xenorik1 Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 Hi guys, After riding in San Francisco traffic for about 30 minutes, I stopped to get some donuts. The temp was at 210-220F the whole time in the city, but I think its normal. When I got back on the bike to start it, it clicked but the engine didnt crank. The clock got reset. So I pushed started it and it worked. When I got back home, I checked and charged the battery, but it only took 5 minutes to charge it. So, my question is, is there something on the bike that prevents the bike from starting again when it has been running hot? It is not the battery because, it would start again when the bike is cold. I was thinking it might be starter related problems.... If you guys have any advice to give, please leave in the comment boxes below. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Cogswell Posted November 1, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted November 1, 2015 Concluding that the battery is not the problem might be premature . . . The battery may not be able to turn the engine over when hot because the charging system is failing (or failed), thus draining the battery while running (and getting warm). Once sitting for a while and the engine cools, the battery has also had time to rest as well as be on the charger, leading to the impression that it can only turn the engine over when cold. Voltage alone is not sufficient for a healthy battery. A battery that's discharged so far that it can't turn the starter won't charge in 5 minutes. It may show proper voltage, but may not be able to supply sufficient amperage at that voltage. A load test is the only way of knowing. Auto parts stores and places like Batteries Plus will usually do that for free. Once the battery is known good, check the voltage across the battery with the engine running. It should be in the 14.5v range, 13.5v at a bare minimum. If charging voltage is low, there are a number of pinned threads in the Electrical Forum that will lead you through diagnosing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Duc2V4 Posted November 1, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted November 1, 2015 +1 to Cogswell's post. Anytime the clock resets, it is because it lost voltage, to me that is the key indicator that the problem might stem from the battery/charging system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xenorik1 Posted November 2, 2015 Author Share Posted November 2, 2015 Concluding that the battery is not the problem might be premature . . . The battery may not be able to turn the engine over when hot because the charging system is failing (or failed), thus draining the battery while running (and getting warm). Once sitting for a while and the engine cools, the battery has also had time to rest as well as be on the charger, leading to the impression that it can only turn the engine over when cold. Voltage alone is not sufficient for a healthy battery. A battery that's discharged so far that it can't turn the starter won't charge in 5 minutes. It may show proper voltage, but may not be able to supply sufficient amperage at that voltage. A load test is the only way of knowing. Auto parts stores and places like Batteries Plus will usually do that for free. Once the battery is known good, check the voltage across the battery with the engine running. It should be in the 14.5v range, 13.5v at a bare minimum. If charging voltage is low, there are a number of pinned threads in the Electrical Forum that will lead you through diagnosing it. Hi Cogswell, are you saying that my battery is not the problem? I know the battery is good because when I am only commuting using highways, the battery is always charged. Just happens only when I am riding in the city. Why do you think that happens? I will go do the load testing this week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Cogswell Posted November 2, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted November 2, 2015 Like Duc2V4 indicates above, the clock resetting is due to a weak battery. That's a common VFR issue. The battery could be weak because it's old / tired, or because the charging system is not maintaining it. Measuring 12.8 volts on a battery doesn't mean it can turn the engine over - it's called a "surface charge". More reading here: http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/water_loss_acid_stratification_and_surface_charge If you have a nozzle on a garden hose and barely turn on the faucet, pressure (voltage) will build inside the hose. If the nozzle is barely cracked open you'll get good pressure with a minimal stream of water. Open the nozzle a lot and the pressure (voltage) drops way off because it cannot supply that volume (amperage) at the same pressure (voltage). Opening the nozzle a lot is the same as pressing the starter button. The starter is trying to draw a lot of amperage and the battery doesn't have it. It can hold voltage, but due to internal deterioration it only holds the charge on the surface of the plates and can no longer supply the amperage needed. That's why a voltage check alone is not sufficient to determine the health of the battery. If the charging system is working at a reduced level it may be giving it just enough to keep you going, but letting the battery discharge to the point where it won't restart it. Best course is a thorough diagnosis starting with the load test. If the battery passes, then check charging voltage. If that's good, then there's probably a corroded connection in a circuit somewhere you'll need to locate and clean. See what happens with the battery and go from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer paulmeisterpk Posted November 2, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted November 2, 2015 I had this same problem with my 5th gen. Turned out to be a bad battery. But definitely check all connections on the positive and ground side of the battery cables first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspanglish Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 Heat is the enemy of any electrical system... it dilates metal and thus can reveal shorts, broken wires, devices may fail only when hot (stator, regulator/rectifier, relays, battery, etc)... you have to diagnose the entire recharging system including wiring and connectors and such... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xenorik1 Posted November 4, 2015 Author Share Posted November 4, 2015 Hi guys, I listened to your advices and got load tested. Check it out. Concluding that the battery is not the problem might be premature . . . The battery may not be able to turn the engine over when hot because the charging system is failing (or failed), thus draining the battery while running (and getting warm). Once sitting for a while and the engine cools, the battery has also had time to rest as well as be on the charger, leading to the impression that it can only turn the engine over when cold. Voltage alone is not sufficient for a healthy battery. A battery that's discharged so far that it can't turn the starter won't charge in 5 minutes. It may show proper voltage, but may not be able to supply sufficient amperage at that voltage. A load test is the only way of knowing. Auto parts stores and places like Batteries Plus will usually do that for free. Once the battery is known good, check the voltage across the battery with the engine running. It should be in the 14.5v range, 13.5v at a bare minimum. If charging voltage is low, there are a number of pinned threads in the Electrical Forum that will lead you through diagnosing it. It turned out to be a bad battery. got it load tested and attached a pic. Thank you all for help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer paulmeisterpk Posted November 5, 2015 Member Contributer Share Posted November 5, 2015 Glad you got that taken care of. Mine would do it very intermittently. Ended up being a battery as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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