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Electrical "Fun"!!!


sdkid

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I accidentally locked the bike ('03 R11550RT) with the parking lights on for several hours...Grrrrr! Dead.

 

After a lot of hassles, I got it push-started (BTW--2nd gear works better than 1st). I revved the hell out of it, and rode at higher RPMs for a while to help get some juice back in the battery. My commute home is over 40 miles, and on the way, I was unable to use my radio or adjust the windshield. I figured there just was not enough juice for those luxuries, and a night on the charger would do the trick.

 

I get home, and put the charger on (using a connection from one of the power ports.) The charger is set at 2 amps max, and automatic. I get a good ground off the shifter, and the juice trickles in. Right when I connect the ground clamp, my radio turns on, (Yay!) and I give the windshield adjuster a try and it moves. Alright! We'll get 'er charged up, and we'll be back in business.

 

Next morning, the charger is giving me a green light, saying the battery is fully charged. Cool. I disconnect the leads, fire up the girl (and she starts immediately and easily), and off to work I go. I get a few blocks away, and I realize no radio. Hmmmm. I look-- the clock says 00:01. Hmmmmmm. I try the windscreen adjustment---zilch. Hmmmmmmmmm. Do I continue or go back? Lights, horn, and turn signals work. The ABS is working. I decide piss on it...I'm going to work.

 

After work, it fires right up IMMEDIATELY--no sense of any battery problem in starting. All lights and indicators are full brightness. The clock says 00:00 again, no radio, no windscreen adjustment. I didn't try the power grips. The ride home is great, though I am missing my radio.

 

I get home, get out the charger, and upon hooing up the leads, voila, the radio comes to life, and I have my windscreen adjustment back. I reach down and disconnect the ground clamp. The radio dies and the other items don't work. Back on, they work (and the charger immediately says my battery is full). All fuses are fine, btw.

 

My conclusions:

1. my battery is fine.

2. my charger is somehow providing juice for those accessories through some other pathway.

 

My Questions:

What the hell is going on???

 

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Why would you think your battery is fine?

 

I had a bike on a battery tender that read green but it just couldn't pull enough juice to fire up the little 250.

You got lucky there was enough cranking amps to fire your ride up but that took all the effort it had, so no accessories after that.

 

My bet is you have seen the end of that battery and it's time to get another.

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Trust me--I wish it were that simple.

 

I just started it again...twice...very easily. Then with the bike off, I turned on the side headlights and the highbeam, all shining Brightly, and started it yet again. No radio and no windscreen adjustment. Clock says 00:00

 

Methinks the battery is fine. There is something else going on.

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Got a good ground on the battery? Post ok?

 

Check your connection to engine case and/or frame via the ground cable.

 

MB>

 

Wouldn't a ground problem there make it hard to start?

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The only reason I said that was 'cause you stated that accessories came on and off with the ground.

 

" Reach down and disconnect the ground clamp and radio dies.."

 

MB>

 

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sdkid, you have a strange one indeed.. Sounds like an electrical test with a trick question..

 

My first guess would be the #3 fuse or wiring on that circuit..

 

If your windshield & radio work with your battery charger hooked up but not off the vehicle battery that would point to low battery voltage.. But with the engine operating above fast idle you should have plenty of current at proper voltage to operate all accessories so that pretty well eliminates that..

 

You mention of charging through a connection at one of the power ports? If that is correct,, then you could be back feeding the radio/windshield circuit on the downstream side of the (I believe #3 fuse).. As soon as you remove the charger (or the charger ground) that circuit would then go dead again)..

 

Start by using a test light (or voltmeter) on ALL the fuses in the fuse box (engine running).. There are little metal test points on top of the fuses (both sides) that you can use as test points.. Be sure to test BOTH sides of all fuses..

 

If all OK there (I’m betting one is bad) then place a voltmeter on the battery with the engine running at fast idle (don’t do for long as you can burn the plastic around the exhaust pipes).. If your voltage is in the mid to low 14v range your problem is not battery or system voltage related..

 

Try moving your battery charger directly to the battery posts,, I’ll bet the radio & windshield doesn’t work then.. If it does then post back as you have some strange problem that will require voltage testing at specific system & accessory locations..

 

fuse1.jpg

 

Twisty

 

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.. Be sure to test BOTH sides of all fuses..

