Dog kept honking at me

[ALO]

Sunday morning I went out to start my 2005 chopper and it would not start. I would try and start the bike but it just honked at me. My buddy said that as the bike honked at me the lights would flash. I have had no problems with it starting at all and I had ridden the bike the day before. The bike finally started on the third or fourth try it was probably around 60 degrees outside but not to cold? It started for the rest of the day so I am somewhat confused is this the start of a problem or just a gremlin.

 

[Ohmster]

The only problem that occured was your bike went into a low voltage condition due to the battery having a low charge or bad cell in it or a loose connection on the terminals of the battery for the EHC. The EHC went into a protective mode to not allow starter "chatter" to cause massive inrush voltage spikes and the horn honked and the marker lights come on as a diagnostic tool to inform you of that condition.

Keep your battery on a tender at all times when parked overnight and I would go ahead and have a load test done on your battery. Worst case is you have a bad cell in the battery and it needs replaced.

 

[ALO]

Thanks I will pick up a battery tender. I have had several bikes but never had to get a tender. I have heard some good and some bad about hooking up the tender all the time. Has anyone had any problems, I figured that it was something simple but I think it is better to ask before I start monkeying up something.

 

[rwill20]

Get a tender,as the battery loses about a percent or 2 of charge per day and in time will cause starter problems.Battery seems to play a big roll with the DOGS starter. later

 

[pisssed]

Hey Ohmster, what kinda parasitic draw does these bikes have?? guessing 10-20 milliamp??

 

[Ohmster]

2005 and up model years have about a 1.9 mA parasitic draw on carb models. The 2007 and up EFI models have about a 2.4 mA parasitic draw. I do not know though on your 02 Boxer since that was a different style EHC and a different voltage regulator. I would venture to say that if your in that range then your ok though.

 

[pisssed]

Thanks Ohm, Ya I was gonna say the later models, with the updated ECU one would think they would pull more than my model??

 

[dmlong]

Mine did the same thing,it turned out to be a bad EHC.

 

[LamboV12]

Had same problem on an 06 K9. However, I was just riding down the road, everything normal and just started honking... one beep every 3 seconds or so.
Turned out to be ECH / ECU.. whatever you choose to call it.