2nd New Battery, Still Dead

[dakota7557]

I certainly will...Good advice!

[dakota7557]

Checked out the battery at Autozone and they said it is "Fully Charged"...Guess I'll have to take the starter out and see what I find...Jody

[kmaysob]

I thought you read 6v? How did you test it?

[cnc]

Originally Posted by kmaysob

I thought you read 6v? How did you test it?

Yeah what happened there?

[Yellow Jacket]

Did Autozone actually do a load test or just a voltage test? A voltage test without a load is a waste of time.

[dakota7557]

They did a load test and said that the battery was fully charged, with no dead cells...They had a new one sitting on the counter just in case it was shot, so I have no reason not to believe them...I went to Oreilly's and they said they couldn't load test it because they didn't have the right clips...Now I'm trying to figure out how to test the starter...I'm sure I can't test it while it's hooked up (that would be to easy...lol) I raised the radiator so now I believe I can get to the 2 bolts on the starter...Just need to decide if it's working right...thanks for the post

[dakota7557]

Originally Posted by cnc

Yeah what happened there?

The only thing I can guess is that one of the clips momentarily slipped off while I hit the starter button...

[kmaysob]

http://www.freeasestudyguides.com/vo...drop-test.html

Here's a good way to test the cables

[dakota7557]

Thanks Ryan, I will give this a shot...I'm certainly no expert when it comes to testing cables and circuits but this explains it in terms I can understand...Have both the simple light and the meter so it gives me another place to start...If/When I figure this out, I will be better at testing both cables and circuits...lol...Thanks again, Jody

[cnc]

Did you ever test and verify if there was any current draw on the battery when it is installed in the bike with the key and all accessories are off?
This would be a good step now that you know for sure that you have a good battery.
Checking for high resistance in the cables and their connections would be next. Once you have eliminated all the simpler to check causes of your problem then it would be time to turn your attention to the starter. Do you have a copy of the shop manual?
I have not looked specifically, but I imagine there is info on testing the starter and it's acceptable draw on the battery.

[dakota7557]

I lifted the radiator up (and somewhat out of the way) so I could get to the positive cable on the starter better...I took the cable off and sanded that nice and shiny and also cleaned the starter bolt better and hooked them up tight...again...With everything off last night it read 12.79...This morning it read 12.78, (which I assume is normal)...This noon it was 12.77, decided to try and start the bike and it took off like it should...Not sure if getting at the cable on the starter better (with the radiator out of the way) was what it needed...I will try to start it again this evening after it sits for a few hours and see what happens...If it doesn't, my focus will be on the starter itself...I do have the Clymers Manual so that seems to help...It's hard to believe how many wires, clips, etc. are on this bike...Since everything is pretty much apart, I can get at them pretty easy right now...Guess Time will tell...Thanks for the reply, Jody

[smokey]

Put some di-electric grease on the connections as well, it will protect them from corrosion. You should check the ground on the frame or engine as well, doesn't hurt, after the all it is an older bike.

[dakota7557]

I put the probe light on the fuses at the junction box (connected to the overflow) and the lights came on all the fuses (Headlight, tail light, ig, turn) except two...The ACC & Fan...I assume I need to follow those 2 wires to see if they are grounding out somewhere...Anyone know if this is correct? Thanks

[cactusjack]

I believe the fan fuse will show 0v unless the engine temp is high enough to activate the fan.

[kmaysob]

try the test i posted above. you say its acting normal now. you may have gotten it by cleaning the connections. the test i posted, will tell you if you have a bad cable under the insulation. aside from that, if its starting like normal now, ride it and keep an eye on it. i would assume the acc fuse will have power on it when running and like cj said, the fan my not have power until it gets hot enough to be kicked on. if it was grounded out, you would have a blown fuse.