"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
05/21/2015 at 18:28 • Filed to: None
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"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
05/21/2015 at 18:28 • Filed to: None | 0
| 17 |
Okay here is my problem - with a brand new battery, my nighthawk won’t even fire up accessories/lights right away. It was running when I got it but the battery was terrible and so over the course of three months or so, it died completely which I expected. I bought a new battery and thought I charged it up but it lost some charge while it sat. So while in the bike, I can’t even get the turn signals or dash to turn on. The multimeter reads 11.5 volts which I know is too low to start the bike, but I figured it would at least turn on turn signals......Which it DOES but only after a few seconds of the key in the “on” position. Like I went upstaris to get my charger a few weekends ago, came back down a minute later to my lights and signals on and working but when I go to start the bike? It immediately dies again. Kickstand down, fuel switch is on, key is in, and nothing.
Help me out oppo, I have the battery re-recharging to well over 12 but is it really this sensitive to voltage drops?
BobintheMtns
> themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
05/21/2015 at 18:55 |
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You’ve got a loose ground or a pinched/frayed wire somewhere on the bike. Get a mulitmeter and start tracing everything out.
Look at the wiring harness connectors first, make sure they’re tight, and also corrosion free inside (a bit of dialectic grease goes a long ways here). Then look for breaks/frays- usually it’ll be where the wiring is pinched between the frame and something else, seat, fuel tank, etc...
And if you’re like I was and consider electricity/wiring to be witchcraft, don’t worry. It’s not as daunting as it may seem. Check out a couple of youtube vids explaining how to test for continuity and resistance. Then grab a multimeter and a wiring diagram, and in two hours you’ll be amazed at how much more you understand about your bike.
*this of course assumes that the battery isn’t a dud straight from the factory, which does happen.
AdverseMartyr
> themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
05/21/2015 at 19:23 |
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Check the voltage to the regulator/rectifier as well. I mean that thing is a heat sink for getting rid of excess electricity (not the correct technical explanation, but close enough). Also the wiring for the Stator (generator/alternator analog), and the starter, would be my first guesses at something draining the battery.
Could it be that you received a dud battery as well? Maybe check it to make sure it is actually cranking out the right amperage even if the voltage is ok. I’m not sure how much the bike needs, but it’s possible.
bob and john
> themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
05/21/2015 at 19:39 |
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yea, voltage is VERTY sensitive. even in cars. it shouldnt be under 12.4
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BobintheMtns
> AdverseMartyr
05/21/2015 at 19:40 |
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+1 on sniffing around the reg/rec sooner than later... So after charging it to full capacity (more like 14 volts versus 12), how long is the battery in the bike before it’s too dead to start it? Are we talking weeks, or just minutes?
And if your battery is topping out at only 12 volts after full charging. I’m thinking you’ve gotten a factory dud. But I’m just barely out of the, “it’s witchcraft!?” category, so I’m just guessing.....
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themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
> AdverseMartyr
05/21/2015 at 20:18 |
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Hmmmmm.......my charger said it was “charged” but my multimeter reads 11.8 V on a 12v battery.........
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themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
> bob and john
05/21/2015 at 20:19 |
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How much is normal for a voltage drop when it’s hooked up to the bike. It read”fully charged” on my charger but the multimeter is saying 11.8V.
BJ
> themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
05/21/2015 at 20:40 |
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I went through 2 rectifiers on my bike in 2 years, I believe I warned you about this very problem (but couldn’t remember the name of the part)? Also, the fact that the battery doesn’t get charged below ~2200 RPM sucks.
The electrics were a nightmare on my Nighthawk. My battery was always flat. It’s otherwise an excellent bike.
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themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
> BJ
05/21/2015 at 20:44 |
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Okay..... but how does the rectifier ruin a brand new battery by preventing it from reaching over 12v? I don’t doubt that it could be worn out but I’m starting at the battery and it doesn’t seem to want to hit 12v from the get-go.
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themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
> BobintheMtns
05/21/2015 at 20:46 |
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My charger said “fully charged” and my multimeter said “11.8V” ...... Something’s fucky.....
