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« on: December 13, 2011, 06:12:51 AM » |
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My 17 month old battery died on Saturday.
I got home and trickled charged it back to life. Volt meter reas 13.2 until I press starter then drops to 10.8.
When I press the starter switch the positive terminal glows !!!!!
Battery FUBAR or a another electrical gremlin???
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salty1
Member
Posts: 2359
"Flyka"
Spokane, WA or Tucson, AZ
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« Reply #1 on: December 13, 2011, 06:41:40 AM » |
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Obviously you have a short circuit. Better continue with the ohm meter checking the situation out. Starter relay would be a good place to begin. Sorry!  |
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My rides: 1998 GL1500C, 2000 GL 1500CF,2006 GL 1800 3A   |
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Michvalk
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« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2011, 06:46:08 AM » |
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First thought is the battery has a short inside. Does the voltage come back up after starting? Was the battery dead after running? I would change the battery just on principal. If your voltage is correct after starting the bike, probably the alt. is OK. I wouldn't run the bike any more than necessary with that battery in there. Place to start, anyway  |
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Ricky-D
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« Reply #3 on: December 13, 2011, 06:54:55 AM » |
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I don't understand how a battery terminal could glow.
Being lead, it certainly would melt first.
The terminal connection should be suspected to have a poor connection, regardless.
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2000_Valkyrie_Interstate
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« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2011, 08:49:42 AM » |
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First thought is the battery has a short inside. Does the voltage come back up after starting? Was the battery dead after running? I would change the battery just on principal. If your voltage is correct after starting the bike, probably the alt. is OK. I wouldn't run the bike any more than necessary with that battery in there. Place to start, anyway Once I got home after about 40 miles the battery was strong enough to power headlight weakly but not to turn the engine over. I didn't have time to look at the volt meter when I saw the positive terminal light up  |
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Michvalk
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« Reply #5 on: December 13, 2011, 01:16:31 PM » |
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There is a short somewhere. If the terminal on the battery got hot enough to glow or spark, there may be a short in the bike wiring somewhere. But, I would think that a short in the electrical system that would cause that kind of reaction at the battery, would burn the wires and other stuff too. I think the problem is where the wire hooks to the battery. If the terminal wire is in good shape, the next culprit would be the battery post. I'll bet the post in the battery is arcing. Off road batteries take a pretty good pounding. |
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Thunderbolt
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« Reply #6 on: December 13, 2011, 03:45:48 PM » |
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that was glowing.!!!! It is loose and not making a good connection. Take the connector off of the terminal and clean it up and put some battery terminal grease on it and reconnect it and tighten securely.
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Warlock
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« Reply #7 on: December 13, 2011, 08:02:40 PM » |
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First thought is the battery has a short inside. Does the voltage come back up after starting? Was the battery dead after running? I would change the battery just on principal. If your voltage is correct after starting the bike, probably the alt. is OK. I wouldn't run the bike any more than necessary with that battery in there. Place to start, anyway Once I got home after about 40 miles the battery was strong enough to power headlight weakly but not to turn the engine over. I didn't have time to look at the volt meter when I saw the positive terminal light up They will light up or glow as he said. I have a en print on my thumb to prove it  . Had one do it on a friends car. David |
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 I don't want to hear the labor pains, I just want to see the baby |
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« Reply #8 on: December 14, 2011, 08:53:35 AM » |
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Well the positive terminal has got so hot it's fuesd to the terminal bolt. Hey ho out with the impact driver to try and loosen it. I don't hold out much hope though. |
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CajunRider
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« Reply #9 on: December 14, 2011, 05:30:00 PM » |
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Well the positive terminal has got so hot it's fuesd to the terminal bolt. Hey ho out with the impact driver to try and loosen it. I don't hold out much hope though. One thing that will help on a new battery... get a sealed battery. The lead/acid type (factory battery) doesn't work well on the KLR... lots of vibration there, and if you're like me, lots of tipping over leaking acid out.  Also, clean up the terminals really well when you have it apart. As for melting the terminal... I don't know what would cause that, other than HIGH current, which indicates a short somewhere between there and the starter... or a bad connection on the terminal causing arcing when the starter motor is turning. |
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Sent from my Apple IIe
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Ricky-D
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« Reply #10 on: December 15, 2011, 04:35:00 PM » |
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About any battery you can buy anymore is a sealed battery, not only that but they all are pretty much agm type batteries when considering motorcycle applications.
And they all are lead acid batteries, except for a very few, very expensive alternatives. Braille comes to mind - their line of lithium batteries.
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2000_Valkyrie_Interstate
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hubcapsc
Member
Posts: 16789
upstate
South Carolina
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« Reply #11 on: December 16, 2011, 08:27:08 AM » |
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As for melting the terminal... I don't know what would cause that, other than HIGH current, which indicates a short somewhere between there and the starter... or a bad connection on the terminal causing arcing when the starter motor is turning.
The battery in my 1970 Ford Galaxy 500 was just sitting in the battery
compartment, not held down. One day I was going around a turn, the battery
slid over and the hot terminal grounded out on the frame of the car. The whole
clamp on the hot terminal melted, and the battery discharged. As I remember
(this was 30 years ago) I got the battery recharged and bolted on a new
terminal clamp, and that was it.
I know Britman's battery isn't bouncing around like the one in my clapped-out car, but...
-Mike
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