Possible Electrical Glitch

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Boxer
Lifer
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Possible Electrical Glitch

Post by Boxer »

Hi all. Its been a while since I posted here. Forums in general have declined to the deep web I believe. Anyway, I had to store my Lil Chubb outside with a small cover on it for the past 5 weeks of the covid lockdown. It was at some friends' apartment in Acworth and exposed to the weather...with just a small cover basically covering the handlebars, instrument panel and seat. My friend had been spraying the chain with WD-40 and wrapped some plastic around the rear end.
Well, I picked it up yesterday and rode it back home here-a 6 hour ride. Before leaving I charged up the battery but it didn't really take much. Wasn't very low at all. My tires were down to 25lbs so I stopped off in Dallas, GA at a tire place and they pumped them up for me. After charging it started right up but once it stalled out while at a light and idling. Then it felt like the started wasn't connecting. The dash lights and instruments were lit but it just clicked when I pressed the starter a couple of times. I was just waiting on the light so I had time to try it several times. Just as I was about to walk it to the curb, it turned over and started right up again. It felt like the starter button wasn't connecting, or maybe the sidestand switch was malfunctioning or something. Anyway, I rode the remainder of the ride home, with most of it slab down I-85 from LaGrange to I-65 south from Montgomery. I stopped several times for breaks and fuel, etc and it never repeated the malfunction, but I just wonder if the tiny connections in the switches may have just been corroded with moisture or rust or something.
The next couple of days I will go over her good and check things out while safely in my shop and out of the weather. She has 57,000 miles and is 10 years old now.
Any comments or suggestions?
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CycleRob
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Re: Possible Electrical Glitch

Post by CycleRob »

Phil, I saw this about 3:30am the day after you posted it and thought since it corrected itself, it was just as you guessed . . . moisture that got blown away or minute corrosion that got pushed away. Thinking it over now, I recommend you pull the tank cover off and check the battery terminals for tightness before you remove those bolts for cleaning/re-greasing the terminals IF they were not visibly grease coated. I find the terminals tend to s-l-o-w-l-y get loose over time, unless you add on two good StainlessSteel lock washers. That tells me it must be the not-so-dense lead battery posts whose dimensions are "settling" over a year or 3.

It happened with my then new 2009 F800ST some months after I owned it that I found the battery terminal bolts (with flat washers but NO LockWashers) were NOT tight! I got mad at the dealer -until- a year or so later I found that my TIGHTENED battery bolts had loosened up. That's when I acquired two SS lock washers to make the problem almost completely go away.

FYI, here is a reminder for F800 bikers on how to retain your trip meters, clock and most importantly the BMS-K computer's "ride configured" run time data digital fuel map: https://postimg.cc/d7WhwFb8
`09 F800ST

Member since Sept 10, 2001

"Talent, On Loan, From God" --Rush Limbaugh--
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Boxer
Lifer
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Re: Possible Electrical Glitch

Post by Boxer »

Well, some time has passed and more miles on Lil Chubb. The aforementioned "glitch" continued to occur unpredictably at odd times with no discernible pattern to it...so like any good motorcyclist, I just continued to ride. Haha
At any rate, I went to Hungry Mother for the annual soire in August, and rode through tons of pouring rain a lot of the weekend, going and coming from Virginia. Another similar glitch (possibly the same issue) occurred after exiting a rain storm just as I got on I-26 north out of Asheville, NC. This time I just lost power in mid flight at about 55 mph. It sputtered and died like it was out of gas, which I knew I wasn't. While rolling in 5th gear it started back up pretty quickly. I never came to a stop. Then the same thing happened on the way home near La Grange, GA, again AFTER coming out of a lot of rain. This time it did not start back up until I coasted into a small store parking lot and let it set for a few minutes. It sputtered again after getting on I-85 but no problem after that.
When I got home I tore it all down to the valve cover, checking electrical connections, air tubes, battery, etc. I found air tubes connecting the idle actuator assembly to the air box were cracked at the connectors. Just old rubber. After checking the valves, replacing the coolant and brake fluids, and replacing the air box, I now have all the body parts sanded down to 180 grit for repainting those 6 parts. I still have to go over them with 400 grit, then 800 grit before I can spray the base coat on them. The clear coat has an additive that will render the gloss finish to a dull matte finish. I want that desert khaki army color and NAPA paint specialist mixed it for me in Atlanta.
I've got a lot of other projects going on so hopefully I can get those parts painted in time for the next Bash. Haha
And as far as the quirky stalling issue, I'll just have to wait and see if my "fixes" worked this time after everything is back together and ready to fire her up again.
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