Bike trying to start all by itself

[Roaddawg]

OK, so I made the mistake of:
A: washing the bike
B: Having seat off and not covering battery compartment

In a rush decided to just try to wash the bike off real quick. Tried just hitting the tins, but some water must have gotten to something to do with the starter. All of a sudden the bike is trying to turn over all by iteself. I disconnected the battery quickly, but now everytime I try to reattach terminals it tries to start.

Key is in off position. Tried cycling engine cut off switch. It has sat overnight and everything appears dry.
Any ideas???

 

[Th3InfamousI]

I'm guessing you still have EHC?

Unplug the harness from the EHC and blow some compressed air In there and let it dry for a bit. Them reconnect. I wouldn't use any dielectric there yet until you know it's completely dry and all works.

If that doesn't work take apart the right hand control and make sure you didn't get water in there.

You should be alright just need to find the water.


Haha funny you should post this today I'm about to hose down my bike today for the first time. But I no longer have an EHC.

Sent from my 2PS64 using Tapatalk

 

[BWG56]

Try blowing the moisture out with compressed air on the hand control and the EHC

 

[BWG56]

That's what Eric said

By damn he did, didn't he, opps my bad. Not enough coffee yet

 

[Mr. Wright]

And this is the perfect example of why you should always park the bike in neutral.

 

[Roaddawg]

Well, yes I do have the EHC, and thankfully it was parked in Neutral, though I could have filmed it and presented it to the insurance company as some sort of demonic manifestation unto itself. I will try using compressed air (I did use it to mostly dry the bike after washing it) on the EHC and hand controls. Will keep you all informed.

 

[njbiker20088]

Well, yes I do have the EHC, and thankfully it was parked in Neutral, though I could have filmed it and presented it to the insurance company as some sort of demonic manifestation unto itself. I will try using compressed air (I did use it to mostly dry the bike after washing it) on the EHC and hand controls. Will keep you all informed.

you are the next ghost rider.

 

[Roaddawg]

Well took the two pin connectors of the EHC and used air on them. Pretty much hit the entire battery box area for about 10 minutes or more. Did the same on the hand controls and around the starter. Put the battery back in, connected the positive and then tried to connect the negative. As soon as the negative touched the battery post it was trying to start again.

Maybe tomorrow I will just let it sit in the sun all day and see if that can dry out wherever the issue lurks.

So, I wanted to take the chopper up to Cave Creek (AZ bike week is ongoing) to check out other rides. No go on the chopper. Fortunately the HD fired right up and off I went.

I saw several big dogs, mostly choppers, K9 and Ridgeback. There were some nice rides, decked out with paint and all there, but not as much as I had hoped. Some nice paint here and there, but not really alot. The big wheel fad was still prevalent amongst the custom builders, but it does nothing for me.

When I was leaving, I really wished I had the Dog. My HD Ultra, black in color, just blended in with all the others, lined up along the roadway several hundred long. Talk about a non descript look. There were probably 8 or 9 identical bikes to mine, on both sides of where I was parked. One thing about a Big Dog, they stand out from the crowd.

 

[Bmarchant]

See if your starter is stuck, engaged. Happened to me at the gas station last year. Almost lost my bike. I quickly got the 10mm wrench out and got the battery unhooked. Had to replace my starter, regulator, and battery.

Once that engages, there is nothing in between the starter and battery. It will keep turning over until the bike melts. Not fun.

 

[PROFLYER]

Since you'll be in it again, get some electric contact cleaner and some dielectric grease and clean all those contacts really well. Let the cleaner evap (just takes a few minutes) and then grease those contacts and put it all back together. I did this years and years ago on my K9 (and have repeated it once a year or so since) and have never had a problem with electrical gremlins. Plus, I wash my bike regularly at the car wash. I don't blast the battery/EHC or hand controls obviously but they've gotten wet and I've ridden through Forrest Gump rain storms etc. without fail.

Also one time in a pinch I was riding with an old biker buddy and my dad and a few other guys--one guy's bike went nuts when it got wet. Old biker got some WD-40 (which I learned stands for 'water displacement, formula #40' as it's the 40th version of the formula) and sprayed down all of the contacts on this guy's bike--fixed the issue instantly. Might be worth shooting some in different areas as WD-40 does evaporate itself (slowly).

 

[Roaddawg]

Thanks for the info. Next chance I get, I will replace battery and see what happens. If it still tries starting, I pull the starter. How do I know if it is engaged or not? If I remove the plunger and spring and make sure that is working correctly, will that solve the problem?

 

[BWG56]

Thanks for the info. Next chance I get, I will replace battery and see what happens. If it still tries starting, I pull the starter. How do I know if it is engaged or not? If I remove the plunger and spring and make sure that is working correctly, will that solve the problem?

Pull the green solenoid wire off first, if it engages then, the plunger is stuck, remove and replaced or clean the contacts, any starter shop will have the contacts.

Your starter isn't going to do anything unless its getting power to the green solenoid wire to engage the plunger unless its stuck in.

 

[Roaddawg]

Thanks for the tip. I will try that first.

 

[Roaddawg]

Well, finally after two long weeks of working everyday and then some, I had a day off. I had to take care of household chores, including purchasing a new fridge after our old one finally died. So, just about an hour ago I decided to put the battery back in the bike to see what would happen. I had been pushing it out into the driveway to get some sun everyday, hoping to dry it out. Now two weeks later, here is the result.

Connect battery, okay good, not trying to start itself.
Turn key on...hmmmmm, nothing, no speedo, lights or anything....
Check battery and find one small hotwire (I thought it was for the battery tender and had not connected it yet).
Attach this wire, turn key.....and Voila! lights, speedo, and all seems good!
A couple of twist of the throttle, engine cut-off to run position, hit start and ......VROOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!
All seems good. I lucked out on that one!

 

[SKOGDOG]

Didn't realize how many of these bikes can heal themselves!
Good on ya, Bruce...glad you're back up and running.

 

[keverett91507]

This is the exact reason I rewired my bike with a Ultima kit. The EHC and hand controls are crap

 

[BigDogRick]

Well, finally after two long weeks of working everyday and then some, I had a day off. I had to take care of household chores, including purchasing a new fridge after our old one finally died. So, just about an hour ago I decided to put the battery back in the bike to see what would happen. I had been pushing it out into the driveway to get some sun everyday, hoping to dry it out. Now two weeks later, here is the result.

Connect battery, okay good, not trying to start itself.
Turn key on...hmmmmm, nothing, no speedo, lights or anything....
Check battery and find one small hotwire (I thought it was for the battery tender and had not connected it yet).
Attach this wire, turn key.....and Voila! lights, speedo, and all seems good!
A couple of twist of the throttle, engine cut-off to run position, hit start and ......VROOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!
All seems good. I lucked out on that one!

Really good news!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro