SuzukiSavage.com - Battery Change Steps

Spedie

YaBB Newbies

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 16

Battery Change Steps
04/28/16 at 06:09:38

I own a 2013 S40. It has 2100 miles on it. I bought it used at just over 500 miles nearly two years ago. I had the 600 mile service done at a Suzuki dealer.

I own a trickle charger and have not been using it like I should lately. I last rode the bike about a month ago for a good 150 miles and it was fine. It has nearly a full tank of gas because I filled it up right before I parked it.

I went out yesterday to start her up and it turned a time or two, then nothing. I put it on the trickle charger overnight. I tried again this morning. The lights come on but when I go to start it...nothing. Yes, I made sure the right hand switch was not in the "kill position". The kickstand was up. The bike was in first gear and I had the clutch engaged.

I noticed this morning that as soon as I tried to start it that the lights immediately dimmed greatly and stayed that way.

I took off the seat. I opened the accessory box and removed it to expose the battery. I have not removed the battery until I gain some knowledge as I don't want to pull on any wire and make things worse.

I checked the white box that houses the 20 amp fuse and both fuses in there looks good.

The battery is original. I am headed off to the store to get a new battery.

I do not have much experience changing batteries out in this bike. It seems to me that the negative wire will be hard to get to. I can see the red, positive wire at the top of the battery.

Any suggestions for battery removal? If the new battery doesn't work (I'll charge it up first) then I will post and ask what I should check next.

I have all basic tools but I do not own a meter.

English is my primary language. I bought the bike in Missouri and had it shipped to southern Texas. The bike has been in Texas since November 2015. The bike has always been garaged while in my possession. It looks like a brand new bike. I have made no modifications mechanically. I have added only a windshield.

Back to top

IP Logged

jajke YaBB Newbies 2004 No Login Offline 2002 Savage Posts: 32 Minnesota, U.S.A. Gender:	Re: Battery Change Steps Reply #1 - 04/28/16 at 06:42:59 I have a 2002 model and the repair manual recommends disconnecting the Negative first and then the Positive; to reconnect do it in reverse order: Positive first then Negative. Hope this helps!
Back to top	Jaime Ajke 2002 Savage Minnesota IP Logged

Spedie YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 16	Re: Battery Change Steps Reply #2 - 04/28/16 at 06:56:39 It seems that I cannot reach the negative lead without first pulling the battery out. Is it OK to go ahead and pull it out before disconnecting the negative? I will disconnect positive last.
Back to top	IP Logged

justin_o_guy2

Serious Thumper

Offline

What happened?

Posts: 55279
East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.

Re: Battery Change Steps
Reply #3 - 04/28/16 at 07:14:46

If it's Truly the OEM battery, then, yeah, I wouldn't even mess with testing it. It's probably very low on water, and it's Old.
Consider the glass mat type. Big Crank was the hot ticket a few years ago, notvsure what the latest and greatest is today.
Recommend you shop around. And be sure to get one with the proper orientation of the terminals.

Trickle chargers/float chargers won't raise the dead.
I've recently revived a battery that was seriously dead..
Hit it with a charger, 8 amp,took an hour for i t to even start taking a charge. I keep a volt meter on the connections, unplug the charger and check the battery voltage. Then, hook up the battery tester, hit the button, load the battery, just for a second..

Charge it up.
Rinse and repeat.
It took quite a few hours, but, it's working, it's on a mower and it was much neglected.

The battery tester is under twenty bucks at harbor freight.
Volt meter is sometimes free with purchase, and not exactly the best, but, good enough for messing with a battery.

As old as yours is, naaah.. time for a new one.

A mower battery can fail and I'm not exactly stranded.
I always kept a healthy battery on the bike. That's just not a place for cutting corners.

Back to top

The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke.

