hubcapsc
Member
Posts: 16789
upstate
South Carolina
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« on: July 17, 2011, 12:27:32 PM » |
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My plan was to take off towards Hwy 11 and get a saddlebag full of peaches after Church today... My plan has changed to: figuring out why my battery is too weak to start my bike... I hope that I find a loose or gummed up battery connection, I think the likely ones to check are both the ones at the battery and the other end of the battery's ground cable - are there other likely culprits? Then, maybe, it is that my less-than-a-year-old battery is dead... it would be kind of a bummer, but easy to fix. Then maybe it is my alternator. I think I could get close to figuring that out by putting my battery on the charger, and if I can crank my bike after that, I should be able to connect my fancy $5 multimeter up like this and " the meter should read 11 to 12 volts. When the bike is running and rpms are above 1,200,
the meter should read 13 to 14 volts"  Am I on the right track? Bike must be reliable again by Saturday morning, July 23rd... I haven't done anything to my bike recently, it ran good a couple of days ago, I changed the oil after work (I don't guess that counts as "doing something"...). -Mike |
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Patrick
Member
Posts: 15433
VRCC 4474
Largo Florida
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« Reply #1 on: July 17, 2011, 12:56:05 PM » |
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Not much info.. What does the bike do ?? And what doesn't it do ??
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Thunderbolt
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« Reply #2 on: July 17, 2011, 01:10:59 PM » |
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It cranks the engine over, but you think it's not turning over fast enough? Yes, on the meter, put the red wire on the + terminal on the battery and the black wire on the - terminal or a frame ground. See if the voltage goes up to 13 to 14 volts when engine in running and up around 1500 rpm or so. If it does, the alternator is working which is the better alternative as opposed to your battery being bad.
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hubcapsc
Member
Posts: 16789
upstate
South Carolina
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« Reply #3 on: July 17, 2011, 01:23:55 PM » |
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What does the bike do??Lights and stuff turn on, starter spins... And what doesn't it do??It doesn't turn on  ... and got weaker as I tried a few times. The wimply sound it makes when I hit the starter button made me think "weak battery" right away... I probably just gotta figure out why it is weak... Thunderbolt's reassurance about my plan to test the alternator makes me think I'll be able to tell if that is what the problem is... I hope not... me and Stanley Steamer wrestled with replacing his alternator all afternoon once... I hear if you hold your mouth right it'll plop right in with no trouble... -Mike
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hubcapsc
Member
Posts: 16789
upstate
South Carolina
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« Reply #4 on: July 17, 2011, 03:03:02 PM » |
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Battery connections all seem good, clean and tight. I took a macro picture of the lower end of the battery ground in case my old eyes were fooling me... it seems real tight...  When I first went out, I hooked up the multi-meter, the battery showed 12. I hit the starter, it turned over and dropped like a rock to 9-something, then wouldn't even try to turn over. The battery is on the charger now, if it charges up enough to crank, and if the multi-meter shows between 13 and 14 when it is running at around 1,200 rpm, I'll guess it's a bad-battery. A bummer, since the battery is not very old, but would be an easy fix... if it starts, but doesn't seem to be charging, I'm going to have to try to get another alternator in there by next Saturday morning... Please call BS on any of my assumptions if you see fit, that's why I'm here talking out loud amongst you tech-people...  -Mike |
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magentaman
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« Reply #5 on: July 17, 2011, 03:19:59 PM » |
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If you get it runnin, and it is not charging. Try hitting the alternator with a rubber mallet a couple of times. If it starts to work after that, it was a stuck brush. Very common on these alternators. Easy fix as well. Can of electrical parts cleaner and a new pair of brushes.
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1999 GL1500CF
Have owned 3 wings and a HD over the years.
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F6BANGER
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« Reply #6 on: July 17, 2011, 03:25:06 PM » |
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What brand of battery? Was it a cheap ebay battery? I bought one of those a few years back, lasted about a year. Took the 4 year old AGM battery out of my other valk and put into the Interstate and have had no problems since. Dont waste you time or money with the cheap ebay batteries. You get what you pay for.
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hubcapsc
Member
Posts: 16789
upstate
South Carolina
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« Reply #7 on: July 17, 2011, 03:36:18 PM » |
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What brand of battery? Was it a cheap ebay battery? I bought one of those a few years back, lasted about a year. Took the 4 year old AGM battery out of my other valk and put into the Interstate and have had no problems since. Dont waste you time or money with the cheap ebay batteries. You get what you pay for.
I got it from the Suzuki shop... sez Made In China on it... They charged it up for me like you're supposed to (they said...)... -Mike |
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hubcapsc
Member
Posts: 16789
upstate
South Carolina
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« Reply #8 on: July 17, 2011, 03:37:29 PM » |
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If you get it runnin, and it is not charging. Try hitting the alternator with a rubber mallet a couple of times. If it starts to work after that, it was a stuck brush. Very common on these alternators. Easy fix as well. Can of electrical parts cleaner and a new pair of brushes.
I like stuff you can work on with hammers! -Mike |
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Patrick
Member
Posts: 15433
VRCC 4474
Largo Florida
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« Reply #9 on: July 17, 2011, 04:06:00 PM » |
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A connection that 'looks good' doesn't mean anything.. Put a wrench on the ground end[ lower left side of block] and give it a 'wiggle'. In other words, loosen and tighten it a couple times or take it off and clean it.. Remove the battery terminals and clean them.. If the starter switch seems to work properly and is not 'lazy' and the voltage drops below 10 volts while cranking then its probably the battery.. If the battery is a 'cheapy' and was not charged correctly prior to installation it may well be defective within a year.. If you use an external/jumper battery and it fires right off, then its probably the battery.. Once running the volt meter should show 13.5+ volts above 2000 rpms..
