| Author | Message | ||
     Stevebay |
After working to 6:00 am I ready to go home and it won't start. There is a rapid clicking noise but the starter will not engage. I checked the battery connnections and they are not loose. Please let me know if anyone has experienced this or has any suggestions. Thanks | ||
| Moboy516 |
sounds like a bad battery to me. | ||
| Captainplanet |
Take the battery connections loose, clean them with a wire brush (a pocketknife will do it too by scraping), then put them back on and tighten them down. Many XB owners have had the same thing happen and after cleaning the connections and retightening, they find that the battery is fine. If that doesn't work, then charge the battery. Of course, if charging doesn't work, then a new battery is likely in order. | ||
| Dagwood |
Possibly the voltage regulator, also. | ||
| Bruceclay |
My money says if the battery is 2 years old replace it. Even if there is no problem. Opinions?? | ||
| Stevebay |
I just put a volt meter on the battery and when I turned the key on it dropped from 12 to 9 volts. I was able to start it with a jump and the voltage read over 14 so the charging system seems okay. It looks like the battery is the problem. I bought the bike in April and put 2000 miles on it. The previous owner said it was a new battery. That is why I didn't think that the battery would be the problem. I'll buy a new battery tomorrow to see if that will do it. Thanks for all your help. Steve | ||
| Izzinya |
battery ?? (number one suggestion} cables broke inside ?? main breaker?? fuses?? (stator ?? regulator??... chargeing system??} just what i would check and my 2c Izzinya | ||
| Blake |
Good diagnosis Steve. Anything less than 12.5 volts fully charged indicates a faulty battery. New battery should read 13.4 volts. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Excellent diagnostic work. The only thing you might be missing (you probably aren't but I can't tell from the description) is a bad connection from the battery to the terminals. If you have a heavily corroded connection, that is conducting but has a lot of resistence, when you measure the voltage no load it will be very high (as a digital multi meter only draws a fraction of a thousandth of an amp). Volts = Amps * Resistance (V=I*R), so with I effectively zero current, you have effectively zero voltage drop across the crappy connection. Once you hith the headlights, the current goes up to over an amp, so the voltage drop through the bad connection can go through the roof. If you measure the voltage across the terminal wires, you could be measuring this voltage drop. If you are measuring off the actual battery, you would not see it. So clean the connections really well and re-test before writing off the battery. In general, I am quick to condem batteries as the weakest link in most automotive systems, but these Harley batteries seem to be *very* good. | ||
| Stevebay |
Thanks again for all of your help. I installed a new battery and what a difference! I've only owned this bike for about 4 months and have never owned a Buell or Harley. The starter turned over slowly from day one but I assumed that was normal. I do have another quick question though. Is it possible to "push start" a Buell? Steve | ||
| Chainsaw |
I do have another quick question though. Is it possible to "push start" a Buell? Yes. I've done it a few times. | ||
| Bruceclay |
You have to be able to push it pretty fast. if you can go down hill it REALLY HELPS. I always use 2nd gear. if you try to use 1st it will just skid the tire. | ||
| Izzinya |
on efi bikes there has to be around 9 volts you have to prime the fuel pump,run the ecm,and so on it is VERY hard to compression start an efi bike there HAS to be some voltage !!!! just my 2C Izzinya | ||
| Stevebay |
That's probably the reason I was not able to push start my bike. There was about only about 9 volts when the ignition was turned on. Steve |
