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Message started by bugsville on 08/26/08 at 19:04:31

Title: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by bugsville on 08/26/08 at 19:04:31

Got a little problem - my first inclination is I have a bad cell in the battery, but I'd like to get some opinions here first. This is what is happening:

I didn't ride the bike for a week or so and then rode it to and from work yesterday (about 5 mile round trip) out to pickup dinner that night (another 5 mile round trip) and to work and to a restaurant tonight. When I went to start it up to go home - nothing - no lights - nothin. Now I have left it in Park before with similar results so I tried to push start it - nothin - I pushed it about 4 blocks to my buddy's tattoo shop and they are motorcycle guys so of course they had a charger. When I got there, the lights did come on when the key was on - Hung out and had it on the charger for about an hour - it said it was fully charged but I kept it on there anyways. it never did start with the key but I got them to push me and once it got fast enough it started up.

So bad battery probably? or something else?

also - the thing I noticed today was it starting getting hard to drop into first gear(?)

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by Sandy Koocanusa on 08/26/08 at 19:41:44

Well, I'm no electrician, but I think I'd go spend ten bucks at Walmart and buy a digital voltmeter. Maybe mine was nineteen bucks. I can't remember, but it was cheap. See what the battery is turning out before you go buy a new one. You'll use the meter again, so it's nice to have on hand.

If you go buy a battery, and the problem is a short in, say, your starter, then you have two batteries, a bad wire, and no meter to test it with.

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/26/08 at 23:08:01

Harbor freight has a meter that is on sale often & is a whopping $3.00. I grabbed one, even tho I have a decent Radio Shack model I've had for nearly 15 years that cost about $70.00. It's nice to have one to mistreat a little & jnot worry about it. Everyone needs a volt/ohm meter. Your description leads me to think its the battery, but, Sandy is right about getting a meter. I want a Load Tester for batteries. I had one, many years ago, but something inside it scorched & died. I need a new one, cuz they test a battery under load & check the voltage drop. Lots better than just checking the Voltage.

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by Phelonius on 08/27/08 at 10:20:11

Check the silly noid.

Phelonius

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/27/08 at 11:11:47

If you have a light bulb ( 12 volt) & can get wire on the contacts or some kind of socket for it to be in, then you can hook the bulb up to the starter wire & ground. It should light up when you hit the starter button. If Not, then back up to the silly noid & see if it's getting power. If thats not getting power, I would suspect the decomp solenoid timer.
Or, the start switch itself. Can you run a jumper from the battery to the starter solenoid?

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by T Mack 1 on 08/27/08 at 13:00:24

How old is your battery??????

Next, the standrad question, what year bike, how many miles.....

T Mack 1

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by bugsville on 08/27/08 at 15:19:30

it is a 98 with 15k on it - I am not sure as far as the age of the battery. Unfortunately I may not be able to monkey around on it until Sunday (oy) and will take the advice in this thread and post my findings!

Thanks y'all!

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by bugsville on 09/01/08 at 16:36:39

I did have a meter and the battery tested at 12.44 which seems to mean it is still good.

I noticed that when the key was in the Park position I DO have a rear light. So I did the following:

1. checked the fuses, they look good
2. dissasembled the kill switch and starter switch assembly, took it apart, cleaned it all with contact cleaner and checked for bad wires, etc - all good
3. dissasembled the ignition switch and cleaned all that up, put it back together and had my lights back again when i put it in the run position!

Hit the start button and nothin... not even a click - and when i turned the key off and back into the run position, no lights - back to square one so I am thinking its the ignition switch - any opinions?

thanks!
B

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by YonuhAdisi on 09/01/08 at 16:39:01

Check your ground and wiring harness for bare spots.

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by bugsville on 09/02/08 at 18:51:16

Well, no bare spots under the seat - I did remove the fuel tank when I jetted the carb, so next is to pull it again and check there - it's a likely spot

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by youzguyz on 09/03/08 at 04:02:44

Ah ha.. removed the tank.
There is a big electrical connector on the left side, towards the front.
It is common that putting the tank back can push that connector apart (or partially so).

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by Oldfeller on 09/03/08 at 15:42:25

12.44 volts ain't exactly healthy. A healthy battery reads 13.5 or thereabouts just sitting there when it is still kinda new-like.

While being charged by the alternator through the rectifier you better see at least 13.5 volts (but not much over 15 volts or you will be overcharging your battery on long trips).

Take that same battery and put it under a load (turn the key on -- turns on headlight now blow the horn & hit the brake pedal) Watch the reading. Hit the starter -- watch the reading. Let it idle, watch reading. Rev it up to 3,0000 rpm and watch the reading.

If you drop below 12 volts under any of these load conditions your ignition isn't going to work perfectly any more. Drop below 10 volts and you have no ignition at all .... dead bike even if it does crank over.

Old batteries are bad news -- go to Walmart and pick up a cheap battery with the terminals on the correct sides of the right rectangular form. Don't worry about the gas spout location, a longer piece of clear hose will run that right back over the top of the battery to the correct exit location in the battery box.

Remember to fully charge your new battery before installing it in the battery box.

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by bugsville on 09/06/08 at 11:40:54

I think I have narrowed this down to the solenoid - battery checked out fine under a load test - Looked for bare wires/bad grounds and could not find any - intermittently, the lights come on in the Run ignition position, I have it in neutral, pull in the clutch, hit the start button and get a loud click from the solenoid.l The Clymers says to test by disconnecting the wire from the solenoid to the starter, but I can't figure out which one that is! Any help is appreciated.

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by Wagslick on 09/06/08 at 14:03:51

I had a similar problem. I tried to jumper my battery and then I got nuthing. No lights or anything. Turns out I blew one of the fuses that is found under the seat. 50 cents later, the bike starts up and I can drive away.

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by T Mack 1 on 09/06/08 at 14:57:16

Intermittant light.... that points to the igniton switch. But, the lights are some what independant from the Ign circuit. If the lights go out after triying to start the bike, then it's the battery.

Do you have a manual??? If not, find a FAST internet connect and downlod the 71 megabyte Clymers posted on this site.

Also, that loud click shoudl be the decompression solenoid..... under the tank, rigth fornt side.

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by bugsville on 09/06/08 at 15:26:06

I checked the fuses and they are good.

Yes, the lights go out when I hit the start button.

I do have the clymers and printed out the solenoid troubleshoot steps and wiring diagrams.

I think at this point I may juts drop the 30 bucks on a new battery, even if that isn't the problem, I at least know I have a fresh battery in there, as opposed to bot knowing when the po put that one in there.

to be continued!

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by T Mack 1 on 09/06/08 at 15:28:28

Some of the chain auto parts stores (Auto-Zone) can check MC batteries. Maybe before you spend the $30 (maybe more like $60)you can take it and have it checked.....

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by bugsville on 09/28/08 at 19:49:44

just for closure on the thread for anyone who may be searching - it was the battery

Title: Re: battery reading charged but bike won't crank
Post by Digger on 11/30/08 at 21:27:09

FWIW, marginal batteries will often indicate a normal voltage after a full charge. However, a few minutes of headlight use with the engine off will burn off that "surface charge" and you can get a better idea of the actual health of the battery by then re-measuring the voltage.

The gold standard battery test available to the common man remains the load test.

Here is a load tester that will not break the bank:

Load Tester (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91129)

Wait for a sale and save 10-20 bucks. Ive had one for a while and have used it several times. It rox!