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hubcapsc
Member
Posts: 16789
upstate
South Carolina
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« Reply #10 on: July 17, 2011, 05:25:39 PM » |
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I charged the battery out of the bike, so I know for sure that the terminal connections
were tight and clean.
I put the battery back in, and the multi-meter said 13.15ish... the bike cranked instantly,
like usual, and then the multi-meter said 14.10ish... I'm going to go with believing for
now that the alternator is charging, and see about plopping in a new battery... maybe
I can find someone around here with a good old Yuasa...
If the trouble isn't gone for good after that, I'll remember to inspect the lower
end of the ground cable as Patrick suggested...
-Mike
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John Schmidt
Member
Posts: 15260
a/k/a Stuffy. '99 I/S Valk Roadsmith Trike
De Pere, WI (Green Bay)
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« Reply #11 on: July 17, 2011, 05:38:42 PM » |
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When I first went out, I hooked up the multi-meter, the battery showed 12. I hit the starter, it
turned over and dropped like a rock to 9-something, then wouldn't even try to turn over.
When it drops like that, that tells me the battery is junk. Cheapie's will do that in fairly short order compared to a good one, the life just isn't built into them. I change mine every three years regardless of performance, and I don't skimp on the cost. If you're putting out around 14vdc at above idle rpm, then it's not you alternator.
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Daniel Meyer
Member
Posts: 5493
Author. Adventurer. Electrician.
The State of confusion.
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« Reply #13 on: July 17, 2011, 06:44:02 PM » |
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When I first went out, I hooked up the multi-meter, the battery showed 12. I hit the starter, it
turned over and dropped like a rock to 9-something, then wouldn't even try to turn over.
When it drops like that, that tells me the battery is junk. Cheapie's will do that in fairly short order compared to a good one, the life just isn't built into them. I change mine every three years regardless of performance, and I don't skimp on the cost. If you're putting out around 14vdc at above idle rpm, then it's not you alternator.
Agreed! |
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CUAgain, Daniel Meyer  |
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YoungPUP
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« Reply #14 on: July 17, 2011, 06:57:14 PM » |
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Can you load test a bike battery like a car battery? If so Advanced auto, auto zone, oreilly etc. can load test it for ya. Thatll give ya an answer real quick.
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Yea though I ride through the valley of the Shadow of Death I shall fear no evil. For I ride the Baddest Mother F$#^er In that valley!
99 STD (Under construction)
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magentaman
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« Reply #15 on: July 17, 2011, 07:35:23 PM » |
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On Battery Stuff. I got one from them in two days. Nice AGM Yuasa.
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1999 GL1500CF
Have owned 3 wings and a HD over the years.
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sugerbear
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« Reply #16 on: July 17, 2011, 07:44:56 PM » |
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i bought a battery from wally world, took it home and charged it with a (large) charger. (didn't read the instructions  ) lasted about 10 months. got another(free), read the instructions this time, been in the bike for 3 1/2 yrs now. works great. maybe they tried to rush the charge?? |
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Steve K (IA)
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« Reply #17 on: July 17, 2011, 08:22:25 PM » |
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My advice is stay the hell away from Walmart. I put one in each of my Valks...a few months apart from one another, and they both failed just past a year old. And yes, they were properly charged. Got Yuasa's and all should be good for several years. But the money wasted at Walmart.....  |
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 States I Have Ridden In |
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R J
Member
Posts: 13380
DS-0009 ...... # 173
Des Moines, IA
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« Reply #18 on: July 17, 2011, 10:35:33 PM » |
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I replaced my original battery with one from Interstate Battery.
Took it home, did the correct charge procedure and it has been in the bike for 5 years now. Still going strong.
How ya charge them really makes a difference.
I put a Wally World battery in one of my John Deere tractors about 3 years ago. Needed a battery and it was going to take my dealer 4 days to get one to me, and we were scheduled to get a big snow storm, we only got 9" of the 14" they predicted. Went to Wally World, figured if it only lasted a year so be it. Still in the old girl, and spins her with ease, twin cylinder water cooled Kog A Socky engine.
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44 Harley ServiCar   |
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mellowyellow#7933
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« Reply #19 on: July 18, 2011, 06:29:01 AM » |
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Even a new Yuasa battery can be defective or poorly charged 1st time around. Had new one in for a month when it took longer & longer to crank engine before it would fire. Sure enough voltage would drop to less than 9 v when cranking. Replaced under warranty, everything's fine.
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hubcapsc
Member
Posts: 16789
upstate
South Carolina
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« Reply #20 on: July 18, 2011, 07:03:37 AM » |
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I just found a Yuasa at the Kawasaki/Victory place in Seneca. $105 out the door, charged on a slow charge all day (I'll pick it up tonight...). I only paid $65 or so for the Chinese battery, and about four years ago I paid about $65 for a NAPA battery, but I got that one dry, and just put in the acid and used it without slow charging it first... The Yuasa web page sez they make many of their batteries in the US, but not all... I'll find out tonight where this one was made I guess... Oh well... when I hit the starter button at the rest stop on the BRP this weekend, I have faith it'll start Thanks for y'alls help... -Mike |
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