see a minimum of 13.5 Volt but 14 of more is better. That shows it not your alternator and you have a battery that's bad. Yes this can happen at 6 months of 6 yrs.
Ok if you measure 12.5 volts at the battery terminal's with the motor running then you have a bad alternator. Of that fuse a previous poster mentioned. Just for shits and grins check all of your fuses from the get go. You can pull them and look at them visually..