Rode fine all day, then it died completely no power anywhere - Page 3

ajmiller · 05-13-2010, 02:33 PM

and a piece of info I forgot to mention is that when the battery is charged: when I turn the key its ok lights on and all, but then its when I hit the electric start button that it gets all screwed up.

bonehead · 05-13-2010, 02:49 PM

Shorted battery? May need to take it out and get it load tested.

JWR · 05-13-2010, 02:49 PM

I would take out the spark plug and try to crank over the engine.

If engine rolls over good, then the problem would be starter...or wiring.

ajmiller · 05-13-2010, 03:07 PM

Don't know if its a good thing or bad thing but I was standing over looking at everything and I can hear the fluids in the battery boiling while its being charged. Good or bad thing?

ajmiller · 05-13-2010, 03:19 PM

And I can smell something strange when I try and start it. Does not smell like wires getting hot. I'm thinking its the battery? Anyone else heard or experienced this?

bonehead · 05-13-2010, 03:56 PM

Battery acid will make sounds while it is charging. And you can smell it too. Battery acid gas IS FLAMMABLE.
But I'd check for loose connections @ the battery, starter, and grounds.
As I said before, you could have a shorted battery too.

mrlmd1 · 05-13-2010, 04:08 PM

What size charger are you using for the battery? You should be charging it with no more than a 2 amp charge. A higher charging rate. like 12 amps and more overnight can cause it to overheat and boil. Make sure the battery is filled to the proper level and not empty with the plates exposed. Use distilled or really clean and not hard water to refill it (not acid). If your battery was really dry and you had it boiling on the charger, it may be toast and not able to be saved. You may also have a short inside the battery. Your whole problem could have been that you have a really dry battery and it's shorted out inside. And make sure the top of the battery itself is clean.

Also - After you make sure the connections of both cables to the battery are tight and secure and the battery is charged, trace the red hot lead from the battery and the other ones underneath to and from the starter and that area - you may have a break in the insulation somewhere and the hot cable is contacting the frame making that popping sound with a big spark, and see if there are any burn marks anywhere. You need a good fuse in there to check this.
Turn on the key to the ignition, don't try to start it yet, jiggle the red hot leads around and see if there's any popping noises or sparks. If you get that noise only when you hit the starter, then that narrows the problem down to the starter relay or to the starter, unless you can hear that noise coming from the battery itself.
If you think that popping sound comes from the battery, disconnect and remove it and connect the leads to jumper cables to another 12v battery and hit the start button and see what happens.

Question - when you changed that 20 amp fuse, was it blown or was it still good? Did you test it with anything for continuity or did you just look at it? If that fuse didn't blow, you probably don't have a short somewhere and that could narrow the problem down.

ajmiller · 05-13-2010, 06:32 PM

UPDATE: I just had the battery tested and it failed miserably so picked up a new one up and now just gotta wait for new battery to get all set up and charged up.

mrlmd1 · 05-13-2010, 07:30 PM

"Battery acid gas IS FLAMMABLE." --- it's Hydrogen, and it's explosive.
Make sure you charge it fully before using it the first time - it's most likely an AGM battery, at 2 amps, not higher.
The battery probably was your problem, and you still have to look at it once in a while and check the fluid level even though it's listed as a "sealed battery" as some of these have a strip on top closing off the filler openings and may have to be topped up once in a long while. Hopefully the new battery will cure your ills, if the 20 amp fuse is still good.

ajmiller · 05-13-2010, 08:02 PM

So the bike has 10100 miles on it and I just bought it about a month ago. I figured it could probably use a new spark plug while I was waiting around so I bought a new one and just now went to take out the old one and it was not even finger tight, like a hotdog down a hallway loose. So what could this cause potentially?

