| Author |
Message |
    
Wildturkey
| | Posted on Friday, August 21, 2015 - 01:26 am: | 
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First of all, I'd like to THANK EVERYONE for all these posts and replies on the site. Great community!
I will continue reading posts where I find duplicate problems I'm having but I'll go ahead and post my problem here too.
I have a 2004 XB12R Firebolt. Race kit has been installed since I bought the bike new in 2005. For the first several years, I went through batteries like crazy and kept buying Harley batteries for $120 to $130 a pop until I just couldn't do it anymore. Every battery I got just kept blowing.
Three years ago, I bought a battery from Walmart for $75 and until TODAY, it's been performing flawlessly... In fact, it may still be performing flawlessly.
I'm a writer and was working at my local coffee shop just as I do every day. Coffee shop closed, I get on the bike, turn the ignition key ON -- kill switch to RUN -- and hit the starter switch.
As soon as I hit the starter switch, the headlights and dash lights DIM almost all the way OUT. Starter does not turn over. Not even getting a clicking sound... Just a very low range buzzing sound.
I turn the ignition switch OFF.
I turn the ignition switch ON. Then kill switch to RUN again, SAME THING.
When I turn the ignition switch on, I get bright headlights and SEEMINGLY, enough juice to turn the motor over -- that is until I hit the starter switch. My bright headlights and dash lights simply DIM down to almost off and STAY that way until I turn the ignition switch OFF.
As soon as I turn the ignition switch back ON, no problem... Bright headlights and dash lights like normal... Until I hit the starter. Then everything goes dim.
I'm thinking of a grounding problem but unfortunately, it was dark where I was tonight and couldn't do anything but take the battery out, clean all terminals and tighten everything back up again.
Same exact thing happened when I completed cleaning battery terminals. Nothing changed.
Bike was running PERFECTLY before this happened tonight.
Had to leave the bike at the coffee shop and WALK home. About to get back in the car and go jump the battery to a grounding point on the engine just to see if it will start.
ANY ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks for reading! |
Mrakz83
| | Posted on Friday, August 21, 2015 - 06:19 am: |
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I wouldn't be surprised if it's time for another battery. 3 years out of a cheap battery is pretty good, I think. |
Reepicheep
| | Posted on Friday, August 21, 2015 - 07:56 am: |
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Check your grounds, but it could just be a bad battery. I think there was a batch of bad HD batteries kicking around also, I also got one that didn't last long.
You can also "reboot" or extend the life of some batteries with one of the better smart chargers (which aren't necessarily expensive).
When you start the bike, put a decent voltmeter across the terminals of the battery and see what the voltage is. If the VR is failing, you might be overcharging the battery, which can destroy them. |
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