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Buell Forum » 1125R Superbike Board » Stator/Voltage Regulator/Charging System subforum » Battery or stator? « Previous Next »

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Brokengq
Posted on Wednesday, April 09, 2014 - 03:22 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

I just got off my bike from an afternoon cruise. Stopped by a friends on the way back and talked for about 25 minutes. Jumped back on the bike and hit the starter. Loud click, no bang. U0001 code posted - comm error, and "system voltage" showed next. Hit the starter again and it fired. Rode the 3 miles home. Got home, put bike in diag mode. System voltage showed 11.9v. Fired it up and it showed 12.2v. I know the battery is a junk aftermarket, and it came with the bike when I bought it. Just curious, which is more likely, battery or stator? Couldn't tell you how old the battery is. I haven't had the bike very long, and like I said, it came with it. Its O'Reilly's super start brand.
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Froggy
Posted on Wednesday, April 09, 2014 - 05:01 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

There is no easy to know just from the information you provided which it could be, but given that your profile says you have an 08, you are not really likely to have a stator issue.

You should properly test both the battery and stator, but honestly I'd just replace that battery regardless for the piece of mind.

Test the stator by disconnecting it from the main harness, and measure the AC voltage across each of the 3 terminals. I don't recall what the specs are off hand, they are in your electrical diagnostic manual. If that test passes, it will rule out the stator as the cause of the issue.

Also, U0001 is just an error in communication between the ECM and gauge cluster, it usually happens by low voltage. If your battery is crapping out then it is possible the voltage is dropping too much when you try to start the bike.
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Brokengq
Posted on Wednesday, April 09, 2014 - 06:11 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Froggy, thanks for the response. That would make sense considering the code and the system voltage kicked on while the bike wasn't running. Also I would like to add that the bike still had a hard time starting when it finally did. Couple of slow turnovers before I actually got fire. Once it fired it ran fine, and started again fine when I got it home. Battery probably wouldn't hold up to a load test. Will check when I get home.
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Dannybuell
Posted on Wednesday, April 09, 2014 - 06:24 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

the fuel injection will keep fuel pressure up when the engine is turned off. 08's had an instrument cluster with a parasitic draw. Does your cluster show you what gear you are in? If not that too could be an issue.
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Brokengq
Posted on Wednesday, April 09, 2014 - 06:40 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

It does not show. Just mpg, at and ct. I don't believe it is a parasitic draw. If it was, the bike wouldn't start the next day. It has juice to start each time. Just the one occurance.
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Brumbear
Posted on Wednesday, April 09, 2014 - 08:22 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Check your grounds and connections first make sure it isn't loose and watch the volts when you crank it see if they drop below 11 on starter first peak.
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Brokengq
Posted on Wednesday, April 09, 2014 - 11:23 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Brumbear, I did what you said. Hooked voltmeter to battery and fired it up. Started up right away. Voltmeter dropped to ~9.8v. After bike started voltmeter jumped to 13.89v and stayed steady. Voltmeter on IC danced around 13.3-14.2v. The voltmeter on the battery and the voltmeter on the IC didn't agree, but weren't far off. Revved the bike a bit and the voltage stayed steady on both. It's late, so I didn't let it run long.

Short of directly testing the stator, which I can do (I'm lacking the manuals however) everything appears to be working. Strange because after riding the bike for a while the IC voltmeter read 12.2v.

Plan for tomorrow is to test the system off the battery while I let it warm up, then test it again after a short ride (I'll use the handheld and the IC voltmeters).

I put a load test on the battery using the handheld, and it tested fine, but I plan on using the large load tester at the shop tomorrow.

I'm open to other ideas to try over the weekend, but its looking like a bad battery or some random fluke.
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Dennis_c
Posted on Thursday, April 10, 2014 - 10:21 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

It also sounds like the sprag clutch check your drain plug for metal if it has don't start it fix it first. That gray goo is ok but no flakes. That is if the battery checks out ok.

