'05 Ultra won't start...

[BigTOE]

This one is going to be aggravating. I just know it is. Sorry for the long story but...

Got the bike back from the shop last week after they replaced a leaking shifter shaft seal. Went to eat with Scabby and when I came out of the restaurant the bike wouldn't turn over. Just a clunk and everything dims. (except the headlight, not sure if this is a clue) It did that before when the batt was getting weak so I turned off all the electrical stuff I could and after a couple tries it started. Put it on the tender over night and all good.

Next morning we left for a little weekend trip up to KY. Tossed the tender in just in case. First few stops everything is great. Stopped at the welcome station at Land Between The Lakes and it did it again. Bike and been on and off 3 or for times by now and had just been running for an hour or more. After a few tries I was about to try to roll it to a plug and see if the tender would help when it started. Whew. Went on up the road and stopped for the night. Was able to plug it in and the next morning it fired right up.

Stopped for gas a ways down the road and no problem. Stopped again about an hour and a half later and dead as a door nail. Rolled it to a plug and plugged it in. Waited...nothing...waited more...nothing. Finally got a jump from one of the locals and it fired right up. Off we go. Stopped for lunch and plugged it in while we ate. When I came back out it showed fully charged and nothing. Got another jump and limped home without shutting it off again.

Put it on the tender over night and next morning it shows fully charged but won't start..won't jump off. Nothing. Fortunately I had another battery so I dropped that in, fired it up and off to get a new battery from Eastern Penn who makes the Harley battery for less than a third of the price but I digress.

When I got the the warehouse the guys already had a battery set out for me and I had brought the one that I took out before I left. They toss it on the tester and go wow..this is dead on spec for a new battery. Moved it over the the big tester to put a load on it and same same. Just like brand new. OK this is weird but since I'm here lets throw a new one in anyway. So we put in a new batt, fire it up and everything is good. Put the seat back on, pay for the batt, say goodbye and...CLUNK. Well it's not the battery. Reverse the process, unpay, put the battery I came with back in, cross fingers and she started. Stopped for gas on the way home and she started. On the battery tender overnight..all good.

Headed to the dealer the next morning and they can't find anything loose but it's not charging just exactly like it should. Has a new stator from a month or so ago so maybe regulator or rotor so the fine folks at the extended warranty toss a regulator on and it's doing better but rotor is still suspect. They have to order that so it won't be in til next week. So off I go with instructions to leave it off the tender to see if the regulator fixed it.

Nope..went out last night to go for a short putt and clunk. Back on the tender for a few and it fired right up. Told ya it was going to be aggravating.

Only other symptom I see is when it won't start the voltage is showing down around 10.5 and when it does it's up around 12. Sometimes it won't start and then after a few tries it does. It acts like something loose or bad cable at times and other times it just acts like a bad batt or like something is draining it down.

Any thoughts? I'm going to put a rotor in it anyway just cause they're willing to but I'm thinking there has to be something else going on.

[Scabbydoo]

Dammmm Ed, wish I'd have known you were having trouble before I left Judge Bean's.

[BigTOE]

Originally Posted by Scabbydoo

Dammmm Ed, wish I'd have known you were having trouble before I left Judge Bean's.

It started about the 4th or 5th try. You wouldn't have even had time to get out of the car but you know I appreciate ya.

[Geezer-Glide]

Few places to look.

Look at:
The positive wire. Follow it under the backbone, just in front of the battery. There it attaches to a relay. Make sure that nut is tight there. Then follow that to the positive post on your starter. Same thing. In fact, REMOVE the positive post from the battery, then you'll probably have to pull the battery out. Check the positive wire where it hits the relay, and make sure that it's clean. NO rust or corrosion. Same thing on the post for the starter. It could be tight, but dirty and messing with connections.

Next.
Follow the ground wire from the battery to the starter. It attaches to the rear starter bolt. There is a star washer under it, make sure all is CLEAN and tight.

Next.
There is a little plastic plug in the end of your starter. Check it for tightness and corrosion.

Once started, put a tester across the battery terminals. It should be 14.2 to 14.5 DCV with the bike at idle. If it's slightly lower, say in the mid to high 13V range, up the idle to about 1200 to 1500. If it jumps up to 14+V, you're charging system is OK.

Hope this helps.

[TalonChief]

Loose wire/corroded connection.

[BigTOE]

Originally Posted by Geezer-Glide

Few places to look.

Look at:
The positive wire. Follow it under the backbone, just in front of the battery. There it attaches to a relay. Make sure that nut is tight there. Then follow that to the positive post on your starter. Same thing. In fact, REMOVE the positive post from the battery, then you'll probably have to pull the battery out. Check the positive wire where it hits the relay, and make sure that it's clean. NO rust or corrosion. Same thing on the post for the starter. It could be tight, but dirty and messing with connections.

Next.
Follow the ground wire from the battery to the starter. It attaches to the rear starter bolt. There is a star washer under it, make sure all is CLEAN and tight.

Next.
There is a little plastic plug in the end of your starter. Check it for tightness and corrosion.

Once started, put a tester across the battery terminals. It should be 14.2 to 14.5 DCV with the bike at idle. If it's slightly lower, say in the mid to high 13V range, up the idle to about 1200 to 1500. If it jumps up to 14+V, you're charging system is OK.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Steve. That's all the stuff the dealer supposedly just did but I'm going to use your instructions and do it again myself just to be sure. One reason he thinks the rotor is suspect is that he had to rev it to like 3000 to get the full charge going. The fact that it's intermittent and doesn't seem to matter if it's been sitting or running leads me to think that there's a cable problem of some sort. I may ride down there and keep shutting off and riding around till it dies. Then they can work from a point where it's not working.

[squish]

does this mean you're not going to be there tomorrow?

[BigTOE]

Originally Posted by Squish

does this mean you're not going to be there tomorrow?

I'm working on it...hope so.

[Sonic]

Originally Posted by BigTOE

I'm working on it...hope so.

We can push start ya...

[Backroad Mike]

Has anyone tested the resistance on the cables?? They could be coroded inside the protective cover and you can't see it.

[BigSwede]

Originally Posted by BigTOE

That's all the stuff the dealer supposedly just did

The dealer also checked y2kilikegirliepartcakes' bike too. Load tested his batry...........never thought to check the tightness of the battery cables......

[vafatboy]

Load test the starter too.

[Dinero]

Originally Posted by vafatboy

Load test the starter too.

It could be the starter itself, shorting internally.


I sure hope yu find out quick because I really want to know what is wrong.

[Thorns]

Quit screwing around. Take to an Indy who knows something about Harleys and their starting and charging systems. It's no fun to pay for someone's guessing. If you were around here we would be all over it. Russ is a 3rd year apprentice and can fix it in a flash...(I do mean that.)

[vafatboy]

Originally Posted by Dinero No Mas

It could be the starter itself, shorting internally.


I sure hope yu find out quick because I really want to know what is wrong.

Yep. Or a broken winding or a spot producing to much resistance=more heat=even more resistance.