| Author | Message | ||
     Mcballpeen |
I have a bit of a problem with my Buell. I rode it to work yesterday and when I came out it was quite foggy. I put the key in the ignition and turned it. The headlights came on, the speedometer and everything came on as normal. I hit the starter button and everything goes dead. The only thing that is on is the tail light and both turn signals (solid color, not flashing). Thinking it's the battery, I tried to jump start it. No dice. I get a ride home, get the truck, get the bike loaded and take it home. Thinking it's the fuses, I pull each one and look them over. Nothing wrong there. I turn the key again and this time the lights come on, the speedometer reads and everything is normal UNTIL I HIT THE STARTER! Then it goes dead again. Relays? I honestly don't know. With the key off, the LED turn signals flash very faintly, if this helps. I'm pretty sure it isn't the battery. I keep a tender on it at all times and NORMALLY the bike starts right up with no hesitation. Besides, I replaced it last year. (Message edited by MCBallpeen on May 31, 2013) (Message edited by MCBallpeen on May 31, 2013) | ||
| Ferriss |
Did you clean the Terminals & the Battery Posts? doesn’t take a lot of corrosion to replicate your no-start condition. Sometimes I use a brass wire brush or very fine wet/dry sandpaper or crocus cloth. | ||
| Nuts4mc |
Check your grounds....follow the batt's ground cable under the tail section to the ground stud ( by the swing arm pivot) chk to make sure it's tight....I added another ground on my bike to help when the heat's on out here....see this link - scroll down for pix. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/290 431/674577.html?1336678989 hope this helps | ||
| Hughlysses |
Yep, check connections and grounds. If all are OK, put a voltmeter across the battery; it should read ~13-14V if it's fully charged. While keeping the voltmeter across the terminals, hit the starter- if the battery voltage drops really low (like 0-2V), your battery is very likely bad. If the voltage doesn't drop, keep checking leads and grounds. I basically had the same thing happen with a ~1 year old battery in my Uly on Wednesday, only mine died at speed on the interstate. NOT fun. | ||
| Mcballpeen |
I got the bike home and hooked her up to the trickle charger. After about 5 minutes the damn thing did the same thing, BUT the headlights came back on right after. I hit the starter again and the bike cranked over. The thing I think happened, was the fact that I live only a mile and a half from work. This is the third time I rode the bike to work this week. It had been sitting before that, but NOT hooked up to the trickle charger. What I really need to do is either hook it up to the charger at home or ride it a little more often and for longer periods of time. That being said, I will check the grounds. The battery terminals are perfect. When I installed the battery, I made an effort to coat the terminals with petrolium jelly. They are spotless underneath the PJ. | ||
| Hughlysses |
It's a good idea to file or sand the paint off of any ground connections to the subframe and don't use Locktite on the attaching bolt threads as the Locktite can insulate them. Use a "star" type lockwasher under the head which will "bite" into the metal insuring a good electrical connection. The star lockwashers aren't a bad idea on the battery connections either. | ||
| Mcballpeen |
O.K. I've resolved that it is a bad ground. HOW THE HE!! DO I TIGHTEN THE NUT!!!!!??? a 1/4" 10MM socket doesn't seem to want to fit. Is there any way shy of taking off the swingarm to do this? Seriously I'm at my wits end with this bike. Who the hell decides to put a ground in that can't be reached with conventional tools? |