05-13-2010, 02:33 PM	#21
ajmiller Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Capital of Iowa Posts: 20	Re: Rode fine all day, then it died completely no power anyw and a piece of info I forgot to mention is that when the battery is charged: when I turn the key its ok lights on and all, but then its when I hit the electric start button that it gets all screwed up. __________________ A. Miller Login or Register to Remove Ads
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05-13-2010, 02:49 PM	#22
bonehead Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: elgin,tx Posts: 907	Re: Rode fine all day, then it died completely no power anyw Shorted battery? May need to take it out and get it load tested. __________________ Standing with the PGR until they stand for me.
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05-13-2010, 02:49 PM	#23
JWR Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Louisville, TN Posts: 1,413	Re: Rode fine all day, then it died completely no power anyw I would take out the spark plug and try to crank over the engine. If engine rolls over good, then the problem would be starter...or wiring. __________________ Jerry Truth is there are lots of great bikes available and not nearly as many good riders out there riding them... "A man's got to know his limitations..." Login or Register to Remove Ads
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05-13-2010, 03:07 PM	#24
ajmiller Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Capital of Iowa Posts: 20	Re: Rode fine all day, then it died completely no power anyw Don't know if its a good thing or bad thing but I was standing over looking at everything and I can hear the fluids in the battery boiling while its being charged. Good or bad thing? __________________ A. Miller
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05-13-2010, 03:19 PM	#25
ajmiller Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Capital of Iowa Posts: 20	Re: Rode fine all day, then it died completely no power anyw And I can smell something strange when I try and start it. Does not smell like wires getting hot. I'm thinking its the battery? Anyone else heard or experienced this? __________________ A. Miller Login or Register to Remove Ads
	0

05-13-2010, 03:56 PM	#26
bonehead Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: elgin,tx Posts: 907	Re: Rode fine all day, then it died completely no power anyw Battery acid will make sounds while it is charging. And you can smell it too. Battery acid gas IS FLAMMABLE. But I'd check for loose connections @ the battery, starter, and grounds. As I said before, you could have a shorted battery too. __________________ Standing with the PGR until they stand for me.
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05-13-2010, 04:08 PM	#27
mrlmd1 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Crawfordville, Florida Posts: 2,853	Re: Rode fine all day, then it died completely no power anyw What size charger are you using for the battery? You should be charging it with no more than a 2 amp charge. A higher charging rate. like 12 amps and more overnight can cause it to overheat and boil. Make sure the battery is filled to the proper level and not empty with the plates exposed. Use distilled or really clean and not hard water to refill it (not acid). If your battery was really dry and you had it boiling on the charger, it may be toast and not able to be saved. You may also have a short inside the battery. Your whole problem could have been that you have a really dry battery and it's shorted out inside. And make sure the top of the battery itself is clean. Also - After you make sure the connections of both cables to the battery are tight and secure and the battery is charged, trace the red hot lead from the battery and the other ones underneath to and from the starter and that area - you may have a break in the insulation somewhere and the hot cable is contacting the frame making that popping sound with a big spark, and see if there are any burn marks anywhere. You need a good fuse in there to check this. Turn on the key to the ignition, don't try to start it yet, jiggle the red hot leads around and see if there's any popping noises or sparks. If you get that noise only when you hit the starter, then that narrows the problem down to the starter relay or to the starter, unless you can hear that noise coming from the battery itself. If you think that popping sound comes from the battery, disconnect and remove it and connect the leads to jumper cables to another 12v battery and hit the start button and see what happens. Question - when you changed that 20 amp fuse, was it blown or was it still good? Did you test it with anything for continuity or did you just look at it? If that fuse didn't blow, you probably don't have a short somewhere and that could narrow the problem down.
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05-13-2010, 06:32 PM	#28
ajmiller Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Capital of Iowa Posts: 20	Re: Rode fine all day, then it died completely no power anyw UPDATE: I just had the battery tested and it failed miserably so picked up a new one up and now just gotta wait for new battery to get all set up and charged up. __________________ A. Miller
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05-13-2010, 07:30 PM	#29
mrlmd1 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Crawfordville, Florida Posts: 2,853	Re: Rode fine all day, then it died completely no power anyw "Battery acid gas IS FLAMMABLE." --- it's Hydrogen, and it's explosive. Make sure you charge it fully before using it the first time - it's most likely an AGM battery, at 2 amps, not higher. The battery probably was your problem, and you still have to look at it once in a while and check the fluid level even though it's listed as a "sealed battery" as some of these have a strip on top closing off the filler openings and may have to be topped up once in a long while. Hopefully the new battery will cure your ills, if the 20 amp fuse is still good.
	0

05-13-2010, 08:02 PM	#30
ajmiller Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Capital of Iowa Posts: 20	Re: Rode fine all day, then it died completely no power anyw So the bike has 10100 miles on it and I just bought it about a month ago. I figured it could probably use a new spark plug while I was waiting around so I bought a new one and just now went to take out the old one and it was not even finger tight, like a hotdog down a hallway loose. So what could this cause potentially? __________________ A. Miller
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