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2007 Ultra hard to start when warm or hot

dolt said:
Voltage does not start the motor; it takes amperage. Having said that, test voltage should be in the 12.8-12.9 range; voltage of say 10.5 would indicate a dead or shorted cell. If a battery is rated at say 650 CCA (cold cranking amps) that means that the battery should deliver 650 CCA for 30 seconds. A load test typically tests the battery at half the CCA for half the time; i.e., a 650 CCA rated battery should be tested to confirm that it will deliver 325 CCA for 15 seconds.

Most don't understand that to properly load test a battery, it should be fully charged and the let sit for 8-12 hours before testing to get a true reading. A battery can load test good and still be a weak battery. As soon as it is subjected to the load the Harley motor requires to crank the motor; the battery's ability to deliver the rated CCA can diminish very quickly.

I don't know how the battery was prepped for testing or how it was tested so I may be talking out of school. However, I will bet a six pack that if the OP replaces the battery with an OEM battery or a Big Crank battery or any quality AGM battery his problem will be solved. Additionally, if he keeps the battery on a tender, the new battery should last at least 5 years. As usual, JMHO.
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Jeff Klarich said:
So what you're saying if I read your post correctly we're most likely giving bad or incorrect advice when we suggest someone load test their battery?

If that's the case I stand corrected and will no longer give that advice BUT I've used that method for years and it's never failed me yet.:D
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Jeff, it sounds like he's saying a load test is still a good idea as long as it's done properly and the tester understands the parameters. I think too many of us hear "load test" and we go out and crank the engine for 5 seconds or so with a voltmeter attached and declare the battery good if the voltage stays up in the good range. I didn't realize there was so much more to it until I just read Dolt's post!
 
Dr. Dolittle said:
Jeff, it sounds like he's saying a load test is still a good idea as long as it's done properly and the tester understands the parameters. I think too many of us hear "load test" and we go out and crank the engine for 5 seconds or so with a voltmeter attached and declare the battery good if the voltage stays up in the good range. I didn't realize there was so much more to it until I just read Dolt's post!
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Understood Doc, the point I'm trying to convey is if a battery is properly load tested using dolts tips it doesn't matter what vehicle it's in, a weak or bad cell will be pretty easy to detect. The volts will drop fairly quickly not to mention it will take longer to fully charge a weak battery.
 
Breeze3at said:
What you are describing is often called "hot stall", and in my experience is the first sign of a battery failing. Sometimes they will last quite a while after it starts. My Dyna has shown this characteristic on every single battery that I have had in it. . My buddy has an identical bike, equipped with T.H., A/C, fuel pak as you, and his does it about 1 1/2 years after he puts a battery in it. My '07 E.G.Classic has never done it, and I attribute it to the extra ground cable I installed from batt. to starter mount bolt.
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I've never heard of the extra ground Pete, what does that do? or what could I expect from doing that?
 
Jeff Klarich said:
Understood Doc, the point I'm trying to convey is if a battery is properly load tested using dolts tips it doesn't matter what vehicle it's in, a weak or bad cell will be pretty easy to detect. The volts will drop fairly quickly not to mention it will take longer to fully charge a weak battery.
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As Doc points out, I am not suggesting that load testing a battery is a useless exercise; I load test batteries at the first sign of weakness.

You are dead on about voltage dropping if a cell has shorted; it will definitely show up. However, the voltage can be OK, all cells showing 1.2 volts but the battery may be too weak to deliver full CCA for 30 seconds.

What I am saying is that there is a proper procedure for load testing a battery and I will be another six pack that most do what Doc posted and don't understand the procedure. What will happen in those instances is that the owner will assume the battery good; it was load tested after all.:s Then the battery is put back in the bike, the bike started and run for a while and all is OK, for a day or two, or a week and the problems start again. The owner likely will start looking for other problems because he is sure his battery is up to snuff; it was load tested good just a few days ago.

All I am saying is that just because a battery shows "good" under a load test does not mean that the battery will not continue to cause problems.

Of course load testing is a good idea.:D
 
Jeff Klarich said:
I've never heard of the extra ground Pete, what does that do? or what could I expect from doing that?
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The engine gearbox and swing arm are rubber mounted therefore isolated from the frame there are ground straps somewhere between the engine and the frame but ground connections can suffer a wee bit of corrosion or resistance through build up of dirt and oxidisation
So a ground strap engine to battery is a good fail safe just ensure there is enough slack in it to accommodate the movement of the engine on its rubber mounts

Brian
 
Makes sense, may have to consider doing it next time I have the seat off. That must be the same reason car's have ground straps.
 
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