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Not sure what's killing the battery

bbarbee

bbarbee

Member
Custom built softail. 1997 EVO. New battery,starter,rectifier. The starter jackshaft seems to sound like it jams sometimes when you try to start it. I just put a new starter on it today and got the same thing.
While running it shows around 13 14 volts so I assume it's charging. Bike starts fine (except for the jamming sometimes)but after driving about 15 miles it won't start. Any suggestions please!!
 
Could it be from the heat causing expansion and the jack shaft is unable to move at all.
 
bbarbee said:
Custom built softail. 1997 EVO. New battery,starter,rectifier. The starter jackshaft seems to sound like it jams sometimes when you try to start it. I just put a new starter on it today and got the same thing.
While running it shows around 13 14 volts so I assume it's charging. Bike starts fine (except for the jamming sometimes)but after driving about 15 miles it won't start. Any suggestions please!!
Click to expand...

Try dissassembling your On-Off switch and Start switch on the bars, cleaning them out, lubing them with spray lubricant and reassembling.

Also, disconnect both ends of both battery cables and wire brush the mating surfaces then reconnect (neg off first, on last).

See what that does.

TQ
 
Will do. I have a set of ape hangers coming in this week and was gonna have to bust all of it apart anyway. Thanks!
 
Check all grounds, Softails can be funny animals when it comes to grounds
 
I did notice last week the hot wire from the rectifier had rubbed through and was touching the frame. Could that have toasted the rectifier? I had fixed that last week.
 
bbarbee said:
I did notice last week the hot wire from the rectifier had rubbed through and was touching the frame. Could that have toasted the rectifier? I had fixed that last week.
Click to expand...

That was a common problem on the older baggers where it would rub through on the regulator mount. It's possible that did damage your charging system by overloading or shorting it.
 
I tested everything per the "self help section" on testing charging systems. Everything checked out o.k..... where to go from here? May be a short in the wiring somewhere....
 
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