[szembek]

Ok, I was recently having some trouble where My ES wasn't working and the wheeler wouldn't start. The dealer changed the voltage regulator and that seemed to fix everything. It started right up, the ES worked great, etc.. But after the wheeler set for 2 weeks the bike wouldn't start with the starter. I could pull start it though. The battery is only 6 months old and was just fully charged when I had the voltage regulator swapped. Is there any type of test I can do to find out if something is draining the battery while it is off? Is it normal to have to pull start these after setting only 2 weeks if the battery is good? What could I look for as something that would cause a battery drain?

My fan isn't kicking on either, I think the wire plugged into the thermosensor may have come disconnected again. Could these problems be related?

Thanks!

 

[dirty4man]

does the silinoid click or does the starter try to turn or is everything dead? There is a 30amp main fuse under the seat inside a rubber case/tube that will cause everything to lose power if blown.

 

[szembek]

re:

QUOTE ("Dirty4man":2hp6ho3z)

does the silinoid click or does the starter try to turn or is everything dead? There is a 30amp main fuse under the seat inside a rubber case/tube that will cause everything to lose power if blown.

I'll give a little more detail. It would try and turn over just a little and then it would just click. There was also not enough juice to use the ES without the wheeler running. I was pull starting it several times, but only running it long enough to drive down and check a target, drive back, shoot, repeat. Every time I had to pull start it. But then I rode it for about a 15-20 minute ride and shut it off for a minute or two. After this the electric start DID work once. But 2 hours later when I went to unload my wheeler back home, I again had to pull start it. It really sounds like the battery is not holding a charge, but it is fairly new and it seems to charge up fine, it's just losing it too fast somehow. I hate to spend the money on a new battery and have it do the same thing.

 

[dirty4man]

Sounds like its either a bad connection or the battery. Even with it only being 6 months old, its still possible for it to go bad. I know you dont want to hear that. Bring the battery into one of the local auto stores and have them do a load test on it for you.

 

[justinwilliamskx]

might just have a weak charge in it try chargeing up the battery on a charger not just useing the wheeler and then see how it works

 

[szembek]

Thanks

Ok thanks for the advice. I'll probably charge up the battery and see how it goes for now. Any further troubles I might just end up with a new battery. At least I know the pull start isn't too bad in a pinch, as long as it's in neutral.

 

[Sparkey]

The heart of any electrical system is the battery. Even a new battery can be bad. To check the system first charge the battery.
The battery should be load tested by a shop, but a quick test that works pretty well is as follows

Fully chareged batter should have 14.5 - 15 volts approximatly.
Hook a volt meter across the Pos and neg terminals, disable the ign system (use the kill switch on the handle bars) and spin the motor over for 15 seconds. A good battery should handle this with no problem. If the voltage drops below 9.6 volts the battery is probably bad.

Another check is to charge the battery fully, note the voltage then disconnect the battery and let it sit for a couple of weeks. the voltage should be up around 14 volts, and the battery should start the engine easily. If the battery will not hold a charge while it is disconnected it is bad.

To check for a draw that may be killing your battery disconnect only the neg side. Hook a volt meter or a 12 volt test light between the neg battery terminal and the ground wire that is disconnected. With the key off there should be less than 1 volt draw, or the light should glow very dimly or preferably not at all. I know the computers draw a little voltage, but this should not be enough to kill a battery.

Hook every thing up, put the volt meter across the battery terminals and start the engine. Rev it up to about 2500 or 3000 rpm and see what the voltage is. it shoud be 2 or 3 volts over the base line battery voltage. If it is not the charging system may have a problem. (but you must have a good battery for this test to be accurate)

Like I said these are just a few quick checks that may indicate a problem.

For better diagnosis get the shop manual for your bike and follow the procedures in order. Do not skip steps or you may miss something basic, which can drive you nuts.