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Cold starting problem

Buellxb Forum

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Levimei

Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2016
Messages
17
Hello

I have XB9SX 08.

Lately there is difficulty in turning on the engine in cold starting.
When starting the engine, after a short starting noise, the starter stops working, the 2 needles make reset again and the digital clock reset .
Clicking on the starter again and the engine turn on.

Battery is 3 months old, until now there was no problem.
Battery is 200 cca.
In charging test the voltage is 14.2V .
The battery was tested under load and is operating properly.
One time, when the engine failed to turn on, the battery voltage dropped below 9V. Click on start again and the engine turn on.

I cleaned the engine ground strap contacts.
I added Jumper from negative battery terminal to the engine ground strap.
I cleaned the steering head ground contacts.

What should check now?

Thanks
 
the clue here is your gauge needles and clock feature. your description clearly points to a faulty battery regardless of its age and load test status. do this: remove the negative cable and give it a quick 15 minute charge at 6-10 amps. NOT with a battery tender. now static test the voltage of the battery. should ALWAYS be 12.72 volts for at least a few minutes. if not battery is suspect. replace negative cable and attempt to start. no start? immediately jump from another vehicle being certain that vehicle is NOT running. does it now start? faulty batter y.
 
Every time I check the battery power (also a few hours after turn off), the voltage above 12.8V .
While the engine is turn off the current is 1.5mA .

Even my battery in the second time he is able to turn on, then might need to try jump starting for the first time?
 
Every time I check the battery power (also a few hours after turn off), the voltage above 12.8V .
While the engine is turn off the current is 1.5mA .

Even my battery in the second time he is able to turn on, then might need to try jump starting for the first time?
not comprehending what you're trying to say here but below are the numbers you need to concentrate on and use to trouble-shoot your situation. any variance or particular step that is failed will identify the culprit:
1-top quality fully charged battery at rest WITH negative cable removed----12.7 volts
2-220 CCA's recommended buell battery. these bikes hell on batteries. deka big crank IMO the finest available.
3-parasitic draw at rest no greater than 200 milliamps. test for same. i've outlined test procedure on here dozens of times.
4-charging rate is: low beam on...all accessories off....1000rpm....approx. 12.7 to 13.2 DC VOLTS 2500rmp.....approx. 13.5-14.4 VOLTS DC. anything other than that is component/battery failure.
5-LASTLY-battery seems ok and won't start? battery charged and won't start? jump it. starts now? plain and simple....faulty battery.
 
I definitely don't know as much as these guys^^ but I will say I was using interstate battery and had same problem. I switched to a HD battery and haven't had a problem since. These bikes pull a lot on cranking and I always hookup to a tender when done with my ride. Good luck hope you track down the problem
 
X2^^^^^I totally agree with Lunatic.
I know you want to argue the battery is good, but your symptoms say otherwise.
The dash gauges losing power and cycling during cranking mean that your battery was NOT "tested under load and operating properly"
Buy a new, high quality battery with 220cca.
 
Difficult to achieve in my country, lead-acid battery with more than 200 CCA.
Should I buy a lithium battery?
I ride every day and do not have an alarm system, then I think there will not be a problem with their small capacity.
 
Difficult to achieve in my country, lead-acid battery with more than 200 CCA.
Should I buy a lithium battery?
I ride every day and do not have an alarm system, then I think there will not be a problem with their small capacity.
i am not a fan of lithium batteries as the only advantage i see to them is weight savings....which in my opinion is off-set by the exorbitant cost and cold-weather unreliability. just my opinion only. i never ever use a lead-acid battery in an XB model buell no matter how well they are sealed. an XB battery lays back at a harsh angle in its holder and even the best sealed batteries tend to, over time, dribble a bit of acid out of the sealing strip making a hell of a mess. go with a top quality AGM battery. try batterymart. com and see if they will ship to you.
 
So, you are still saying he should buy an AGM battery with 220CCA?

That sounds like a great idea! Thanks Lunatic! If I were him, I'd do that for sure....
 
So, you are still saying he should buy an AGM battery with 220CCA?

That sounds like a great idea! Thanks Lunatic! If I were him, I'd do that for sure....
yes shaughn......i don't know him or his locale....and whether he can find the best battery like a deka big crank....but in my experience with XB's the AGM have a tad more CCA's and never a worry about leakage, blistering, or out-gassing from the factory seal strip atop the battery. plus AGM's just seem to have a much better life expectancy. i'm partial to them in buells.
 
Batterymart.com send battery only to USA and Canada, I live in Israel.
AGM batteries only have here, sold in Harley dealer (65948-00) and its price in Israel is 310 USD....
That's why I thought the lithium battery. Its price will be cheaper and here there is no problem of cold weather.
 
Lithium batteries are suppose to have a longer lifespan than AGM batteries. However, it's all about the way the battery is stored and cared for. That goes for both lithium or AGM. My original HD battery lasted over five years! Had a lithium battery that almost lasted as long until the day I messed it up because I did not disconnect it while doing some electrical work. Expensive lesson learned!
The only thing that sucks about a lithium battery is the price, and the fact that they have terrible cold weather performance. You're not going to get the instant CCA of an AGM battery(when it's cold) with a lithium battery.
If you don't have to worry about temperatures below 40 degrees(Fahrenheit) then go for the lithium battery.
Just remember, as has already been stated, make sure it's AT LEAST 220 CCA.
 
Tbone- what are you referring to?
Did he mention using an old school type battery earlier in this thread? If so, I some how missed it.
And I agree, not a good idea. I think it would be nearly impossible to mounted a wet cell battery in the correct factory position as the OEM battery is mounted.
A Absorbent Gas Mat(AGM) battery is not the same as an old school lead acid battery.
And lithium ion/iron batteries have nothing in common with conventional "wet" cell batteries.
However, both AGM and lithium have the advantage of being able to be mounted on any position.
At least that's the little I know of battery tech.
 
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