Need some quick help. 09 RSV electrical issue.....[SOLVED]

[YamahaLarry]

First off, hello everyone. I haven't been around much because the '09 Venture has been running so well with no issues. But, I've got an issue that has me scratching my head.

Hopped on the bike this afternoon to run over to my daughter's baby shower for a bit. All was great. When I got ready to leave I turned the ignition on for a few seconds so my other granddaughter could hear some music and then turned the ignition off. She was startled.

Anyhow, got my gloves and helmet on, straddled the old girl, turn on the ignition switch and everything was normal. Hit the start button and heard a little click and everything went dead. I thought maybe main fuse.

Turned the ignitions switch off for a few seconds and decided to try it again and turned it back on. The panel did it's normal thing but the audio didn't come on. So I hit the start button again and noghting.

At this point I'm thinking battery. So I got off the bike and turned on the ignition and checked the front lights. The headlight was so dim it was barely visible. The 2 driving lights (LED) were sorta flashing. When I hit the ignition switch again all went dark. So I'm still thinking battery even though it is less than 1 year old. And yes, I did check the connections and ensure they were tight.

Pulled the batter and brought it home leaving the bike in the church parking lot. Hooked the batter up to my larger roll around charger and put it on the 2 amp charge. It started out at 12.6 volts and got to 14.4 volts in less than 5 minutes. So, NOT the batter.

I've got to get over there in the morning and try to get it out of the church parking lot before 10 am. In my mind right now I am thinking that possible ground issue????

I'm wide open for any suggestions and appreciate it in advace.

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by YamahaLarry
Update status

[Marcarl]

Could be battery connections but most likely the ignition switch went south.

[RDawson]

I’ve seen an agm show great voltage until it’s hit with a load then it drops out. 

[YamahaLarry]

1 hour ago, RDawson said:

I’ve seen an agm show great voltage until it’s hit with a load then it drops out. 

It's a standard lead acid. 

[YamahaLarry]

1 hour ago, Marcarl said:

Could be battery connections but most likely the ignition switch went south.

I checked connections and even ensured they were tight. I thought possible ignition switch but when I turn on ignition power does go to dash. Speedo does it's standard display and headlight comes on but very dimly lit. And I am not sure how a bad ignition switch would act. It may do what's happening here. Never experienced symptoms like this before.

I will be back over there in the morning to try to get it started. Right now all I know to do is put the battery back in the bike and begin checking all the connections that I know to check. Another note is that the audio does not come on now. Just the dash and the headlights.

What's so frustrating is that I've never had an indicator of any problem. I had started the bike 2 times prior to this today. Ignition switch has never acted up.

Signed,
Grasping for straws in Moody, AL. 

Edited May 1, 2022 by YamahaLarry
typo

[luvmy40]

The symptoms as described are classic loose connection at the the battery. Of course, it could be anywhere in the main up to the starter. Or at the frame connection of the battery ground. But that description is almost always a loose battery connection. Don't know how the sound system would react though.

Edited May 1, 2022 by luvmy40

[YamahaLarry]

3 hours ago, luvmy40 said:

The symptoms as described are classic loose connection at the the battery. Of course, it could be anywhere in the main up to the starter. Or at the frame connection of the battery ground. But that description is almost always a loose battery connection. Don't know how the sound system would react though.

Thank! I am hoping that's what it is. As fate would have it, it's pouring down rain here this morning and bike will just have to sit in the church parking lot til rain goes away around noonish. Plan is to take a few tools and multi-meter with me and check what connections I know to check and be prepared to have to pull the gas tank off if needed. Really really hoping it's the main ground (or battery).

[YamahaLarry]

18 hours ago, RDawson said:

I’ve seen an agm show great voltage until it’s hit with a load then it drops out. 

Winner winner. But, what's puzzling still is it's a lead acid battery, and even stranger is if you put it on my battery charger it shows 12.6/12.7 volts and charges up to 14.4 volts. But when you turn on the ignition switch it drops 5.5-6.5 volts and kinda bounces when the front LED driving lamps come on and off.