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BJ
> themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
05/21/2015 at 20:48 |
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If the bike is on but not running or idling, it’ll pull the battery down fast and you’ll read below 12V. Hook up your multimeter and rev out past 2200 and check that it’s charging and doing so in a stable manner. As was previously mentioned, check your wiring as well.
A quick search found this, a guy selling replacement regulators that use modern mosfets. It’s essentially the same device using modern tech. Not sure if it’s a lot better, or just a bit, but it might be worth some research: http://www.roadstercycle.com/index.htm
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BJ
> themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
05/21/2015 at 20:52 |
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A rectifier basically burns off excess voltage by grounding out the positive side of the circuit.
Just a guess, but if the rectifier is bad, it could be leaking charge even when the bike is off if it’s on the same side of the ignition switch as battery. Look for current flowing through this circuit when the bike is off.
evil2win
> themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
05/21/2015 at 20:58 |
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Start with cheepist part, try installing new battery cables first then go for the more expensive parts.
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themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
> BJ
05/21/2015 at 21:03 |
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Bike does not even start. Not enough power to turn on electrics unless you let it sit for a few seconds, then everything lights up and I can even use the turn signals. But now I’m thinking corrosion. I noticed the terminals on the battery were oddly corroded a bit despite being a brand new out of the box battery just a few weeks ago and has never been used to start the bike......so I’m probably going to clean up all my connectors tomorrow to be safe.
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themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
> evil2win
05/21/2015 at 21:05 |
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Yeah it’s getting dark out but tomorrow I’m going to clean all my connections for the battery and cables and see if I notice a change. My battery had some odd corrosion despite the bike being covered all the time and hasn’t been used at all since I got the new battery. I sanded the corrosion off and put it back on the charger. SHould help.
The Compromiser
> themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
05/22/2015 at 00:16 |
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Check the cables. Corrosion and damaged/loose can drain and give intermittent or slow power transfer. If it drains that quick and yet has juice when you are charging it, sounds to me like something is leeching from it. Frame, block, etc. Or the plugs are just bad. Does it turn over and notch catch or just nothing?
mrazekan
> themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
05/22/2015 at 02:10 |
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As stated by others, a fully and properly charged “12V” battery should read closer to 14V when tested at the terminals with a DMM. If you are getting anything less than 13V after your charger says it’s done, you have a bad battery.
I had a number of problems with my voltage regulator. First I changed my stator. Then, the spade connectors connecting my stator to the voltage regulator melted the plastic connector housing so I replaced then with bullet connectors. Then the bullet connectors failed when they melted the plastic insulation so I soldered the wires together and heat shrank them for insulation. Recently, I noticed the spade style in-line fuse melted the fuse holder so I’m on the hook for fixing that now.
What is basically happening is that corrosion off the connectors is building up. This causes a resistance and a voltage drop. This leads to power being dumped into the connector. The power heats up the connector, increases the rate of corrosion, and ultimately melts the surrounding insulation.
I could have remedied all of these problems with dielectric grease. But I’m a slow learner.
It was mentioned already but you should measure the voltage at a number of locations. Check the voltage at the starter compared to the battery. Check the voltage at the headlight too. Also, v check the voltage at different RPMs. If your regulator is not working, it can cook your battery. You should never see above 15V at any rpm.
Finally, when you get a new battery, follow the instructions carefully. Or have a good, local motorcycle shop do it for you. Fill the battery properly, don’t cover the fill holes until after the initial charge. 1.5 to 2A for 6 to 8 hrs. Then seal the battery.
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BobintheMtns
> themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
05/22/2015 at 12:47 |
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You’ve got a dud battery. This has happened to me a few times. As someone on a beemer board I used to frequent said, “99% of electrical issues are actually battery issues.” Your battery should be around 14 volts when fully charged. I was talking to a guy at the battery store and he said that something like 30% of all batteries (!!) don’t make it a year. If your multimeter’s correct, go find your battery receipt and return it. This happened to me when my battery was 13 months old... one month out of warranty... So I only buy batteries with at least a 2 year warranty now...