slow cranking

[bikemiser]

After sitting about a month with a battery tender (look alike) connected, I try to start the fjr. It cranks kinda slow, tries to start but doesn't. Whats going on here? I crank some more but it doesn't start so looks like it may be flooded. I hook up a battery charger, now it cranks faster but I have to give it full throttle to get it to start. After I ride it some the battery seems to be full charged again. OEM battery from 06. Is the battery failing or is the battery tender not doing it's job? Thanks for comments. Jim

 

[haas]

Check connections, alternator, wires, batt tender connections, a/c to batt tender(da), load test battery, direct power to GPS,radio, or other left on, - check, check, check!!!

Happy new year, by the way! :clapping:

 

[mmonroe]

Sounds like the battery is getting weak and probably needs to be replaced. Keeping them on a battery tender makes them a bit tougher to diagnose when they begin to fail.

I have car that I seldom drive that I keep on a battery tender. I actually had a battery finally die while on the tender. The tender showed a red failure light one day while I was in the shop. Sure enough, after tinkering around with it and using a standard charger I determined that the battery was pretty much dead.

The same thing will happen with the bikes as well. They finally just get to a point where they no longer hold a charge whether on a tender or while being ridden.

I have noticed, however, that keeping on them on the tender does add a good deal of life to the batteries - usually years.

 

[FJRBluesman]

Concur with the above posts. If all connections are good, your battree is getting weak.

Many times the maintenance free sealed battrees just flat fail with little to no warning. Also being in the cold midwest thickerer dino-juice in that climate doesn't help.

The battrees for these aren't cheap. :dribble: The cheapest Yausa (Japan) I found was about $160. Bike Bandit.com has them for $82, a Yammie OEM made in Taiwan. Cycle Gear wants $188 for a Yuasa and Autozone wants $300 for a who knows what brand.

Someone recently posted on the forum about best battrees etc, do a Google search. Look here too.

Good luck.

 

[Patriot]

I recommend a Westco - been berry, berry gooood to me...

I happen to always purchase them directly from Westco as I always receive a very freshly manufactured battery

www.westcobattery.com/motorcycle.php

let's ride safe and be careful out there,

Mike in Nawlins'

 

[odot]

Yeah.....I concur, too.......although, it can be a very difficult problem to diagnose. What kind of oil do you run? It could be the wrong oil. I'd check the oil level, too. Tyre pressure isn't far behind, either.

 

[flying junior]

I've been in your same situation. Took the battery out and went to buy a new one. Dealer said there was nothing wrong with the old one, so I went back and shined up all the connections with sandpaper and put them back together with some dielectric grease. That was over a year ago and I'm still using that old battery. I keep it on a battery tender.

Good Luck! Happy new year!

 

[shuswaper]

After sitting about a month with a battery tender (look alike) connected, I try to start the fjr. It cranks kinda slow, tries to start but doesn't. Whats going on here? I crank some more but it doesn't start so looks like it may be flooded. I hook up a battery charger, now it cranks faster but I have to give it full throttle to get it to start. After I ride it some the battery seems to be full charged again. OEM battery from 06. Is the battery failing or is the battery tender not doing it's job? Thanks for comments. Jim

Hmm, seems to me bikemiser, a battery from `06 should not be at its end. I have read numerous reports over the years of sealed batteries failing while under the care of "battery tenders" and their like. I am not convinced the type of battery in our beloved fjr should be maintained that way! The service manual is quite explicit in its instructions in that regard...suppose to use a "constant voltage" charger only...any other type, and you will definitely shorten the life of your battery! :assassin:

 

[3dogs]

Instead of guesing as to the battery's condition why not test it. Here's how:

1. Fully charge the battery (your Battery Tender should do this overnight)

2. Connect a DVOM directly to the battery and read voltage

3. Remove either an ignition or ECU fuse so that the engine cannot start (fuel pump fuse will work as well)

4. Battery voltage with the key off should be between 12.8 and 13.2 (indicating a fully charged battery)

5. Crank the starter motor and while watching the DVOM.

6. Don't crank the engine for more than 10 seconds at a time.

7. If battery voltage drops below 9 volts during engine cranking (assuming that you're in a heated garage) the battery is junk. If battery voltage stays above 9.5 to 10.5 volts during engine cranking the battery is good.

If the battery plates are sulphated or if it has a bad cell it will not pass this test no matter how charged up it is.

All this stuff is covered in my book which you can find HERE on this forum. Hope this helps. Tracy...

 

[NoCage]

Yeah.....I concur, too.......although, it can be a very difficult problem to diagnose. What kind of oil do you run? It could be the wrong oil. I'd check the oil level, too. Tyre pressure isn't far behind, either.

While meaning to poke fun, the Texamo Eskimo could have a point about the oil. I don't know what winter weight you're running, but 20W anything is really thick in temps. below freezing. That could make for hard starting.

 

[odot]

Stop making sense, cage.........