Battery Bug - Motorcycle Battery Monitor

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Can the BB-SBM be connected to jump posts rather than directly to the battery?

Yes the BB-SBM may be attached to terminals remote from the battery.  In some vehicles, the battery is inconveniently located, and jump start terminals (remote connections to the battery) are provided under the hood.  The BB-SBM may be connected to these remote terminals without significantly affecting BB-SBM test results. 

If the Battery Bug stays on all the time will it drain the battery? Does it time out to save energy?

The Battery Bug consumes very little power - about 5mA for the BB-DCM series and about 3mA for the BB-SBM series.  This is similar to that of the digital clock in a car, and is about the same rate that a car battery loses charge just sitting on a shelf.  It would take over 5 months with no charging for a Battery Bug to substantially discharge a typical car battery.

Does the Battery Bug log data so I can see the battery performance trend over time?

An inherent feature of the BB-SBM is that it tracks performance over time and stores the worst performance and displays that performance as the indication of overall battery health.  It also always shows the results of the most recent start.  However all other datapoints are not stored in memory.  The BB-SBM does not have a data interface for logging data to a storage device.

Can the Battery Bug be programmed for the unique battery/starter combination of each vehicle?

The Battery Bug SBM is programmed to assess actual cranking  performance of a battery as it starts an engine.  The method the BB uses to assess cranking performance is nearly universal for all battery - engine combinations.    

While the BB is optimized for typical automotive and powersports
applications, for the purposes of cranking performance, the software in the BB will also apply to marine and heavy duty / off road applications.  The difference in terms of battery / starter configuration for these applications is that the battery is typically 'over sized' for the cranking requirement because the battery must provide capacity to support other needs.  The BB-SBM will correctly evaluate the battery's cranking performance, but it will not evaluate the health of the battery in terms of the other needs it must perform.  For marine and off-road / heavy duty applications we recommend our Battery Bug Deep Cycle Monitor Series.

 There may also be some specialty applications where a vehicle designer, for example trying to save weight in a high performance vehicle, may intentionally use a small battery and a small starter motor compared to engine displacement.  In this example, the BB will indicate a relatively low cranking health even for a new battery.  The indication of the BB is still nominally correct, and the informed user will understand that their battery will not last long in this application.

 

How does the Battery Bug differentiate between a failed battery and a failing starter motor?

Most of the time, starter motors fail in ways that are not detectable by the software of the Battery Bug.  The operational impact of a failing starter motor on the battery appears differently to the software of the Battery Bug than the picture of a failing battery.  This doesn't rule out the possibility that they could be confused, but its not likely in our testing and experience.

Can the BB-SBM12 be 'reset' to erase the history of cranking health?

Yes.  To reset the BB-SBM12, simply disconnect one of the BB wires from the battery and the memory will be erased.  After a replace battery alarm / indication is shown by the Battery Bug, it is a good idea to reset the Battery Bug.  At the next engine start, if the replace battery indication is repeated, you can be confident that a battery replacement is justified.

Does the BB-SBM12 compensate for extreme temperatures?

Extreme cold temperatures adversely affect the cranking performance of a battery and the BB-SBM12 will measure and display the resulting degraded performance. However, the BB-SBM12 includes a temperature probe inside the sensor body.  If the temperature is extremely cold, a thermometer icon will be displayed so the operator will understand that a poor cranking health result may be the result of a very cold battery rather than low battery life.

Can the BB-SBM12 tell the difference between the starting performance of a discharged battery and that of a battery nearly at end of life?

Yes, the BB-SBM12 continuously measures voltage of the battery at rest.  If the voltage indicates a low charge level prior to an attempted engine start, the BB-SBM12 will not adjust the cranking health based on that start .  Only when the battery is nearly fully charged prior to an attempted start will the cranking health be adjusted.

How loud is the audible alarm? Can I hear it from inside the vehicle?

Loud enough.  If there is an alarm condition, the Battery Bug will not activate the alarm until the vehicle is turned off.  After the engine stops, the alarm will activate, and is quite noticeable unless you are in a very noisy environment.

Can a single BB-SBM12 be attached to two batteries installed in parallel?

Yes, the preferred installation on more than one battery in parallel is to attach diagonally across the pack.  The black wire should attach to the negative at one end of the pack and the red wire should attach to the positive at the other end of the pack.

Can the BB-SBM12 be used on boat batteries?

The software of the BB-SBM12 is optimized for the battery size / engine size ratio that is common in automotive applications.  Boats are often designed with very large batteries (often deep cycle batteries) compared to the engine they are starting.   For most marine applications we recommend our Battery Bug Deep Cycle Monitor (BB-DCM <link>.) 

Can the BB-SBM12 display be mounted in the cabin of the car?

The BB-SBM12 is designed to be installed directly to the battery and includes attachment wires that can be stretched (like the cord on a phone handset) to extend the sensor body and display about 18 inches from the battery terminals.

If the BB-SBM12 is installed near the battery, how will I know what the battery condition is when I am in the car?

Most people have more important things to do than look at battery data.  The BB-SBM12 has audible alarms to indicate any situations that need your attention.  So, install it, and forget about it.  When you hear it beeping - then take a look to discover the problem.      

Can the BB-SBM12 be installed on a second battery or does it get replaced when the battery dies?

The BB-SBM12 can be removed from the old battery and installed on the replacement.  Buy just one and use it for the life of the vehicle.

Can the BB-SBM12 be installed on any battery?

The BB-SBM12 may be installed on any size 12V battery used primarily for starting an engine.  This includes wet, maintenance free, gel, AGM, and Optima batteries.  For 12V batteries used for applications other than engine starting, you should use a deep cycle battery monitor.