IP Logged

verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28886 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Battery Change Steps Reply #4 - 04/28/16 at 07:40:57 look again, you should be able to get to the neg term from the left side. May take a long screwdriver. May have to take the seat and left cover off.
Back to top	Versey's Place Tech Section Index IP Logged

Art Webb Serious Thumper Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 3007 columbus, Texas Gender:	Re: Battery Change Steps Reply #5 - 04/28/16 at 07:54:02 the reason for removing the neg first is because it provides ground for the bike if you remove pos first and your wrench touches metal it may short the system and fry the battery, maybe lightly weld your wrench to the metal you touched, and blow a fuse or three other than that, removing pos first has no consequence
Back to top	IP Logged

pam Junior Member Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 51 Ft. Mitchell, KY Gender:	Re: Battery Change Steps Reply #6 - 04/28/16 at 07:54:48 Use and off set screwdriver ... thats what i did ,,
Back to top	IP Logged

justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Battery Change Steps Reply #7 - 04/28/16 at 08:10:26 IIRC I was able to move the cover to the left just enough to get a screwdriver in on the connection on the right s i de. Ideally, negative is removed first, connected last.
Back to top	The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke. IP Logged

Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28660 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: Battery Change Steps Reply #8 - 04/28/16 at 08:51:30 Yup, remove the negative first...unless you want things to get sparky...
Back to top	Ludicrous Speed !... ... ... IP Logged

justin_o_guy2 Serious Thumper Offline What happened? Posts: 55279 East Texas, 1/2 dallas/la.	Re: Battery Change Steps Reply #9 - 04/28/16 at 09:03:22 And sparks near a battery can get ugly, real ugly and OMG Fast.
Back to top	The people never give up their liberties but under some delusion.- Edmund Burke. IP Logged

verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28886 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Battery Change Steps Reply #10 - 04/28/16 at 09:13:03 In a pinch, put tubing on the tool you're using to prevent shorts.
Back to top	Versey's Place Tech Section Index IP Logged

Rayven Full Member Offline Posts: 100 Colorado Gender:	Re: Battery Change Steps Reply #11 - 04/28/16 at 10:08:00 I made the sparky mistake once ...luckily I didn't hurt anything, but the screw driver has looked a little funky ever since
Back to top	All I have left to do...is a lot... IP Logged

Spedie

YaBB Newbies

Offline

SuzukiSavage.com
Rocks!

Posts: 16

Re: Battery Change Steps
Reply #12 - 04/28/16 at 10:15:43

I have the battery out of the bike. The battery that was on there was the type you must put distilled water in. All cells were dry. I had no idea to check this once in awhile. It was several steps to get that blasted battery free from the location.

I bought a new battery after getting the part number and it is an exact match to my original battery. It is outside on a rubber mat charging on the trickle charger. It is the sealed water kind.

I got the top of the battery box off on the left hand side to expose the negative lead. I had to buy a number 1 GearWrench to get it off. I don't know why they call this tool such a thing. The gear wrench is basically a phillips on one end and a straight screwdriver on the other - with a 90 degree bend on both ends. It came in a two pack with different sizes. I was able to use the smaller one to get that blasted screw out of the top left side of the top part of the battery box.

After that, I was able to disconnect and free up the negative lead and slide the battery out - after disconnecting the positive before moving the battery.

I removed both 20 amp fuses before touching the battery - to keep them from blowing while I reinstall if I do something stupid.

I hope this thread helps someone in the future.

I will report back with any issues once the charged battery is hooked up.

Thank you everyone! I am a total newbie with this bike - although I owned a Savage back in the 80's.

Back to top

IP Logged

Kris01 Serious Thumper Offline Eat, sleep, RIDE! Posts: 3767 Tennessee Gender:	Re: Battery Change Steps Reply #13 - 04/28/16 at 12:17:31 My '08 is running the stock battery and I have no problems with it. Do I need to be checking the water in it or is it sealed? You've got me worried now! I don't want to be stranded!
Back to top	There's no problem that a full tank of gas and a sunny day can't fix! 2008 S40, Rotella T 15W-40 w/ZDDP added, Dyna, 140/90-15, Battery Tender Jr., Seat lift, #52.5/150/3 washers, Raptor IP Logged

Spedie YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 16	Re: Battery Change Steps Reply #14 - 04/28/16 at 12:22:09 Kris01: I would definitely check your battery out. I don't know if it is just the newer bikes (mine is a 2013) that has the crappy battery as stock. I read today that most motorcycle batteries don't last more than 2 or 3 years. However, there are exceptions to every rule.
Back to top	IP Logged