Author Topic: Battery Question/Problem-Help!  (Read 6352 times)

Offline Kevin M

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Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« on: March 29, 2015, 10:38:29 PM »
The other day I noticed my 96' California 1100 wasn't too excited about starting, when I got home I left it in the driveway & came back out later to put it away, it wouldn't start at all. I'm just now getting around to fixing it. Today I went out, took the seat off to see if the positive or negative cable were just loose. When I grabbed the negative cable, the negative post just fell away from the top of the battery! I went to the store & bought a new lawn mower battery reconnected one negative cable to the negative post & three positive cables to the positive post. Put everything back together and...just clicks. I checked the starter & cleaned the connection, tightened everything and..no change. The battery I got is 235 CCA. Am I missing something? Any Ideas?

Kevin

Online Chuck in Indiana

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Re: Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2015, 10:44:13 PM »

Quote
reconnected one negative cable to the negative post & three positive cables to the positive post. P
Just a heads up. Always hook the positive cables up first. If you hook the negative up first, it's really easy to make sparks hooking up the others.  ;D Maybe your new battery needs charged?
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Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2015, 11:23:44 PM »
Monitor the Voltage on the battery terminals as it tries to start, connect your meter right to the battery terminals, not the wires.
That will tell you for sure if the battery is weak, the Voltage shouldn't drop below 10V while the starter is winding.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2015, 11:59:12 PM by Kiwi_Roy »
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Offline Kevin M

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Re: Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2015, 11:33:00 PM »
I'm thinking more about this, is there more than just the starter cable going to the negative post of the battery? It seems like there should be a ground wire from the frame too. Any thoughts about this?

Thanks

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Re: Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2015, 11:33:00 PM »

Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2015, 11:51:33 PM »
The cable on the negative should be a fat one, similar in size to the starter Positive.
It goes to the chassis, trace it there and clean that connection also.
Sometimes they have another Negative other times they just use the chassis for the return path.
Carl's drawing shows just one.
http://www.thisoldtractor.com/guzzi007/schematics/1996_California_1100i.gif.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2015, 11:56:45 PM by Kiwi_Roy »
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redrider

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Re: Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2015, 06:10:00 AM »
How long did the new battery sit on the shelf before you bought it? Look for a date stamp-usually on the top surface. Did you charge the new one at 1/10th capacity for 10 hrs on a constant rate charger? I prefer the Yuasa trickle charger.  SOP for all lead acid units.

Offline Kevin M

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Re: Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« Reply #6 on: March 30, 2015, 11:15:29 PM »
Well, the mystery is solved. After a lot of checking, I discovered that the Valeo starter is seized up. I took it to get rebuilt but was told they were unsure if it will be rebuild-able. I will know more tomorrow. A new factory starter is about $206. I saw some Japanese starters on Ebay that are comparable for about $100 but I am hesitant to put a Japanese aftermarket starter on my bike. Does anyone have any experience with this or have any advice?

Kevin   

Offline Testarossa

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Re: Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2015, 02:53:48 AM »
Online price for a Valeo starter ought to be about $120, I think. See euromotoelectrics.c om.
« Last Edit: March 31, 2015, 02:57:22 AM by Testarossa »
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redrider

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Re: Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2015, 07:01:47 AM »
The starter on the V11 did not sound right. I swapped it with the Valeo from the GT. Much better. Two rapid chugs and varoom!

Offline fotoguzzi

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Re: Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2015, 07:06:23 AM »
Well, the mystery is solved. After a lot of checking, I discovered that the Valeo starter is seized up. I took it to get rebuilt but was told they were unsure if it will be rebuild-able. I will know more tomorrow. A new factory starter is about $206. I saw some Japanese China starters on Ebay that are comparable for about $100 but I am hesitant to put a Japanese aftermarket starter on my bike. Does anyone have any experience with this or have any advice?

Kevin   
MINNEAPOLIS, MN

Offline Lannis

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Re: Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« Reply #10 on: March 31, 2015, 07:11:01 AM »
Well, the mystery is solved. After a lot of checking, I discovered that the Valeo starter is seized up.

Kevin   

Maybe the heat from the battery trying to turn your seized up starter is what happened to your negative post ....

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Offline Triple Jim

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Re: Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« Reply #11 on: March 31, 2015, 08:13:58 AM »
I bought a new Valeo started last year.  Only after it arrived did I find the Valeo part number, which was on the box, 432599.  If you search for that part on the net, you may find a better price than you expect.  I found that part number only after buying one and paying quite a bit more than I needed to.  Last time I checked, you could get one through Amazon reasonably.
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Offline Wayne Orwig

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Re: Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« Reply #12 on: March 31, 2015, 08:42:46 AM »
Well, the mystery is solved. After a lot of checking, I discovered that the Valeo starter is seized up. I took it to get rebuilt but was told they were unsure if it will be rebuild-able. I will know more tomorrow. A new factory starter is about $206. I saw some Japanese starters on Ebay that are comparable for about $100 but I am hesitant to put a Japanese aftermarket starter on my bike. Does anyone have any experience with this or have any advice?

Should have known. Somewhere between 1994 and 1997 or there abouts they used a poor glue on the magnets. In about 1997 they upgraded the glue. The part number changed too.  Something like the DR6 number changed to DR6A, or some such. too many beers years ago.

EuroMotoElectric has rebuild parts at a reasonable price. Plus entire units. Good people to deal with.

$35
http://www.euromotoelectrics.com/product-p/d6ra-magccw.htm

« Last Edit: March 31, 2015, 08:49:25 AM by Wayne Orwig »
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Online Chuck in Indiana

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Re: Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« Reply #13 on: March 31, 2015, 10:30:53 AM »
There ya go.. $35 and you're golden.. ;-T Gotta love WG..
Chuck in (Elwood) Indiana/sometimes SoCal
 
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Offline cruzziguzzi

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Re: Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« Reply #14 on: April 01, 2015, 10:41:42 AM »
Well, the mystery is solved. After a lot of checking, I discovered that the Valeo starter is seized up. I took it to get rebuilt but was told they were unsure if it will be rebuild-able. I will know more tomorrow. A new factory starter is about $206. I saw some Japanese starters on Ebay that are comparable for about $100 but I am hesitant to put a Japanese aftermarket starter on my bike. Does anyone have any experience with this or have any advice?

Kevin   
The "cheap" in me says to revisit the first starter. I'd bet (based upon past experience) that its generally OK but got queered the last time it was engaged with poor current/volts. I've been in this position before from Kenworth on down to riding mower and often was able to "loosen" the bits and continue on with the previously perceived bad starter. Sometimes it's been caused by the battery(ies) - sometimes the solenoid.


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Offline Kiwi_Roy

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Re: Battery Question/Problem-Help!
« Reply #15 on: April 01, 2015, 10:47:31 AM »
Todd,
         The Valeo's magnets may have come unglued, they can be re-attached.
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Shipping in USA Only. Awesome quality. Back by popular demand. All proceeds go back into the forum.
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