1998 Heritage Died While Riding

[STEVE07]

As promised... am reporting back. Sunday I took the battery out and inspected the cables. The battery is only 3 months old (I change batteries every two years regardless) and the cables are new too. All looked fine - no corrossion.

In removing them, I found the negitave side to be a bit lose, so that may have been the problem. With my limited tools and knowhow, I could not get get to the positive lead to the starter. So far 55 miles later, no problems, pray that continues.

Thanks again TQ for the heads up on the order of removal and replacing of the battery cables - did not know there to be a right way to do so. However, you failed to mentioned that a large spark and BOOM would occur if one drops the negitive cable across the positive post! That was shocking!! My pretty new battery now has a chunk of lead out of the positive post.

What was still connected to the negative terminal to cause this?
There should have deen no spark if the negative cable was already removed

 

[glider]

Nothing get's by Steve

I was wondering that myself.

 

[TQuentin1]

Thanks again TQ for the heads up on the order of removal and replacing of the battery cables - did not know there to be a right way to do so. However, you failed to mentioned that a large spark and BOOM would occur if one drops the negitive cable across the positive post! That was shocking!! My pretty new battery now has a chunk of lead out of the positive post.

What?? Are you saying that you disconnected the negative terminal cable and EVERYTHING else from the negative terminal of the battery, and the negative terminal was NOT touching anything (like the frame or other metal attached to the bike) but when the ground cable touch the positive terminal it produced a spark? If that is really what happened, it indicates a DIFFERENT problem. Something is forming a ground to the negative terminal of the battery BESIDES the negative cable. If you have the negative cable off the terminal of the battery, and there is no other ground connected to that terminal, the battery should be an open circuit and touching the positive terminal should produce NO results. If things happened as you describe, I would check that out right away.

Disconnect the negative (ground) cable and then check for potential between the positive terminal and any known ground on the bike (like the unattched end of the negative cable) with a DVOM. Should be zero. If not, something is wrong.

TQ

 

[SpringerSteve98]

I have a 98 model softail and my negative terminal i noticed the bolt would tighten up before the cable snugged up properly. (even while using the correct HD battery) I added two washers and it tightens up great. You might want to check that.