Dreaded click
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Dirt don't hurt
Joined: Jan 2011
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From: Haslet Texas
Dreaded click
I know this has been talked about before but a search didn't find the thread.
Yesterday I got the dreaded click. I put her on the battery tender for a while and she started. I then checked the voltage readings. Idle is at 13.4 volts DC and revved up is at 14.4 volts DC. At rest the battery read 13.09 volts DC.
This morning I checked the at rest battery again I got 13.02 volts DC.
The starter relay is around 4 months old. The battery is about 1.5 years old but the battery in my truck did die from the heat of this last summer.
Does anybody have an idea on what to check next?
Yesterday I got the dreaded click. I put her on the battery tender for a while and she started. I then checked the voltage readings. Idle is at 13.4 volts DC and revved up is at 14.4 volts DC. At rest the battery read 13.09 volts DC.
This morning I checked the at rest battery again I got 13.02 volts DC.
The starter relay is around 4 months old. The battery is about 1.5 years old but the battery in my truck did die from the heat of this last summer.
Does anybody have an idea on what to check next?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 8,195
Likes: 3,085
From: NW AR
There's > a dozen connections between the battery and the starter solenoid. Any and all of them can be your problem. Most likely all of them. Some of us have put an auxiliary start relay in to bypass the dozen connections and we don't have any more Dreaded Click. Others put one of those push button end caps on the solenoid and just push that when they are experiencing the problem.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
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From: South Carolina
First make sure all the electric connections are clean and secure, like the Dr, suggested.
Check the solenoid contacts, they could be burned.
Your battery may be shot, just because it shows the correct voltage does not mean it is good, to determine if it is good, it must be load tested.
In reference to the solenoid mounted push buttons:
If the solenoid contacts are bad, the push button on a starter won`t help a bit. The push button in my opinion is simply a way to jury rig the start system instead of spending the effort to make the system operate properly.
Dr. Hess advice about the aux relay bypassing all the connections is a big improvement over the stock setup.
Check the solenoid contacts, they could be burned.
Your battery may be shot, just because it shows the correct voltage does not mean it is good, to determine if it is good, it must be load tested.
In reference to the solenoid mounted push buttons:
If the solenoid contacts are bad, the push button on a starter won`t help a bit. The push button in my opinion is simply a way to jury rig the start system instead of spending the effort to make the system operate properly.
Dr. Hess advice about the aux relay bypassing all the connections is a big improvement over the stock setup.
Last edited by Dan89FLSTC; Mar 18, 2012 at 09:19 AM.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 6,508
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From: WPB, FL
Sounds Like
Sounds like the battery is OK but I would be interested in seeing what the volts drop off to while starting the bike (load test). For sure if you go up to 14.5 volts or so under a high idle, the charging system sounds OK. If the battery maintains volts while starting then you are probably chasing a corroded connection somewhere. Loosen up, clean and reconnect as many of the battery/starter connections as you can find. After that the starter becomes suspect. Good luck - electrical problems can be a bit**!
Thread Starter
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Dirt don't hurt
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 21,062
Likes: 4,547
From: Haslet Texas
As for the aux relay. I remember reading Dr. Hess's procedure for installing one but like a dumb*** I didn't copy it into a word document for later reference and I don't remember enough of it to do it.
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Ultimate HDF Member
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From: WPB, FL
10.4 volts - the battery is suspect - make sure your connections are good and clean
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: NW AR
Yeah, I think that at 10.4V when trying to start it, the batt is about show. Plus it's 1.5 years old. I rarely get 2 years out of a battery. I stopped buying HD brand batteries because the last one I bought didn't last any longer than the cheap ones. So, I'd start with a new batt, as you're about due for one anyway.