What's up guys and gals, I've got a problem with my 2010 CR. It is draining my batteries (I'm on my second one) like crazy. I got stranded a couple days ago at a light. While idling, I watched my voltage drop down to 6V then flashing SYSTEM VOLTAGE before completely dying. Tried re-seating the battery leads and it sparked, so I know there was juice in it. After taking some stuff apart I noticed a little relay on the right side of the bike with 2 10 gauge wires and 2 16 gauge wires coming out of it. I looked at the condition and noticed some burn marks on one of the wires and the plastic near the mouth was melted a little bit. I'm guessing that relay is for the ignition but I don't know.i charged the battery and tried it again today. In ACC mode the voltage stayed strong at about 12V but as soon as I turned the key to on it must have started dumping voltage because by the time I hit the ignition it cranked a couple times then just died. Multimeter read 6V. I've never actually done work on my bike besides oil changes and plugs, so I REALLY want to do this without taking it into the shop. Anybody have an idea of what would cause this? [confused]
You're grounded!
- Thread starter bthrun90
- Start date
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Its hard to say where your problem is at this point. I suggest you download the service manual and start going through the electrical systems tests. It doesnt appear to be a typical parasitic drain problem as the bike is not charging while running. I am also not familiar with the 2010 model so not sure if it has the same problem prone rotor/stator as the 09.
one way to diagnose the drain is to try to isolate it, Charge the battery again. Remove all the fuses from the fuse panel. Turn the ignition on. Put a multi-meter on the battery. One by one replace the fuses until the battery voltage drops. That will identify what part of the electrical system is causing the drain. Once identified this way. Download the electrical diagram off;
http://buellmods.com/downloads/viewdownload/12-1125/114-1125-electrical-manual
start tracing the circuits in that section of the electrical system. Pain in the ass, I know. Been there, done that with electrical problems with cars. Hope that helps.
http://buellmods.com/downloads/viewdownload/12-1125/114-1125-electrical-manual
start tracing the circuits in that section of the electrical system. Pain in the ass, I know. Been there, done that with electrical problems with cars. Hope that helps.
let us know what you find.........
I think she's fixed! I did the stator test by running off the battery and checking VAC of all poles, and that was fine. Then I replaced the relay that had partially melted. I'm still not sure which one it was, but I have a feeling it was the ignition relay. I'm trying to find it in the electrical system manual (thanks logix!) After I started her back up, I monitored the batt voltage and she was above 13 and holding strong for a couple minutes when I turned her off. So best case scenario: she's good to go. Worst case, the problem re-surfaces on an upcoming ride and I start again from scratch [confused]
I'll let you all know if she gives me any more trouble. Glad there are still Buellers out there, I feel kinda lonely with all of these Yamahas around me
I'll let you all know if she gives me any more trouble. Glad there are still Buellers out there, I feel kinda lonely with all of these Yamahas around me
I may be wrong, but the relay your describing to me sounds like the solenoid for the starter. An amperage drop of that size over that short of time is a couple of amps. That would be like a melted (PO have any trouble starting the bike before he sold it?) solenoid to not blow any fuses or melt wires. Still the relay got pretty hot to smolder. Hope it all works out for you and you get some ride time in.
KeepCalmAndSigmaPiOn
Member
- Joined
- May 8, 2013
- Messages
- 12
Hey I have a 2009 Buell 1125CR and was having the same issue. My battery would drain fast while it was on but not started up, then it would sometimes spark when I tried to start it up. It got to the point that it died while I was sitting at a red light and it wouldn't start back up. I replaced the battery and the problem was fixed temporarily. After just 2 weeks, I started to have the same problem. I finally got it started and went straight to a Harley Davidson dealership to have the battery and charging system tested. After talking to the Buell-certified mechanic about what problems I was having, the first question he said was, "you just replaced you battery with an aftermarket one, didn't you?" I told him yes and he told me that a lot of Harleys and Buells come in with that exact same problem. Apparently, they draw more power on start up than those rice rockets (aka imports) and most aftermarket batteries aren't rated to handle that much power. This caused the positive battery terminal to get so hot that it will literally start to melt. Once it starts to melt, it will create a little gap. Therefore, the sparking you're seeing is usually the battery arcing from the hookups to the terminal. I bought a Harley Davidson battery at the dealership and have never had a problem with it since. Those batteries are better quality and have terminals rated for much higher heat. It cost me the same amount as another aftermarket battery, around $115. Hope this helps!
Rubber side down
Rubber side down
Well, after a couple weeks, the problem is back in full force. She stranded me at the bank on my way home from work and I was forced to walk about 5 miles home lol. I've gotta say, it sounds a hell of a lot like what you're saying KeepCalm, I'll try to bring it in to the Harley shop tomorrow. After the initial fix, it held 14+ volts steady, and only dropped to about 13.5 while sitting in traffic. Now all of a sudden I'm watching my voltage at a light (because I'm paranoid about it now) and just watched it go from 12.9 to 11.6 in a matter of 1 minute. That's when I had to go to the bank and it was dead when I came out. Really didn't wanna take her into the shop but I think it's time to fold 'em.
Do you guys agree with the wrong type of battery idea from Keep Calm? It sounds legit but I'd hate to waste another 1 or 2 hundred dollars and it be the charging system or something like that.
Thanks for the advice!
Do you guys agree with the wrong type of battery idea from Keep Calm? It sounds legit but I'd hate to waste another 1 or 2 hundred dollars and it be the charging system or something like that.
Thanks for the advice!
user_deleted
Well-known member
i preface this by saying that i've never owned an 1125 nor have i ever worked on one but i would do the following since your problem has resurfaced:
1-fully charge your battery and have it load tested for free by any local auto parts store in your locale.
2-if buying another battery consider batterymart.com the deka big crank is IMO the finest cycle battery on the market for buells. made here in PA by Deka which is also the manufacturer for the buell and H-D OEM batteries. superb quality, maximum CCA's and priced right.
3-consider your problem a bad VR. a faulty VR will not only show extremely erratic charging but i've also had them drain a battery in 48 hours.
4-check for parasitic loss. the best battery in the world will not overcome it. see link below for simple test. these 4 steps should isolate your problem.
http://www.batterystuff.com/kb/arti.../testing-your-battery-for-parasitic-load.html
1-fully charge your battery and have it load tested for free by any local auto parts store in your locale.
2-if buying another battery consider batterymart.com the deka big crank is IMO the finest cycle battery on the market for buells. made here in PA by Deka which is also the manufacturer for the buell and H-D OEM batteries. superb quality, maximum CCA's and priced right.
3-consider your problem a bad VR. a faulty VR will not only show extremely erratic charging but i've also had them drain a battery in 48 hours.
4-check for parasitic loss. the best battery in the world will not overcome it. see link below for simple test. these 4 steps should isolate your problem.
http://www.batterystuff.com/kb/arti.../testing-your-battery-for-parasitic-load.html
Ok, I bought a new VR and it's in the mail. Hopefully I will get it today or tomorrow. I feel like an idiot for this but... I can't find the VR on my bike [confused] . Maybe it just doesn't look like what I picture it looking like. Can somebody point me in the right direction real quick? I've been checking around the rotor/stator mostly, but I've given the whole bike a look.
