Battery leads reversed, what now?

[artibramuir]

Not yet, haven't had a spare minute to work on it. New ignition switch should get in this weekend, and I'm going to go through the list of diagnostics you all gave me.


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[Motogiro]

Not yet, haven't had a spare minute to work on it. New ignition switch should get in this weekend, and I'm going to go through the list of diagnostics you all gave me.


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Remember! Disconnect the battery (negative lead) before working on that ignition switch!

 

[artibramuir]

Well, the new ignition switch hasn't come in and I haven't had time to do a full diagnostic program, but it seems like it's back at 100% nonetheless.

A couple days ago I took out the battery to put it on the tender, and in the process noticed two things:

1) The rubber stopper on the (+) lead extender was missing. Yeah, I know--it scared me, too. It was there Sunday, so this must have happened after O'Reilly's tested the battery.

2) The (-) terminal bolt socket was missing altogether, with a VERY weak connection. When I took the battery out Sunday I noticed that the previous owner had connected it with a wide-threaded machine screw, which obviously didn't fit, so I didn't look closer at that time. Now I'm guessing he did that to try and jam the connector tight without a socket. I have no idea why he didn't just use a nut.

3) I should have mentioned this before, but there was a cheap LED fog light wired into the system. I took a closer look because the last time I rode the lights were intermittently shorting, and was shocked at just how jury rigged they were.

The battery was up to 13.8v after a night on the tender. I reinstalled it, fixing all of these things in the process. In an abundance of caution, I completely uninstalled the lead extender, though it's so convenient I'll probably be replacing it soon. I also uninstalled the fog light, which I may or may not reinstall depending on how the replacement LED H4 bulbs I ordered end up performing.

The bike started right up, and the DMM showed good values when I hooked it up the way [MENTION=15974]FinalImpact[/MENTION] showed above. (13s at idle, high 14s when revving above 4k).

The next test was to let it sit overnight, since Sunday after O'Reilly's it had started up great only to be dead Monday morning. But this morning it started right up! Also, the check engine light that had been going on and off hasn't shown up since I went through this list. I didn't get into diagnostic mode to see what the error was, but I strongly suspect it was the inadequate power error. It was usually on at idle or low revs, but went off every time I got on the highway.

Anyway, I'm going to stay cautious (postponing my motorcycle camping trip), and I'm still going to replace the ignition so I can lock the bike for the first time ever, but it looks like it's roadworthy once again. Thanks again, guys.

 

[FinalImpact]

Hmm - help me out here; what is the "The rubber stopper on the (+) lead extender was missing." Are you talking about the Red boot that shields the terminal?

This?

I would guess the poor connection / loose connection was the bulk of your charging, starting, & running, + CEL errors. Any bump or load could "make or break" that connection!

A proper fastener is critical to system reliability!

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

The rubber stopper on the (+) lead extender was missing. Yeah, I know--it scared me, too. It was there Sunday, so this must have happened after O'Reilly's tested the battery.

Randy, I think he's talking about the SAE plug end cap that goes on the end of battery changer leads.

Art, you can run the SAE wire without that protective cap.

The positive terminal of the end is the INSULATED end(with rubber around it). The bare end is ground, so it won't hurt anything if it touches metal..

 

[artibramuir]

I was talking about an improvised remote terminal connector the previous owner installed. Basically a foot-long centimeter-thick wire attached to the (+) terminal and hanging loose behind the windshield. The rubber piece on it was to keep it from shorting against the frame, and I saw it spark a few times when I pulled it out bare.

 

[Motogiro]

I was talking about an improvised remote terminal connector the previous owner installed. Basically a foot-long centimeter-thick wire attached to the (+) terminal and hanging loose behind the windshield. The rubber piece on it was to keep it from shorting against the frame, and I saw it spark a few times when I pulled it out bare.

What ever type connector for charging there should be an inline fuse (preferably the spade type) installed at the positive terminal at the battery in case there is a short. This would prevent a number of undesirable consequences.

 

[artibramuir]

Quick update. I still haven't gotten a chance to replace the ignition switch, but I haven't had a hint of trouble in the last week, which is good since the last "fix" I posted about didn't seem to take.

It worked great for a couple days, but after I accidentally tried to start it in gear (I know), the battery was too weak to start it and a decent amount of highway riding wasn't bringing it back up.

Fortunately, the next day I got a new battery in (I'd ordered while I was out of town before O'Reily's gave me a clean bill of health because I was so confident mine was shot) and a LED headlight (which I ordered thinking that reducing power draw could wring a little more life out of an underperforming stator). I put the battery on the tender overnight, and noticed in the morning that it reached a much higher peak voltage than the old battery had (I don't recall the exact number). I installed both in the morning.

Since then, everything has been great. Haven't had a hint of decreased battery power, and the new LED seems brighter than the bulb it replaced--not bad for $35 shipped. Planning on swapping out the other bulb soon.

 

[Motogiro]

I've moved the Cree conversation posts to the other Cree thread so as not to hijack this thread.. http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-mods/54351-cree-led-h7-upgrade-4.html#post602065

 

[agf]

I've moved the Cree conversation posts to the other Cree thread so as not to hijack this thread.. http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-mods/54351-cree-led-h7-upgrade-4.html#post602065

Thanks Cliff