Well, I finally have electrical issues. :sad: :evil:
Since my new battery the bike has had random issues starting when it is hot. Initial tests showed good volts.
Yesterday I tested and the volt meter went down slightly on throttle, instead of up.
Went straight to one of the parts bikes and pulled the reg/rect off of it and hooked it up. After that the meter moved up to 13-14 with throttle. So I am thinking, "YEA! a parts bike just paid for itself"
Battery was still low so I put it on the charger and went in for awhile, like 2 hours. At that point it would sluggishly turn over.
When I came back out and unhooked it (showed a full charge but did not put meter on it) the lights came on normal. Tried to start it and NOTHING. Well, a click and nothing else.
Pushed it into the garage, said some choice words and called it a night. I KNOW I don't have to ask, but....
It is quite possible, from the symptoms you describe, that you have a battery problem -- like an poor connection. Could be in the battery, or the terminals, or possibly somewhere else. If you measure the full voltage but it won't crank, then a connection somewhere is opening up under load. Corrosion on the battery terminals will do this. An internal battery failure can do this. A loose connection elsewhere in the starting circuit, or a poor starter relay ("solenoid") can also cause it.
I would start by taking the battery terminals loose and examining them. If they are good and clean, I would have the battery load tested. If both of these are good, it gets a little more difficult...
The battery is only a couple of months old and all connections are clean. I think you are right about it being the battery though.
I checked it this morning and it showed only 11 volts. I am thinking the bad reg/rect likely killed the battery. I will take it back and replace it since it is under warranty still.
got home yesterday and put the charger on for a little while. It showed a full charge, but when I tried to start the bike it dropped to nothing instantly. So I guess it was fried. Went and exchanged it for a new one. Charged it for 6 hours last night and will give it a try this evening.
Pretty confident it should work though. Why? Well, because it is an AWESOME battery!
See? It is a MAGNA!!!
(http://i41.tinypic.com/9plvmv.jpg)
If I were a betting man, I would bet your problem is solved. A poor or intermittent connection internal to the battery is not a typical symptom of overcharging. It isn't clear what causes this phenomenon, but my best guess is shock to the battery -- probably during shipping. Glad it was in warranty.
The label must surely mean that it is quite powerful... :cool:
When I first charged the bad battery it got hot, so I am sure there was some defect in it to begin with. I appreciate your input on this for me and do hope it solves the problem.
Where is the SeaFoam in the picture!!!
The SeaFoam Police..
I've got that same battery in my '86 and it's been working well for the last 2 yrs....
QuoteWhere is the SeaFoam in the picture!!!
The SeaFoam Police..
It's there!! I am surprised you missed it. Look closer. :smile:
Quote from: DG on January 28, 2009, 03:32:03 PM
QuoteWhere is the SeaFoam in the picture!!!
The SeaFoam Police..
It's there!! I am surprised you missed it. Look closer. :smile:
NICE
:sad: :sad: :sad: :sad: :evil: :evil: :evil:
Well, it wasn't the battery. At least not completely anyway. I know the battery had to be replaced but the bike still does not turn over. So, (big sigh) guess I know how I am spending my Saturday. I will follow all the advice I read on here and start tracking down electrical problems. I HATE electrical problems. At least I have another bike sitting here to pull stuff of to test with if need be.
That is the good that has come from this so far. I can now honestly tell my wife it was worth buying the extra bike.
Quote from: hootmon on January 28, 2009, 09:09:32 AM
Where is the SeaFoam in the picture!!!
The SeaFoam Police..
I put seaform in my magna, and it did nothing. Either my 25 y/o bike is in perfect condition or?
I only put it in the tank though so I won't bad mouth it.
QuoteI put seaform in my magna, and it did nothing.
After paying, (what was it, $500?), I would hope it did not need to do anything. At least you can pretty much know they did what they were supposed to. :smile: :cool:
The first time I used I noticed a good improvement. After that, nothing really. But would still recommend doing it every oil change or so.
Well, it was my starter. Pulled one off the parts bike and back in business!
Quote from: DG on January 29, 2009, 07:59:36 PM
Well, it was my starter. Pulled one off the parts bike and back in business!
It has served you well. :-P Sure makes it easier to diagnose and isolate a problem.