2011 heritage electrical

[ken skinner]

I hope someone can help me. I have a new heritage 2011. I got it home and let it sit a week and the battery ran down, I charged it up let it set again same thing run down battery. I disconected the cables let it sit again and went out a few days later hooked the battery up and it started right up. I shut if off made sure everything was shut off. Touched the cable to the positive pole and whap!! I see a arc, did this several times. Each time I touch the lower cable that goes to the selinoid it arcs. I took it to the dealer and told them what it was doing and they say I had a bad battery. I tried to explain that the selinoid was pulling juice. They are telling me its the battery. I am a old school biker and put together my share of bikes in my my time still have a 52 panhead 72 shovel and a 2008 bobber. Everything I ever done says there should be no arc when hooking up battery cables. Either something all new with the 2011 models or I just smarter then these guys working at two Harley shops. Can someone tell me if I am right or wrong. Maybe I am just to old school but I think no system should have a electric draw on the battery unless there is something on like the key or lights. Help!!!

 

[Charlies Harley]

To start with welcome to the forum, and yes from what you have stated sounds to me something is pulling the battery down. If the battery were bad why didnt the dealer replace it under warrenty? Before you start tearing the bike apart looking for a short try pulling the fuses, see if that spark at the battery goes away, eliminate a few things and it shouldnt be hard to track it down. Once you know what it is take it back.

 

[Bodeen]

Ken, Welcome to THE forum. I believe you are right to a point. It seems to me that there would be some drain on the battery while sitting but it should be very, very minor. I dont think you should be seeing the arc that you are. Charlies idea of pulling fuses one at a time is a good one. I'm sure the Hoople the electrical wizard will be along soon to confirm or deny your suspicions.

Bodeen

 

[biscuit]

Have a Stethoscope or something similiar?
Have a listen and see if the IAC motor is still running.

"H-D has posted a bulletin about water intrusion at the system relay as a source of current draw which can cause battery drain. What happens is that during shut down of the engine, the IAC motor cycles closed and then to the "home" position. In cases we've found where battery drain is present, the IAC motor fails to stop running after the shut down cycle. This little motor can drain the best battery in a matter of a few days. If you listen closely or use a stethoscope, you can hear the faint hum of the motor".

That's a direct quote from a helpful email from Zippers in response to an identical problem i was having.I have washed my bike TWICE in my ownership,and despite taking every precaution regarding water pressure and not going anywhere near anything electrical with the water stream,my bike developed this issue.-BOTH times after careful washing.AND i dry my bike with an Airforce Blaster(warm high pressure dryer)

Try it and see.

 

[Hoople]

Something does not sound right. Normally there is a slight current drain (~25 ma) with everything turned off but there should not be a "Whap" which to me sounds like a good healthy jolt. It does not sound like a bad battery to me also since the battery did not run down after several days of not being connected to the bike.

We could give you a step by step to fix it but since the bike is new (Congratulations!) and under warranty, it would probably be best to have the dealership fix it.

Beside, they need the experience on the new Body Control Modules for 2011 !

 

[JerryL]

Leave it with the dealer until they fix it. Contact MoCo and tell them you will resume paying for it when it's fixed.

 

[ken skinner]

Re: 2011 heritage electrical and sick

Hi Everyone
Thanks for all the help. I thought I was right. The service manager at two Harley shops one in Southern Oregon are telling me its just the battery. I am overall very disapointed in this new Harley 2011 Hertiage It does not even come close to my 2008 street bobber. I sold my old shovel to buy this new bike and my old shovel would run circles around this new bike. I tell the dealer this and they just shrug there shoulders and tell me its because the bobber is lighter??? HUH????? They weight within 50 lbs of each other This bike makes a whaaaaaaaaaaa kind of sound when you accelerate kinda like a old Honda 750 I had. This bike vibrates unlike my Bobber. It sounds like it is out of time. But the book says no way to change the timming. Is anybody else with a 96cu. having these kind of issues with a 2011..

I hope someone can help me. I have a new heritage 2011. I got it home and let it sit a week and the battery ran down, I charged it up let it set again same thing run down battery. I disconected the cables let it sit again and went out a few days later hooked the battery up and it started right up. I shut if off made sure everything was shut off. Touched the cable to the positive pole and whap!! I see a arc, did this several times. Each time I touch the lower cable that goes to the selinoid it arcs. I took it to the dealer and told them what it was doing and they say I had a bad battery. I tried to explain that the selinoid was pulling juice. They are telling me its the battery. I am a old school biker and put together my share of bikes in my my time still have a 52 panhead 72 shovel and a 2008 bobber. Everything I ever done says there should be no arc when hooking up battery cables. Either something all new with the 2011 models or I just smarter then these guys working at two Harley shops. Can someone tell me if I am right or wrong. Maybe I am just to old school but I think no system should have a electric draw on the battery unless there is something on like the key or lights. Help!!!

 

[sharpscuba]

Re: 2011 heritage electrical and sick

I would give a call to the MOCO. No your bike should not run like that and it sounds like your dealers need some training. Going back to the battery cable, you stated that you touched the cable to the positive pole and whap. I hope that the negitive was not already connected right??

 

[Hoople]

Re: 2011 heritage electrical and sick

But the book says no way to change the timming. Is anybody else with a 96cu. having these kind of issues with a 2011..

Ken, These new bikes are just getting leaner and leaner with each model year because of the pressure by the EPA. The front cylinders are screaming lean. Give the engine a chance to really loosen up. Mine took a good 2500 miles before the crankshaft would coast a bit when turning it off.

I am not yet familiar with the 2011 in regard to cat converters and post-cat downstream o2 sensors but I would look into fattening up the A/F ratio if you can without too much trouble. Also be sure to use the highest octane fuel you can buy. The current Delphi ignition systems will back off the spark advance automatically when needed so you can Not go by audible engine knock to determine the right fuel octane to use. The stock system has so much spark advance, it will eat every bit of octane you can feed it.

Stick around and you will learn how to make that engine pull harder.

 

[ken skinner]

Re: 2011 heritage electrical and sick

I did have the neg cable attached, The pos. cable is the one that arc ocurred I just have never seen a arc when conecting a battery cable unless there was something pulling juice. Who is MOCO and how do I get a number for them. Thanks for the help.

I would give a call to the MOCO. No your bike should not run like that and it sounds like your dealers need some training. Going back to the battery cable, you stated that you touched the cable to the positive pole and whap. I hope that the negitive was not already connected right??