Been a long time since i've been on. Lots going on here in the Bay area. I had the unfortunate incident of losing my engine today. I was approaching the golden gate bridge on my way home and my engine died while rolling through an intersection. I had plenty of gas, the sidestand wasn't stuck or anything like that.
The tech said I may have a dead battery but that seems odd given i can turn the key on and have full power. It just won't catch when i hit the starter switch/ignition switch.
Anyone else out there either experience this or hear of this happening to another brother of ours?
I only have 4100 miles on the 2003 and it's all highway miles with no extreme riding.
When you hit the ingiter switch it makes the sound like it is going to start but it won't turn over and catch. I did not check the fuses and it is in the shop as we speak. Will know soon and will report the damage.
I DON'T SEE HOW IT COULD HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE BATTERY ! <_< If the bike was running it's running on the alt., not the battery unless there's a problem with the charging system ! This isn't to say your battery is in great cond. This reminds me of some of the wiring/elec. problems some of the Vtec owners were having, with melting wiring harness and connectors. I know of 3 different harness problems and one main connector problem over the last few years. Some fuse problems occurred from bad or weak wiring grounds, if I remember correctly. "The tech said I may have a dead battery " I wouldn't let that clown touch my bike ! As I stated, you really only need to battery to start the bike, after that the charging system should take over ALL electrical needs of the bike including charging the battery. Now if the Alt. was bad, then you could still drive the bike/car until the battery ran down enough that it could no longer provide the energy needed to maintain running the system and engine ! A bad battery would only be a problem when you tried to restart the bike after shutting it off. Wiring,fuse, charging system are more likely your problem, besides trying to find a competent mechanic. :pissed: Good luck ! :beer:
The tech said I may have a dead battery but that seems odd given i can turn the key on and have full power. It just won't catch when i hit the starter switch/ignition switch.
Anyone else out there either experience this or hear of this happening to another brother of ours?
Weakest link on Japanese motorcycles these days is the battery... unless you connect a battery tender during the periods the engine sits idle the battery may be insufficiently charge at the *start* of your ride... and it may not receive adequate charging while riding because you need at least 5000 rpm to put more back in the battery than the system draws... below 5000 rpm and the battery may declined enough to cause the engine to quit...
Here's a tip... If you are on the road and suspect your battery has declined enough to cause the engine to quit... try this... pull the headlight fuse... wait about 30 minutes... try starting... the battery may have come up enough to support combustion... limp home with no head lights... maybe select 5th instead of 6th for higher rpms...
It could very well be a bad battery. The alternator needs electricity from the battery, unlike a generator which produces its own electricity. You could drive a long way with a bad battery, but eventually when the juice is all used up the engine dies. My previous '85VF would not start one day, lights dim. I charge up the battery. Lights were bright but nothing from the starter. Turns out I had a bad cell in the battery. Enough juice for a bright light, but not enough to turn the starter over.
You should be proud to know it was in fact a FUSE issue. Apparently it happened exactly as you described. The fuse actually melted.
"Melted wiring harness and connectors. I know of 3 different harness problems and one main connector problem over the last few years. Some fuse problems occurred from bad or weak wiring grounds, if I remember correctly."
The BATTERY is actually fine according to my mechanic. And to clarify, it was the Towing guy/Technician that made the battery comment.
You should be proud to know it was in fact a FUSE issue. Apparently it happened exactly as you described. The fuse actually melted.
Well then I take back my earlier take back ! :lol: Mac, if indeed the the fuse melted and not just blew you may have one of the wiring harness issues. Which fuse blew ? That could tell you which harness is involved. Some guys were having the headlight fuse blow(problem with front harness), other's were having the main 30 amp power fuse blow next to the battery(rear sub main harness problem) and I think one other guy had a FI fuse blow. Also several people had one of the multi pin main connectors(blue) located under the left front dash acess panel melt together(Main Harness problem). If I remember right and wiring/ground problem was an issue on each. You may start another post asking about wiring/harness issues. You don't want to get stranded again ! :pissed: :beer:
It was the Main Fuse B fuse that literally melted. I will try to take a photo and include it soon. The dealer mechanic whom I've dealt with for a long time said he has never seen this one before.
I have added, as I mentioned in my PM to Baileyrock, a set of Hella Horns but I used a separate fused relay for that. When you look at the harness that holds the Main Fuse B 30amp fuse, the wires seem to have hardened from the heat and there are several dark/burned areas. For now I am going to wrap some electrical tape around the harness and keep my on it. Also, I'm going to carry some extra 30amp fuses in my tool bag.
I will post a new thread with respect to harness/wiring issues shortly. Thanks again for your input and any further input I welcome.
macliver, Mar 9 2005, 06:49 PMIt was the Main Fuse B fuse that literally melted. I will try to take a photo and include it soon. The dealer mechanic whom I've dealt with for a long time said he has never seen this one before.
I have added, as I mentioned in my PM to Baileyrock, a set of Hella Horns but I used a separate fused relay for that. When you look at the harness that holds the Main Fuse B 30amp fuse, the wires seem to have hardened from the heat and there are several dark/burned areas. For now I am going to wrap some electrical tape around the harness and keep my on it. Also, I'm going to carry some extra 30amp fuses in my tool bag.
I will post a new thread with respect to harness/wiring issues shortly. Thanks again for your input and any further input I welcome.
Mac
Hey Mac, is that the fuse right next to the battery ? If it is there is a Sub Harness that needs to be replaced. I try to carry that harness with me, I bought an extra one off ebay because it had been a problem for several people. I can't believe no one has chimed in on the harness problems yet ! :huh:
End of thread · 13 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 15 Mar 2005