| Author | Message | ||
     Tempest766 |
This is a bumped continuation of the "engine seized over winter" thread <http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/709676.html?1365822270>. So the good news is that my 08-xt will start (when I parallel my tacoma truck battery with the new yuasa ytx14h battery). I used jumper cables and the bike started right up (after a couple sputters) after sitting all winter in an unheated garage. I let it run for about 15 minutes and disconnected the truck battery. The voltage on the bike battery read 14.26v while the bike was running so it appear the generator is charging the bike battery properly. After the bike ran for about 20 minutes I took a ride around the neighborhood. While riding, the instrument panel went dark and the "check engine" light came on. The engine ran but I had no tach or speedometer. I returned the bike to the garage and shut it off. I tried to restart the bike but NO JOY. The starter switch just causes the solenoid to click once (loudly) when pressed. I then pulled the cover from the fuse block and wiggled the relays: no effect. I then hooked back up the jumpers and restarted the bike using the pickup battery in parallel: started right up and the instrument panel came back on. I rode around the neighborhood again and the instrument panel went dark again while riding but came back on by itself and then stayed on during my subsequent 10 mile test ride on country roads. I returned the bike to the garage and shut it off...Again, NO JOY. The bike battery will not (by itself) start the bike...and the intermittent loss of the instrument panel has me concerned. The bike battery should be good. It is a fresh purchase and I charged it on a 1.5 amp tender over and above whatever they did at the shop before I brought it home. nominal voltage on it is about 12.9v two hours after removing from the tender. At least I can jump it and ride it to the shop now but I hate dealing with the only Buell service shop within two hour-ish ride: ridiculous pricing and long waits for service. Thoughts? | ||
| Crusty |
Have you checked and cleaned all your grounds? | ||
| Arry |
Possibly a defective battery or, as someone else suggested, cable connections that are not making good contact. The battery post bolts might bottom out and seem tight, but not be clamping down tightly on the battery cable (one or both cables might move by hand even though the bolt seems tight). The battery could be "load tested" at any motor cycle shop (or maybe a auto parts store) to make sure it wasn't bad, even though it's new. | ||
| Tempest766 |
The batter is good and the visible grounds are solid...NO! the post screws are not bottoming out. | ||
| Ratbuell |
If your gauges are dying during a ride, I'd check your wire loom at the steering head. If you're getting dead gauges and a "click" from the start button (which, coincidentally, is located on the handlebars)...you might have the broken-ground-in-the-wire-loom problem. Take note if the gauges die during a left turn...or a right turn...that can help you narrow down the process. | ||
| Tempest766 |
The click is from the starter solenoid, not the starter switch itself. I'm not familiar with the "broken-ground-in-the-wire-loom" problem. Gauges died twice during test rides yesterday. Check engine light would come on when it happened and stay on until the gauges came back. | ||
| Ratbuell |
And the click from the solenoid could be the result of poor signal to the solenoid. That signal has to go through the wire loom at the steering head. If you do a search, you should be able to turn up information on the wire loom. | ||
| Tempest766 |
@ratbuell -- thx! I'll take the windshield cover off tomorrow and verify continuity of the circuits. I have the blue service manual containing the wiring diagrams. | ||
| Uly_man |
Clicking of the starter is under volts from the battery. A common issue once the battery starts to go flat. The ECM will detect a system volt problem if it goes below 11.1v so that may be why the CEL comes on. Or its not charging all the time ie a wire break reg/charge fault. Check the fault codes in the ECM history. If the dash/clocks cuts out thats a Earth wire break in the head loom joint and not hard to fix. Which of these do you have?  This type is the wrong type.  This is the right type (FA) and what Yuasa state for the bike. "The battery could be "load tested". This is NOT how a modern battery is tested. They now use an electronic device that is suited to the design of these units. (Message edited by Uly_man on April 15, 2013) | ||
| Etennuly |
A simple load test for the starter and battery is to put a meter across the battery posts, engage the starter. The fully charged battery voltage should not spike drop below 9.6 to 9.2 volts or so. On these cable connections, if you can force them to turn with the full force of your fingers, they are not tight enough. This can cause your dead bike syndrome. There was also a problem with the screws for the batteries terminals bottoming out just as they tightened up. A star washer on each should fix both problems. | ||
| Tempest766 |
problem fixed. the replacement battery was bad. voltage dropped to 6.5v when hitting the starter button and saw similar results when load testing. bought a different replacement and it turns right over. | ||
| Nobuell |
Glad you are up and running | ||
| Reepicheep |
Interesting. I replaced my Uly battery with an HD unit last fall, and it does close to the same thing. I wonder if they had a bad batch. | ||
| Tempest766 |
I think batteries are like most mass produced crap: poor quality control and high failure rates. In any case I'm now running a 220cca Mega Power ETX14 AGM battery and it's got plenty of juice. The YTX14H-BS I tried previously pulled down to about 6.5V when loaded trying to start the bike. I also checked the harness and battery ground when changing the battery. No corrosion, but the harness ground ring wasn't tight under the screw. I was able to move it back and forth. That's also been fixed. | ||
| Froggy |
Part of the issue is that there is no way to know really how old the battery is. Yea it was new to you only a few months ago, but it could of sat forgotten about in a box in a warehouse in Texas for who knows how long. | ||
| Uly_man |
"The YTX14H-BS I tried previously". That one is the wrong type, see the Yuasa specs, for this bike. Its a "wet" cell battery. If you could hear the electrolyte sloshing about inside it will have exposed the plates while lying on its side in the bike and cut the output of the battery. AGMs are gel filled and the only type to be used on the Uly. 220cca is good and 10% more than std. I found that, on the HD AGM battery, that even though my electronic charger said, and works right, it was charged it need to be left on for about 10 hours more. I tested this a number of times over the same runs and the same charges and it always did the same thing. No idea why but it seems to work. Always use a bike specific electronic charger of 1 amp or less. Old style car types will damage the battery in the end because of there high, 5 amps plus, charge rate. With an electronic charger you should find it will, at the start, charge at max amp and low volts and the as it charges the amp go down and the volts go up to max. Max volts is the "trickle" charge stage and what you get on a tender. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
"the harness ground ring wasn't tight under the screw. I was able to move it back and forth." My 2008 was like that too. Screws were too long and bottomed out. I trimmed off 1/8" to fix mine. My 2008 has never cranked over with the enthusiasm that my X1 or even ironhead would. I DOES start but barely cranks over. I must have .75 ohm somewhere along the circuit. Haven't found it yet even after 40,000 or so miles. | ||
| Orangeulius |
I just went through this with my 08.The primary problem was the battery ground on the left inside frame was loose. First time around I just tightened it then the problems started again. I took it apart and steel wooled the connections and think this nailed it down. Since the battery got abused I bought a replacement 220 CCA at batteries plus. Starts strong now. Also noticed my Odie heat blanket was causing pressure between the seat and ECM. I removed the heat blanket for now. So far, so good. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I guess I'll take off the grounds next and sand the surfaces. I had verified that mine were tight even the one under the airbox. The old sportster and also my X1 had a ground strap going directly to the engine case from the battery. |