 

 

Twisty

 

Twisty, not questioning your advice, because you always provide excellent counsel. Can you educate me why one would need to test both sides of the fuse test points? Seems like there is connectivity or there isn't and that testing either side would give the same result?

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.. Be sure to test BOTH sides of all fuses..

 

 

Twisty

 

Twisty, not questioning your advice, because you always provide excellent counsel. Can you educate me why one would need to test both sides of the fuse test points? Seems like there is connectivity or there isn't and that testing either side would give the same result?

 

One side is power in, the other power out. This type of fuse is notorious for looking good when it is in fact blown. I test fuses on the road by substituting a known good one.

 

Andy

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Brad, pretty simple reason.. Power comes into one side of the fuse then out the other (good fuse).. With a blown fuse the power-in side will always test good as long as power present..

 

The power then passes through the fuse filament then out the other side.. With a blown fuse you won’t show power on the outlet side..

 

Seeing as in most cases you have no idea what side of the fuse the power comes in on you test both sides.. Power on one side but no power on the other signifies a blown or open fuse.. (very quick & easy test)

 

fuse.jpg

 

Twisty

 

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Twisty NAILED this one! All must bow to his greatness!

 

The #3 fuse was in fact blown, resulting in the odd behavior. I don't have an extra fuse, so I swapped the #10 fuse (fog lamp relay) into the #3 spot and everything is back to normal.

 

Question: The number 3 lists a bunch of accessories, including the radio, but then the number 8 fuse is listed specifically for the radio. Well, does the radio draw power through BOTH fuses? That seems strange.

 

BTW: One of the first things I will be doing is getting several extra fuses to keep ON THE BIKE. Lesson learned.

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sdkid, yes, both fuses.. One for the Ign OFF keep alive for setting remembrance & one to bring the remainder of the radio to life when the key is turned on..

 

Twisty

 

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Brad, pretty simple reason.. Power comes into one side of the fuse then out the other (good fuse).. With a blown fuse the power-in side will always test good as long as power present..

 

The power then passes through the fuse filament then out the other side.. With a blown fuse you won’t show power on the outlet side..

 

Seeing as in most cases you have no idea what side of the fuse the power comes in on you test both sides.. Power on one side but no power on the other signifies a blown or open fuse.. (very quick & easy test)

 

fuse.jpg

 

Twisty

 

Wow.

 

Thanks :thumbsup:

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well..............I was having a problem and before I posted, did a search, and found this...

Started my RTP. started fine. A few minutes down the road, I noticed my clock was at 00:03. Returned home and put the charger on, green started blinking right away. Tried starting with the headlight turned on, light dims, bike starts, clock is fine.....

A few weeks ago I had checked all my battery connections for tightness..... I'll try it again tomorrow and see what happens..

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Start by using a test light (or voltmeter) on ALL the fuses in the fuse box (engine running).. There are little metal test points on top of the fuses (both sides) that you can use as test points.. Be sure to test BOTH sides of all fuses..

 

fuse1.jpg

 

Twisty

 

Excellent, I've learned something new today.

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well..............I was having a problem and before I posted, did a search, and found this...

Started my RTP. started fine. A few minutes down the road, I noticed my clock was at 00:03. Returned home and put the charger on, green started blinking right away. Tried starting with the headlight turned on, light dims, bike starts, clock is fine.....

A few weeks ago I had checked all my battery connections for tightness..... I'll try it again tomorrow and see what happens..

 

If the problem shows itself again, I would pop your fully charged battery along to a garage to get a capacity test done on it. It may be on its way out. As you say, tightening the battery terminals may have sorted it.

 

Andy

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Well...did not charge the battery last night and no problem w/ clock or starting this morning..........

I did some jiggling of the ignition wires, as I did solder in a new section of the red wire that had broken and I thought maybe there was another broken....no clock is still good.

Thinking back though, my drive has a pretty good slope and I was thinking of something else and may have had the brake applied as I turned on the ignition and started...

Could the drain of ABS have caused the clock to reset ?

(I will take the battery and have it checked)

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meabe you already do this ... if not ...try it

 

chech all cells in your battery (probably you burn some) when this happend your bartery full soon in charge but not at all cells in yoour battery work`s

 

another probaly your alternator burns some ("diodo" word in spanish)... diodo is an electrical component in to the alternadors...

 

check it with an amperimetro it should have to show you 40 amps ... to 13.75 volts if it les than it .. . the problem is in to the alternador (diodo)

 

good look

 

sincerly felipe

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