Battery wont charge with engine running - 1990 Yamaha XV 535 Virago DX

Alternator charging unit not working properly is the most likely, but could also be a safety switch or believe it or not the ignition switch. The ignition switch if bad can draw small amounts of current when not running and cause battery to drain just enough to start but not enough to engage the pto

If the RED light with a battery symbol is lit on the dash while the engine is running, your alternator is bad.

battery is being drained as it operates and not taking charge

check tightness and clean both terminals and cables

how old is the battery
may have a dead cell ..wont take charge

check the charging input to the battery with a volt meter
has to be above 12 volts
if lower or equal to 12 volts ...no good
the charging stator inside the engine needs testing or repair or replace

stator is another word for an alternator or a generator


why it plays up
best guess the ATV if a 12 volts system wont run on 11 volts

Either the battery is a dud, (cant retain a charge) or the alternator is not charging possibly due to a wire not connecting or wires incorrectly connected or both. Check voltage at the alternator (large terminal) without motor running, should be around 12 to 13 volts

I think you mean a 69 CB350. It sounds like you have a bad battery since the battery charger won't charge it.

On this bike there is an alternator and rectifier that combine to charge the battery whenever the engine runs. If the battery won't hold a charge, the charging system wont work.

Replace the battery.

The battery is really just for providing power when the vehicle isn't running, and providing power needed for the starter to start the engine. The rest of the time the alternator is charging the battery and providing the power for the vehicle. You may have a short somewhere that is draining the battery when the vehicle is sitting and not running. If the vehicle does not run long after charging the battery, then there's a problem with the alternator. You can actually run the car without the battery, provided the engine is running and the alternator is working properly.

mice like to eat the wires under the engine cover check there next

the alternator is definately bad, if it ran your battery dead like that, and of course as you can tell your battery is trash and needs replaced.. not sure what to tell you on how it runs, considering once it warms up it runs good.

either change the battery or the alternator,,just either of those,,,if your battery is no good it wont hold charge when started,,,also if your alternator is no good it wont charge your battery when engine is running,,,(it can also drain your battery if faulty)..get a second hand alternator in a breakers yard maybe a batt too much cheaper,,,hope i helped you,,

you may find you have a bad earth somewhere, so i would check the earths. if you have a bad earth at wont matter how long you leave it running the charge will just dissipate, then i would check the alternator again if its not working it wont matter how long you leave your engine running it will not charge the battery.