I just had to replace the battery on my '07 Night Train from sitting too long while I was out of state and now it won't crank(with brand new HD battery). I hear one solid click but the starter doesn't turn. I checked all the fuses and they were good. I have tried to bump start it and have had no luck in 1st through 4th. Any advice or helpful hints?
No Crank Issue
- Thread starter Petri
- Start date
Welcome Petri to HDTimeline and hope I can help. I do not know if you have Domestic or International model HD...but if you have a SECURITY system, it may have automatically disabled the starting function, and may have drained the battery power down. Use an external slow charger for 24 hours and consider in the future using a Battery Tender when going away longer than a couple weeks. It sounds like if you only left it for a few weeks that it is probably a discharged battery
Check to see if your turn signals work and headlight work. Turn the bike so you can see the headlight (mirror, garage door or wall). Check if the headlight dims slightly or goes out when you try to start the bike. If it dims to 1/4 brightness or goes out, the battery is partially dead or has a bad cell. You will need at least 9-10V to power your ICM Ignition Control Module), and you should hear a slight "buzz or bump" sound as the EFI Fuel Pump "steers" and pressurizes. Try cleaning all the primary Battery cable wiring, at the battery frame, up to and including the starter. Check the fuses and terminals scrape and clean all contacts and connection and use dielectric grease to prevent corrosion. Hope this helps.
Check to see if your turn signals work and headlight work. Turn the bike so you can see the headlight (mirror, garage door or wall). Check if the headlight dims slightly or goes out when you try to start the bike. If it dims to 1/4 brightness or goes out, the battery is partially dead or has a bad cell. You will need at least 9-10V to power your ICM Ignition Control Module), and you should hear a slight "buzz or bump" sound as the EFI Fuel Pump "steers" and pressurizes. Try cleaning all the primary Battery cable wiring, at the battery frame, up to and including the starter. Check the fuses and terminals scrape and clean all contacts and connection and use dielectric grease to prevent corrosion. Hope this helps.
fatboygreg07
Member
Might want to give the start a couple of taps with a hammer, be careful if its chrome though! And actually it works best if u can have someone trying to start while you're tapping.
gearjammer
Member
ave had this prob , turns out battery terminals were not on tight enough, once tightend all was ok .
Should not be any Security system issues that I am aware of even if the battery completely discharged, but check your Owner's Manual to see.
I would try what NEWHD74FAN suggested above with respect to your cables first. Take off the neg then the pos and clean both side of each connection (battery side and cable side). Do the same with the connection on the starter post, and the neg ground (probably one of the starter mounting bolts). Reattach and give it a try (pos first then neg).
Make sure all your fuses and breakers are OK.
If that doesn't work, try using a jumper cable from pos to the post on the starter. If this works, at least that battery cable is bad. If it doesn't, try a little jumper wire from the pos terminal to the other plug in post on the starter. Make sure the bike is in neutral when you do this. If it tries to start or starts, then some of your ignition switch circuit is probably just all corroded up with copper salts. Dissassemble them, clean and lube.
TQ
I would try what NEWHD74FAN suggested above with respect to your cables first. Take off the neg then the pos and clean both side of each connection (battery side and cable side). Do the same with the connection on the starter post, and the neg ground (probably one of the starter mounting bolts). Reattach and give it a try (pos first then neg).
Make sure all your fuses and breakers are OK.
If that doesn't work, try using a jumper cable from pos to the post on the starter. If this works, at least that battery cable is bad. If it doesn't, try a little jumper wire from the pos terminal to the other plug in post on the starter. Make sure the bike is in neutral when you do this. If it tries to start or starts, then some of your ignition switch circuit is probably just all corroded up with copper salts. Dissassemble them, clean and lube.
TQ
Alright so I first want to thank everyone for their help. I will follow that up with saying that I am a (EDITED) and I am obviously off this week. So after using a jumper wire to test the starter I realized there was a problem with the starter battery cable. It turns out my problem was that in the process of taking my old battery out, putting it back in a couple times and then putting in the new battery I managed to hide the starter battery cable under the battery tray. After connecting the battery cable all is well and I have my bike back on the road again. Thanks again.
Please read this...
Please read this...
Last edited by a moderator:
Spade5
Active Member
Don't beat yourself up over this. I have done things like that more times than I would like to admit and I imagine most others on this forum have done the same.
To me that is what posting the question is all about. You get different points of view and ideas about what the problem is and how to deal with it.
The main thing is you figured it out and that dog won't bite you again.
To me that is what posting the question is all about. You get different points of view and ideas about what the problem is and how to deal with it.
The main thing is you figured it out and that dog won't bite you again.