| Author | Message | ||
     Kevinaye |
Yup, stuck again. My battery is toast. It would only charge to around 11.5 v. A local guy opened up the sealed battery and it was dry. He added some acid and it charged to 12.9v but will not hold the charge. If I am lucky it's just the battery. However when i installed the battery and hooked up the ECM the battery is not charging. So the question is...even if the battery is done. Should it still show as charging? Or do I now have a VR/ stator issue to add to the list? | ||
| Reepicheep |
So with everything hooked up, and the bike motor running at idle, what voltage do you see across the battery? | ||
| Desert_bird |
Kevin. Dude, sorry to hear you're still in Buell paradise  I've been enjoying the videos your pal is posting. I just rolled into Good Airs, Argentina. Trip over for me. This morning I rolled into the airport and packed my bike up on a pallet to ship out to LAX. They did a killer job, ended up literally wrapping the entire bike in saran wrap. I'm in an overland biker garage/stop over stop. Few other people here trying to make it down to Ushuaia as well. Weather is getting cold. You better motor. I just replaced my stator and VR as well. I think my early problems in Panama (and Venezuela and Brazil) were due to a funky stator that I never diagnosed properly. When I finally pulled it I saw that one of the poles was caked with black carbon. Wouldn't have known that there was a problem until I did a grounding test when the thing was very warm. It was fine till hot, then it would either drop current or short circuit. The following links has some good diagnostics and may be a good place to start if you suspect a funky charging system. Gentleman-joh's comment is especially helpful. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/cgibin/discus/show .cgi?tpc=32777&post=1400571#POST1400571 Dogspeed DB | ||
| Kevinaye |
I have found the issue.... The battery was toast. But when I put in a new one, (I cant believe that my battery guy found one so quickley)It was not charging. My stator was new when I set off. So I had a look at the VR connection. There was some carbon on one of the pins. Then I found the same wire was chafed though to the metal. There is almost no room to play with the wire that is tucked inbeside the front pully. I ended up pulling it out of its connector trying to wrap it with electrical tape. I ended up stuffing the wire back in and wrapping the hell out of it with tape. Fired the bike up and its charging at around 14.4v. So everything is good except for the •••••• connection. I have some pins for the Deutsch connector so if I can just get it apart. I can get the connection solid again. DB, thats a bummer I was hoping to catch up with you. Maybe in the states sometime. Who did you ship your bike with and what was the cost? I am hearing of some really expensive quotes from Santiago. Which I thought was cheaper. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Forget the connector, just solder it and wrap it. Can you find silicone rescue tape there? | ||
| Desert_bird |
Kevin. Glad to hear your sorted again. I'm at Dakar Moto in BsA. Good people for traveling bikers and a solid rep. Plenty of over-landers on all sorts of rides, mostly Japanese thumpers. Good place to get bike work done. Beds to bunk, clean kitchen to make meals, matte and coffee, and a nice bathroom . . . or you can set up tent out back. They all kinda of sneer at the "Harley", but they can't help but wonder when you fire the sucker up $1,650 USD sealed and shipped to LAX through these guys on United. Totally professional. I fly out on the 4th. Where you at? | ||
| Kevinaye |
I am Potosi, Bolivia highest city in the world! Heading for the salt flats today. I get lots of flak for riding a Buell too......it makes me more set on keepin her going I have Knocked the idea of Ushuaia on the head as there is lots to see on the way. I was thinking that before I got stuck on Lima for three weeks. $1650 , excellent. I Uwas told of quotes of $3000 on a ship from Santiago. It'll probably be more to Canada. If its a big diff maybe I will fly to LA and ride up. What was the cost of your ticket to LA? | ||
| Uly_man |
Ah the right post. "My battery is toast. It would only charge to around 11.5 v. A local guy opened up the sealed battery and it was dry. He added some acid and it charged to 12.9v but will not hold the charge. If I am lucky it's just the battery." The battery is and must have been, a AGM gel type and NOTHING AT ALL can fix it once it craps out. A genuine AGM gel battery is nothing like the old lead acid type or even the sealed type you get now. You can not treat, charge them the same way or anything else the same as a lead acid plate battery. And as for cutting one open to try and fix it is NOT a good idea or will it work. I dought it was toast. (Message edited by uly_man on March 29, 2012) | ||
| Desert_bird |
Excellent. Keep that thing running, and enjoy the Bolivian highlands. It's all down hill from there. Better gas, services, hotels and parts await. Plenty of others down here are thumping up your way soon. I'll PM you with more shipping details. DB |
