NEVERMIND 68,000 miles/ first problem

[Cajunrider]

Put 3 AC Delco batteries in my truck in a little over a year. Had the system checked for drawdown. All checked out good. Just hit 2 bad batteries is all.

[upside22]

Your charging system may be bad and let the battery run down. Or the battery may have just gone bad. The Nomad doesn't have a permanent magnet in its alternator, it requires an external battery to supply initial field current when starting. With a dead battery the alternator will never start putting out current and the battery won't carry the load either.

The first thing to do is to replace the battery and see what happens. Start the bike and use a voltmeter to measure across the battery terminals. It should measure between about 13.8v to 14.2 volt. Any lower than 13.8v and you may have a charging system problem.

My guess is that your battery went bad. I've had a new battery fail within weeks.

[dabull]

dead battery doesnt account for the "snap" sound...IMO....so..."snap"? What is that?

[Sin City Stan]

This has me interested. I hear the snap at start up occasionally. It could be described are an electric arc like a spark plug. But that's it. No other problems. I had my my wife start it at night in a dark garage while I was below hoping I would see an arc. Nothing. Don't pay much attention to it now although I'm still curious.

Also, if it does snap it's on the first start of the day.

[Top Cat]

OK, here is the deal. :-[
When the bike would not start the first thing I checked was the battery terminals. I tried to move the wire connections and they were tight. I could not move them by hand.
The dealer called and said the negative terminal wires were loose. ???
They said they tightened them and the bike starts and runs fine.
I haven't picked it up yet as Cindy works nights and sleeps days so I have no way to get over there.
A friend of mine said sometimes the wires on the terminals seem tight but you have to break them loose and retighten as corrosion gets on there.
I am picking it up Tuesday and hope the dealer is right and I have no more problems with starting.
The snap I heard was an electrical arc from the battery terminal to the loose wire the dealer says.
Road side assistance covers your tow to the nearest authorized dealer.
They said Syracuse was 21 miles. I wanted it taken to the place I bought it in Utica which they say is further. I had to pay the $50 difference.
Soooooooo, it cost me $50 to have a dealer tighten my negative battery wires.
It cost money to go to school :(

Fish, thanks for the pic from the National. I copied it to my National folder.

[dakota7557]

Glad things worked out, minus the $50...When I left my lights on at the Sturgis Rally, the bike wouldn't start, jumped it with another bike and it ran fine after that. I drove it for an hour until I got home, put it on the charger and all is well...Jody

[jandreu]

TC, Good deal...like you said schooling cost money. I'm sure if you had been at home instead of on the road you would have figured it out.

[Jared]

68k problem free miles and still going.

[dabull]

nice....maybe it was the main ground to the bike?? ....but glad to hear you be back on two wheels soon :)

[VulcanE]

TC, if it were my bike, when I got it home, the first thing I would do is to disconnect the battery cables and clean the end of the cables, and the battery posts with a small wire brush. Then apply a thin coat of dielectric grease on everything, and put it all back together. Then you won't have to worry about corrosion in the future. ;) You know........... a little of that over-maintenance your always talking about.......

[Sin City Stan]

Originally Posted by Top Cat (TC)

OK, here is the deal. :-[
When the bike would not start the first thing I checked was the battery terminals. I tried to move the wire connections and they were tight. I could not move them by hand.
The dealer called and said the negative terminal wires were loose. ???
They said they tightened them and the bike starts and runs fine.
I haven't picked it up yet as Cindy works nights and sleeps days so I have no way to get over there.
A friend of mine said sometimes the wires on the terminals seem tight but you have to break them loose and retighten as corrosion gets on there.
I am picking it up Tuesday and hope the dealer is right and I have no more problems with starting.
The snap I heard was an electrical arc from the battery terminal to the loose wire the dealer says.
Road side assistance covers your tow to the nearest authorized dealer.
They said Syracuse was 21 miles. I wanted it taken to the place I bought it in Utica which they say is further. I had to pay the $50 difference.
Soooooooo, it cost me $50 to have a dealer tighten my negative battery wires.
It cost money to go to school :(

Fish, thanks for the pic from the National. I copied it to my National folder.

Checked my battery. Negative was tight with no corrosion. Positive took a 1/4 turn to get it tight. :(" title="" border="0"/> Took it off and checked for corrosion. There was none. Wire brushed, reassembled and made sure the screw was tight. Don't know if that will solve the snap I hear occasionally but it can't hurt. :)

[Top Cat]

Originally Posted by VulcanE

TC, if it were my bike, when I got it home, the first thing I would do is to disconnect the battery cables and clean the end of the cables, and the battery posts with a small wire brush. Then apply a thin coat of dielectric grease on everything, and put it all back together. Then you won't have to worry about corrosion in the future. ;) You know........... a little of that over-maintenance your always talking about.......

I will probably do that Cliff.
But I won't consider it over maintenance. The way I think is, I had the problem, now I will try to not have the same problem again.
When I say over maintenance, I mean guys (you know who you are) that take stuff apart and try to fix things before there is even a problem. If it aint broke, don't fix it.
68,000 miles and the only thing I have had a problem with, other that this embarrassing moment was when my fuel pump lost its pump.

[VulcanE]

Originally Posted by Top Cat (TC)

I will probably do that Cliff.
But I won't consider it over maintenance. The way I think is, I had the problem, now I will try to not have the same problem again.
When I say over maintenance, I mean guys (you know who you are) that take stuff apart and try to fix things before there is even a problem. If it aint broke, don't fix it.
68,000 miles and the only thing I have had a problem with, other that this embarrassing moment was when my fuel pump lost its pump.

That's why they call it PM (Preventive Maintenance) ;)

[Top Cat]

Just trying to do my part in keeping the dealer open.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Tim I am glad it was no more serious than that. New voltage regulator is $177 plus change.