Total electrical failure, broken battery terminal

[Moespeeds]

Last night I was on my buddy's 2005 chopper when out of nowhere all the lights and the speedo started flickering. I lost power and as I slowed I heard the starter grinding. The starter and lights ran until the battery went dead. When I pulled up the seat the positive terminal had broken off the battery, but it looks like the seat was holding it together. I installed a deka 310cca battery a few months back, and had clearance issues with the seat because it was taller, but I cut holes in the seat pan so there was plenty of room. I ran out and pulled the big dog battery from my bike. When I tried to hook up the positive terminal, it welded itself and the lights turned on and starter tried to fire. There was no key in the ignition. I haven't torn into it yet, but what do you guys think? The circuit breaker didn't trip, and no blown fuses. Fried EHC?

 

[DRBarnhart]

Welded contacts in the starter...

Dennis

 

[Finn]

Last night I was on my buddy's 2005 chopper when out of nowhere all the lights and the speedo started flickering. I lost power and as I slowed I heard the starter grinding. The starter and lights ran until the battery went dead. When I pulled up the seat the positive terminal had broken off the battery, but it looks like the seat was holding it together. I installed a deka 310cca battery a few months back, and had clearance issues with the seat because it was taller, but I cut holes in the seat pan so there was plenty of room. I ran out and pulled the big dog battery from my bike. When I tried to hook up the positive terminal, it welded itself and the lights turned on and starter tried to fire. There was no key in the ignition. I haven't torn into it yet, but what do you guys think? The circuit breaker didn't trip, and no blown fuses. Fried EHC?

Moe,
Remind me not to let you ride my bike. HaHa JK:roll:

 

[Moespeeds]

No shit right? 2 bikes blown up in 2 weeks. When I try to reconnect the positive terminal, its welding itself together with the bolt. The starter solenoid seems to be stuck open and all the lights turn on, speedo goes through startup, even though the key is out.

 

[bdmridgeback]

Unhook the green wire from the starter solenoid and try connecting the cable to the battery. If it still cranks it is probably the starter. If it doesn't crank then the EHC took a trip south!!!

 

[Moespeeds]

But why is the bike acting like the ignition is stuck on? Speedo goes through startup and all lights are on, even though the key is off. Cycling key does nothing.

 

[Vegas]

Sounds like another regulator shorted.

 

[jimizee028]

YOU ARE BETTER AT TAKIN PICTURES OF THE MONTH.....STICK WITH THAT MOE

 

[TheDeadOne]

Hey Moe,
I remember reading a Post submitted the other day by LDO about "if it wasn't for BAD luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all" or something to that effect! Damn Brother, is there a "Black Cloud" over your head or something!

It's possible that the starter is shorted to hot constantly inside the solenoid @ the pull in solenoid. If so, it could also be sending an improper voltage "back" to the EHC, thus creating a false signal that the EHC thinks it needs to power up. Like Jake said: "unplug" the green wire from the starter". If you then reconnect the batt. and the lights and other things are off, and just the starter alone starts cranking on it's own, then the starter is shorted inside to hot constantly.
If it's the EHC, it works like multiple different "independent" switches. Certain areas within the EHC different circuits utilize the same chips to make different operations function. The bad connection might have tripped the internal circuit protection breakers (which reset after the fault is removed), or shorted out "part" of the EHC's circuits alone. The EHC has circuit protection for just this purpose.
If it ends up being a Bad EHC, scrap that bitch, call Jake and go "EHCless"! It's kind of like running naked through a large group of girls!
It all can't be but so Bad, Somethings got to Give!

But of course NightTrain could definitely answer this much, much better than I! :2thumbs:

Good Luck! And stay out from under those "Clouds"! :roll:

 

[Moespeeds]

Thanks for all the info guys. Ill tear into it tonight and let you know.

 

[TheDeadOne]

Moe,
I was just thinking about your problem.
Is it at all possible, that your buddy, decided that you were probably the "most" experienced one around now with repairs, and loaned you his bike because it was already broken?

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

Just a thought!

 

[Moespeeds]

Actually I charge this guy a fee to store his bike in my garage and maintain it. Part of the deal is I ride it whenever I want, so it's like having a spare bike. He's a very easygoing guy and had 1200 miles on the bike in 3 years. I've already put nearly 2000 on it since Dec. He rarely rides and is absolutely mechanically clueless. It benefits us both. When I met him the bike was being stored in an open air parking garage, was filthy, was falling apart and barely ran.

 

[chacha]

Moe -- have you cut the same deal on the guy's wife?

 

[Moespeeds]

I wish. His girl is a solid 10.

 

[Moespeeds]

So I played around with this thing a bit today, and here is the deal. When you apply power to the EHC, the starter solenoid energizes, and all the lights go on, and speedo idiot lights all go on, but no speedo backlight. Bike doesn't care if there is a key in the ignition or not. I don't even know where to start troubleshooting this. Could this be a short somewhere, or is it just a fucked EHC? Seems to be too many unrelated functions dicked up at once to be a short?

 

[DRBarnhart]

Any lights on the EHC?

Dennis

 

[TheDeadOne]

So I played around with this thing a bit today, and here is the deal. When you apply power to the EHC, the starter solenoid energizes, and all the lights go on, and speedo idiot lights all go on, but no speedo backlight. Bike doesn't care if there is a key in the ignition or not. I don't even know where to start troubleshooting this. Could this be a short somewhere, or is it just a fucked EHC? Seems to be too many unrelated functions dicked up at once to be a short?

Moe,
Sorry I didn't get back to you Brother. I had to run some errands yesterday evening.
You say the solenoid energizes? But is the starter trying to crank the motor over when this happens?
The EHC does some really weird stuff when there are problems. They're very temperamental about everything! (Especially the "Black Cloud" syndrome that you're trying so desperately to endure!) :lol:
Moe I should be around here this afternoon, and help you with what I can with what I know.
BUT!....Even Better, If you catch NightTrain on here, ASK HIM! I think he pretty much knows everything electrical on these BDM's that anyone could question him about.

 

[Moespeeds]

Yes the starter tries to crank. I disconnected the 4ga starter power wire so it can't drain the battery while I test everything. The way I see it, there really is nothing else it could be. So many crazy things going on, it's gotta be the EHC. I'll check for lights tonight.

 

[TheDeadOne]

Ok
"I disconnected the 4ga starter power wire" If you're referring to the power wire "at" the starter from the battery. Just disconnect the battery and reconnect that wire and leave it connected until you can determine whether the problem is in the starter or the EHC or what?
Also I would like to know what happened with other previously malfunctioning components when you disconnected "just" the green wire to the starter only (everything else to be connected properly) like Jake suggested?

Gotta go again, I'll be back shortly

 

[Moespeeds]

Every light on the bike is coming on. Headlight, signals, tail light, idiot lights. No speedo backlight, speedo needle was swinging like on startup, but now it's not. I have the speedo wired through a relay that makes it go through startup again once the bike has fired up. I did this because sometimes when running he would lose his speedo. I forget why but there is another thread on that here somewhere. Again, the EHC doesn't seem to care what position the ignition switch is in, or if there is even a key in there. It's just sending power to everything as soon as you hook it up to the battery.