Put in a new (AGM) battery, double checked all connections as well as the ground from the battery. Turned on ignition and hit the start button and VROOOOM.

I am 65 years old, been a mechanic for much of my life and always piddling with cars, trucks, small engines, bikes, boats, etc and have never had a lead acid battery go so strangely bad sitting for a couple hours.

I'm still learning.

[Woody]

Larry glad you got it going and glad to see you back on the forums. 

[Heartbeat]

Hence another reason to put a voltmeter on the bike.  I did years ago as I have heard stories of the regulator failing while riding and leaving riders stranded. With a volt meter you can see if something is not right.

[YamahaLarry]

1 hour ago, Woody said:

Larry glad you got it going and glad to see you back on the forums. 

Thanks! And I've enjoyed trying to do a little catch up over the past few days. I noticed a familiar face no longer on here in Cowpuc.

In doing a little catch up on reading it has prompted me to make a personal commitment to do a couple things to my bike that I've been putting off with the top one being installing a relay on the starter switch wiring. After my little ordeal this weekend in thinking that it could have been the ignition switch, I realized I need to get that done sooner rather than later. @Heartbeat mentioned the voltmeter. That's something that I've always wanted to do but have never came up with a good location other than mounting it to the handlebar.

[BlueSky]

My old 85 Kawasaki ZN700 actually has a voltmeter!  There is a button on the tachometer that when pushed shows voltage!  Just some useless information....

[Woody]

3 hours ago, YamahaLarry said:

Thanks! And I've enjoyed trying to do a little catch up over the past few days. I noticed a familiar face no longer on here in Cowpuc.

In doing a little catch up on reading it has prompted me to make a personal commitment to do a couple things to my bike that I've been putting off with the top one being installing a relay on the starter switch wiring. After my little ordeal this weekend in thinking that it could have been the ignition switch, I realized I need to get that done sooner rather than later. @Heartbeat mentioned the voltmeter. That's something that I've always wanted to do but have never came up with a good location other than mounting it to the handlebar.

what I did was order a plug that goes in the lighter/accessary plug that gives you two usb ports and a volt meter reading. 

[BlueSky]

4 hours ago, Woody said:

what I did was order a plug that goes in the lighter/accessary plug that gives you two usb ports and a volt meter reading. 

That's a slick piece of equipment!  And they are not that expensive!

[YamahaLarry]

10 hours ago, Woody said:

what I did was order a plug that goes in the lighter/accessary plug that gives you two usb ports and a volt meter reading. 

 

5 hours ago, BlueSky said:

That's a slick piece of equipment!  And they are not that expensive!

Thanks guys. I'm headed to the interwebs to see what I can find.

[Heartbeat]

Here are small weatherproof voltmeters that I have found on ebay and/or Amazon. On my Venture, I used one that is more of a box shape and used doubled faced molding tape to attach it to the underside of the dash and put a plug on it to plug into the cigar lighter. I plan to wire it direct the next time that I have the fairing apart. The second picture is one I have found since that is more of a flat design.

I like Woody's solution as well.

Edited May 3, 2022 by Heartbeat

[YamahaLarry]

6 hours ago, Heartbeat said:

Here are small weatherproof voltmeters that I have found on ebay and/or Amazon. On my Venture, I used one that is more of a box shape and used doubled faced molding tape to attach it to the underside of the dash and put a plug on it to plug into the cigar lighter. I plan to wire it direct the next time that I have the fairing apart. The second picture is one I have found since that is more of a flat design.

I like Woody's solution as well.

I saw several on eBay last night that looked just about like that. Measurements on most of them were just under 30mm in height. Was gonna take a quick glance at lower portion of dash today to see how much room I have but you've answered that for me.

Yes, I like @Woody solution as well, but when I lead my charity bike rides I plug my GPS into that socket. I've had issues trying to use a USB charging cable with my Garmin in the past, but I haven't tried it in the past few years.

Thanks!!!