Battery acid on my engine - (bad, DNA, bad)

[Finger]

Don't I feel stupid. I have had these black marks in a spatter formation on my frame for as long as I've had the bike. I have been trying to get it off with all kinds of chemicals. From those pictures I see that those marks are from battery acid. DAG!

[limey_pilot]

Battery info: Sealed and located just above the rear cylinder laying on it's side. I can't be bothered to go check the # but it is similar to the 'old' style that was posted on page 6 of this thread. Maybe tomrrow I will get the # for you.

Finger, don't feel stupid, I thought my marks were just oil from the road until I looked under the tank.

I'm guessing the bike will be down for a while, s'pose I had better get up to scratch with planes until it's done

I have had 2 batteries explode on my 600

[eman13]

If anyone is keeping count, I will add my bike to the list. Last year, on the FDR in NYC, I felt my back end slipping around. After a while of this, I looked down and there was gas all over my boot. It took me a while to get off the highway since there is no shoulder, and upon inspection, it seems the battery leaked and damaged the fuel line. Under warranty, my dealer replaced the battery but I am still waiting for the covers that got juiced. Luckily it was all cosmetic, but still.
On another note, DNA is a PITA. I was off the road 6 months while they tried to find me a replacement suspension rod. I was calling them everyday and no action. Infuriating! When I brought up the words "lemon law," (there were 3 other scary incidents of mechanical/electrical failure that presented thmeselves while I was on the road) I was told that we weren't there yet and "we can give you a 6 mo. extenstion on your warranty." I'm still waiting for that envelope to arrive. And in the meantime, 6 mo. have gone by.

I was very dissatisfied with DNA and had I known the disrespect they show their customers, I would never have bought one of their bikes.

But they do look good, don't they.

I'll keep checking the boards to see if that Odyssey thing pans out. Thanks for all the hard work guys. We do have someone on our side - OUR SIDE!! If only that support came from the manufacturer...

-e

[infoage1]

I received an email response from FIAMM in Italy.

To summarize, the gentleman said that from a first study FIAMM has done, the batteries in the Ducati S4 are leaking because they are mounted on their side, too close to the engine.

Furthermore, they think, if their "theory is correct", any brand battery would also have the same problem (leaking) in the S4 mounted as it is, where it is.

He speculates that since Ducati has not been in contact with FIAMM about this problem, it sounds to him as though Ducati must be aware of this as a design (Ducati) problem.

To add a little intrigue to this, on Saturday I asked the mechanic that is handling the repairs on my bike about the latest S4 battery news from his Ducati tech rep. He told me that Ducati admits to a problem with some early batteries, that the design has since been changed, so no more problems.

End of story.

Says DNA.

Funny thing:

I looked at the battery on my friend's brand new S4R...guess what?

It is a GS battery that looks to be identical to the so called "Old Battery Design" that we are all having problems with.

While I think it is pretty obvious FIAMM is doing their best to distance themselves from this issue (and its related liabilities), I'm more inclined to agree with them; I do think this is a Ducati design problem. I don't think Ducati ever asked FIAMM about installing the FIAMM in the S4 (and now most Monsters) configuration. That's not to say I agree that any and all brand batteries would leak. Just that the battery Ducati chose to mount on its side, on top of the engine, under the gas tank, was a mistake.

The fact that Ducati appears to be outright lying, only reinforces my conviction that they refuse to own up to their mistake and intend to continue to act less than honorably in respect to finding an acceptable solution.

http://www.fiamm.com/en/5/index.php

Chances are that Ducati issued a bid spec for procurement of a battery but may have neglected to note to the bidders that it would be mounted in the fashion it is and merely spec'd a "sealed" battery.

Since you don't know what claims or warranties FIAMM made regarding its product or if indeed they were aware of Ducati's specific application and installation for the battery, it is really a dog fight between Ducati and FIAMM.

You don't have a dog in THAT fight....yours is with Ducati and they, in turn, can sort it our with their supplier and seek redress if there was a misrepresentation of product capability.

Good stuff to know, but at the end of the day it is Ducati that chose that supplier and it is Ducati that must address its clients' problems with its finished product. They may have been too "cost conscious" to pay the premium for development costs for a special battery config

[ciscoguy]

Add me to the list of bad batteries. These batteries don't leak, they SPIT. My 2000 Monster 900 has the cover that goes under the tank, and over the battery. The only way it could have done the damage it did, was to spit the acid up on the cover, and off the bottom to do the heads, and around the sides to get the frame.

I have the GS-12-B4 also. Do we have a current count as to how many have leaked, exploded, etc. Is this battery going to explode if I continue to use it.

Mine is installed upright, so I think the fact that the S4 owners is sideways, makes no real difference, maybe more heat to compound the problem.

Could we post that information, plus any information about litigation we may be thinking about.

I am going to call GS Batteries this morning to see if I can get some information from them about this battery.

for what it's worth i really think everyone that's had a leaky battery should begin to file a complaint with the nhtsa. i also believe that if you've had a leaky gas tank you should also file a complaint. especially considering the relatively large number of instances that have occurred across the board on ducati monsters. i'm pretty much fed up with the lack of response from DNA, since they don't feel it's appropriate to work with their customers then I feel it's only appropriate that they should have to justify themselves to federal agency instead.

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm

above are the home page for the nhtsa and a link to their online complaint filing page plus mail and phone contact information. shouldn't take more than a few minutes of your time.

battery acid and the resultant damage to electrical harnesses and fuel lines is a definite safety concern. even when not traveling at highway speeds any sudden loss of power or traction can be very hazardous to a rider especially in a high traffic area. there's also the issue of potentially of causing other incidents as a result of the discharged acid being on the road surface. not to mention the obvious hazards of human contact with a corrosive substance.

the following is what i placed in the descriptive body of my complaint:
Battery acid leaked on to motorcycle engine; damaging ignition wiring, damaging painted surfaces, and experiencing a sudden loss of power while in a heavy traffic situation. The vehicle is a 2001 Ducati MS4. I'm also a member of a online owners group and have read of numerous complaints about this failure that is common to the Ducati Monster model. My motorcycle has been in warranty repair since April 8, 2003 waiting on parts. The battery is orientated on its side and is located directly above vertical cylinder valve head where it is exposed to heat with very little cooling. This is the second battery I've had replaced. Prior battery replacement was 5/15/2002. Also want to note that I had a leaky gas tank replaced under warranty between 3/27/2002 and 5/18/2002. The tank leaked from a poor weld where the tank hinge plate is attached to the gas tank underside, which happens to be positioned directly above rear exhaust header pipe. This also is a frequent replacement item for Ducati Monsters and 900supersports produced after 1998 with leaks specifically from that particular area. I've tried to contact the manufacturer and importer on many occasions to address these items with no substantive reply. Leaking battery acid is an obvious corrosive hazard to the rider and machine. Leaking gas tanks that expose fuel to extremely hot surfaces are also a hazard to a rider. Any liquid discharge from a motor vehicle can be a hazard to other motorist. I'm concerned that these frequent failures could pose a harmful situation to a rider other than an obvious inconvenience.

on another separate topic, my letter of complaint to the florida division of consumer affairs over the atrocious repair history of my S4 has been forwarded by that division to the state attorney general's office for further investigation. seems they beat me to the punch, very nice to see the cogs beginning to turn. i'll still be forwarding copies of my repair history and past correspondence to them to aid in their investigation.

sorry DNA but you had your chance... for over a year. i'm not playing around anymore.

maybe i should sell my stock now...

[Skier]

Anybody with this problem with 2002 - 2003 models ?