(Message edited by dennis c on April 10, 2014)
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Brokengq
Posted on Thursday, April 10, 2014 - 10:48 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Dennis,
God I hope not. Bike is a week old to me. About 13k miles. Don't have the service manual, let alone a crank locking tool. I put the IC into diag before I started it a little while ago. Hit the starter and watched the voltage drop to 7.7v. It cranked up and I let it warm up. Pulled the clutch, dropped it in 1st and it knocked off instantly. Hit the starter again and it showed "system voltage" again and finally started.

Backing up to when I started the bike for the first time today the bike started slow, showing the "system voltage" error multiple times before it started. Once it started I rode the 10 miles to work. It was a short afternoon at work, so I was back on the bike ~4 hours later. Started and rode fine the whole time. Let it sit for 4 more hours. Then what I wrote above happened.

I would like to note that when I started it the last time tonight (when it posted 7.7 on the IC) that it still started fine.

I'm having a hard time relating it to anything mechanical. I haven't had any freewheels of the starter, or grinding sounds to make me think its a starter problem, but I'm changing the oil tomorrow, and I'll check it out.

With this update, what are you thinking?
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Dennis_c
Posted on Friday, April 11, 2014 - 01:13 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

That sounds a lot like what mine did sometimes would start ok next time like the battery was almost dead and a new battery did not help I also had low volts like you did. Do you know where the sprag clutch is you have to take the rotor off to get to it. I hope I am wrong.
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Brokengq
Posted on Friday, April 11, 2014 - 01:55 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

I hope you are too. HD wants $234 for one! $234 for a sprag! I have an idea where it is. Again I'm lacking the manuals. I hope someone will be nice enough to send me the pages for replacing one? Maybe? I was just about to buy the book, but between buying the bike last week, spending $60 on new gear to ride it, another $60 to change the oil, and make my bills, I'm not exactly the richest person in the world right now. I'm planning on buying the manual as soon as I can afford it. I know two local guys that might let me borrow the crank tool. Hoping.

Jeez. I've had the bike a week. 13k miles. You'd think that wouldn't be a problem yet.
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Brokengq
Posted on Friday, April 11, 2014 - 03:36 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Just talked to my inside man at HD. he is having a really hard time with it being a sprag. He's thinking dead battery. I can't get over 9.2v on cranking at all. He said anything less than 10.5 is a dead battery. He said the starter not turning over is a symptom of that too. He said to change the oil and check, but he is stuck on a battery for now. He also said to try jumping the bike off another battery and see if it starts better. Could also be parasitic draw. Regardless he said that if it was the sprag the replacement is fairly easy. Should take less than 5 hours on my first go at it. I went ahead and ordered the service manual, I know it will help.

I'll post back with updates. He also said the aftermarket batteries are known to cause issues like this. And according to him, the sprag is fairly easy to replace if I need to.
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Froggy
Posted on Friday, April 11, 2014 - 03:54 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Yea I also really doubt it is the sprag, it likely is the battery on its last legs.
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Brokengq
Posted on Friday, April 11, 2014 - 04:37 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Will find out tonight.
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Brokengq
Posted on Friday, April 11, 2014 - 11:27 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

Cross post from my engine flush thread.


Just got the oil out. Mostly goo on the magnetic plug. Lot of goo drained out. Small shiny flakes in the oil, but nothing bigger than a pinhole. One flake on the magnetic plug about the same size. Cut open the filter, ~10 flakes of that size, nothing else. Ran a magnet over the flakes found in the filter, 3 or 4 stuck to it. This all looks rather normal to me, but opinions are nice. I know there is no such thing as a wear-less engine. But god it would be nice.
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Dennis_c
Posted on Friday, April 11, 2014 - 11:59 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only) Ban Poster IP (Custodian/Admin only)

I found a lot of bigger flakes mine. We hope its the battery.
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