Broke down in MT

[Raywood]

Hey guys, I have a problem. Gotta do some research on here for starting issues. I left Sturgis this morning in the rain and then hit solid fog for 30 miles. Rained most of the way. MT was real bad with some terrible hail storms and heavy rain. Only pulled over for the hail cause that shit hurts! Anyway, wanted to make Missoula, MT where I used to be a recruiter way back. It was only 686 miles. But I think the heavy rain has taken it's toll on my trusty ole steed. Just before getting here for about the last 100 miles my tach was flashing on and off and doing weird things. I get into Missoula and decide to fill up so I can get on the road early tomorrow and when I go to start the bike it wouldn't start.
Pulled all the gear off and pulled the seat and my battery bug says I have 13.2 volts. Some other bikers pull in and recommend push starting it and just like last time I couldn't get that done. Got an attendant at the gas station to give me a jump. Voltage was at 14.5 when attempting to start and it just clicked. Put hand on solenoid and it moved when the start button was pushing in. No ground lits on the EHC. So had it towed to my friends house here and it's in the garage draining. Going to go through some of the treads here to see what you others did in this circumstance.

Guess I should have just went to his house rather than gas up, at least I wouldn't have had to pay the tow fee.

Still on the way home from a very wet, rainy, thunder, lightening and one broken Steven Tyler!! :lol:

Oh, I have a volt meter with me...... Yes I carry a small one. :2thumbs:

:flag::flag::flag:

 

[DRBarnhart]

Did you pull the solenoid cover to see if the big contacts need cleaned?

The tach could just be wet...

Dennis

 

[Raywood]

Did you pull the solenoid cover to see if the big contacts need cleaned?

The tach could just be wet...

Dennis

Dennis, glad you are on here tonight. I just got it in my buds garage and it's still draining. Not going to do anything till morning. I'm wore out at Testy Fest and Sturgis. Thunder and lightening too. Terrible storms last two days in Sturgis.

Would solenoid not jump in my hand if it didn't work? It rained all day and gassing up every 90 minutes it hasn't been a problem all day.

 

[DRBarnhart]

Dennis, glad you are on here tonight.

Hope I can help, I still owe you Ray!

Not going to do anything till morning.

I'll be in and out until late morning...

I'm wore out at Testy Fest and Sturgis. Thunder and lightening too. Terrible storms last two days in Sturgis.

One of these days I may make it although I'm thinking I'll probably take a pass on the Testy Fest...

Would solenoid not jump in my hand if it didn't work?

It's moving so the solenoid works but because it pulls in doesn't mean the main contacts inside of it that turn the motor are good.

Dennis

 

[Raywood]

Ok, I just reviewed chacha's and BBC's threads on cleaning the contacts. It's well within my capabilities. I have plenty of tools but may have to find some sand/emery cloth.

Still can't believe I can't push start one of these things. :loony:

 

[DRBarnhart]

Hell, they're made out of a copper alloy so they aren't to hard. If for some reason you can't find any sandpaper or emery cloth you could probably bend around a nail file to use and get enough contact to get you running again!

Hmm, what would McGiver do...

Dennis

 

[chacha]

Good luck Ray. I'd check the compression releases (do them manually) and the connection at the starter. Cleaning the contacts won't hurt!

Then again she may just be soaked and needs a night to dry out overnight in the garage -- kinda like BB Chopper after a night on the town....:roll:

 

[Alicat]

Hmmm, McGiver would probably mix a small bit of fine dirt with a small dab of toothpaste on a piece of cloth as an abrasive.
Hey Ray sorry to hear of your problems, I hope the time you did have in Sturgis was great.
Al

 

[jimizee028]

mine does it once in awhile ray and i tap on the solenoid and it fires right up....but thats on the lucky days........well my friend we are rooting you on........

 

[hoat]

I am on this am when you get your booze soaked ass up let me know if I can help. The little green wire going to the starter on mine corroded awhile back and moveing that thing back and forth a little made my bike start

 

[Nomad2day]

Still can't believe I can't push start one of these things.

Raywood,
Do you press the start button when you let the clutch out trying to push start it? I think it "ehc" needs to see that input to allow the system to fire.
I have push started mine and had to do this to get it to fire up....Never would if I didn't but mine is a EFI but I think the ehc looks for the same thing on both.
Neil

 

[V]

I have gotten mine to push start on a slight grade in 2nd gear with some peps pushing me before. I did the key and the run butten and it fired up. Did no push the start button because that was making it recycle and cut out. I have had rain water in my hand controls before and it screwed up the tach and the lights. Just had to dry out

 

[Escobar]

The little green wire going to the starter on mine corroded awhile back and moveing that thing back and forth a little made my bike start

This happened to me the other day while I was at the Harley shop. Tried to start the Bike and it just clicked. Tried to get a jump from the Harley shop and when putting a battery pack on it, it did the same thing. The guy suggested that there might be a wire that has come loose. Sure enough, it was the little green wire on the back of the starter that had worked its way loose; connected it back up and problem solved. Hopefully that’s all it is.

 

[Mad Dog]

Sorry to hear about your situation Ray. Can't offer any help, just moral support. Keepin my fingers crossed that all is resolved this morning.
And yeah. Hail hurts like hell. Not too good on the paint either.:bang:

 

[Gas Man]

Check for 12v on the little green starter wire when you push start.

 

[Chris04Masitff]

Good luck Ray.. i like it when everybody jumps in to help.!!:up:

 

[drummin777]

Same thing here. When my EHC was going in/out, I would just turn the key, press run, then had some bros push me. I believe I used 2nd gear also. Push started mine atlease 10 times this way. Good luck Ray, this will just be another story to add to your Sturgis tales.

 

[BadBrad]

Hate to hear you are having problems Ray. I'm still new to all this but have already had my share of problems. Enough said about that. Had very similar problems just last week after a rain. Battery showed hot but when I pushed the start button, it dropped to 5 volts and only "clicked" the starter. I'll have to side with Gas Man on this. Check battery voltage while pushing the start button. Mine turned out to be a bad battery, even though it was only a couple of months old. Good luck

 

[bdmridgeback]

For sure Ray, I learned how to push start mine after 4 EHC failures.

2nd gear...
Key on...
Push run button...
push bike real fast...
Pop clutch and push start button at same time

After I figured out that the compression releases need engaged when push starting it worked everytime!!!

Good luck

 

[drummin777]

Damn, I never used the start button, but I bet ungaging those compression releases would have made things alot easir.