HELP NEEDED: electrical problem in Morocco

If you need any parts bringing in, or most likely new battery, I've got a Motor Factors business just outside Malaga and can get any parts you may need. I under stand the Fanum is on his way in this week. Give me a shout if you need anything and I will ask the BGT to bring it over for you. Good luck:gringo
 
Hi GRingo

Whatever else might be wrong I think it's likely that my battery is well and truly deceased. Bill is landing at Bilbao right now and I would like to take you up on your offer to source a replacement.

I can't PM you, could you text your email address to me on 0044 7976 683999.

In the meantime I'll see if I can rig up a temporary solution using Patzx12's concept of a battery in the top box. At least I'll know that way whether it's only the battery.

Cheers
Tim
 
When you fit the battery in the topbox make sure any cables you run to it are at least as big (dia) as the existing battery cables or even bigger if possible. If you run skinny wires you have a good chance of melting them.

Good luck


oh BTW it sounds to me like a loose connection somewhere if its not the battery, so check all the heavy cables from the battery to earth and from the battery to the starter motor and all its associated components.


Shep
 
Tim - take your battery out and flash the terminals - this'll at least give you an indication of completely dead or not.

I'm thinking a loose battery cable at the solenoid end from the postive end of the battery - or a loose earth strap where it connects to the engine

If you've been bumping around off road, then it could have loosened off.

the 'clunk' is the current not being able to be transferred across loose terminals - in my experience.

If all this is ok - then it'll be the battery, and the clunk is just the starter not powering round
 
Tim, just sent email for comms. Let me have all the numbers off the battery and I will get one organized before the arrival of the BGT.
 
I have only suffered starting problems once back in February - when it was very cold and the bike had not been ridden for 3 or 4 weeks, so I presume the battery was low.

The first thing that I noticed was that the CANBUS shut down the accessory socket - my GPS was not getting any power. The bike is smart, but this was the only indication the battery was low.

Is your accessory socket working ?

I did start the bike with jump leads, and after an hour or so ride it was behaving normally.

I still haven't changed or charged the battery !!!

Good luck with finding a solution.
 
Motomartin - I flashed the terminals yesterday, absolutely nothing. I will check all the cable runs later today.

Shep - What I thought I'd do is to get some heavy duty jump leads, firstly to see what happens if I can find someone to power me up. I don't hold out any hope of this being a useful solution, but I thought I could then use the jump leads to provide a link from a topbox-mounted battery.

GRingo is getting a battery today and is getting it to Fanum to pick up at the end of this week, so that end is sorted. I'm really tied up here with my Arabic studies during the week, so not having the bike available isn't an absolute disaster, but I do want to try to ensure the problem is ONLY the battery (or cables) so that I can then get the bike going when Fanum arrives the following Wednesday.

Thanks for all the help, guys, the support has been marvellous...
... except from marvellous thingys :mcgun

Tim
 
Tim Cullis said:
Motomartin
Shep - What I thought I'd do is to get some heavy duty jump leads, firstly to see what happens if I can find someone to power me up. I don't hold out any hope of this being a useful solution, but I thought I could then use the jump leads to provide a link from a topbox-mounted battery.



Tim
Click to expand...

The earthed terminal is just that, if you connect the battery(top box neg terminal) to earth on the frame somewhere and then link the neg terminal lead to earth(not really needed but better safe than sorry), then you only need to run one lead from the positive lead back to the topbox battery positive terminal make sure this is totally insulated and has no possibility of shorting to ground, too much tape may not be enough. i would try and bolt the terminal to the jump lead to prevent and reliance on the friction of the clamp.

Good Luck

Shep
 
While the sentiments are good etc a much better way of testing a battery is to put a bulb (indicator, stop lamp etc) across the battery and see if it lights up. Short circuiting, even briefly, a battery isn't the best thing to happen to one that's potentially on its last legs....
 
Tim

Not sure if there are any other m/c dealers or other riders in your area but off the top of my head the XRV 750 Africa Twin, XJR1200 uses a 14ah battery with same dimensions and terminal layout.

If its not sealed then dont worry too much just make sure you have a drain tube on it in case you drop the bike as the acid will damage the paintwork in no time.

Good luck
 
Just had an email from ActivMoto (Steve Attwood) who's currently heading west from Nova Scotia, he wonders whether my fuel pump controller workaround might be the cause of the drain on the battery.

I'm hoping not, as I merely bypassed the controller using CANbus controlled power, but it is the only electrical change I've made to the bike in the last few months, so it has to be suspect.
 
re the fule pump mod - have you got much else in terms of continuous load - addtinal lights, laptops etc.

The fuel pump bypass will put a continuous drain on the battery, if this is happening might be some value in reducing any other discharge loads
 
Tim Cullis said:
Just had an email from ActivMoto (Steve Attwood) who's currently heading west from Nova Scotia, he wonders whether my fuel pump controller workaround might be the cause of the drain on the battery.

I'm hoping not, as I merely bypassed the controller using CANbus controlled power, but it is the only electrical change I've made to the bike in the last few months, so it has to be suspect.
Click to expand...

Tim,

Each time I tried to power the workaround from a 'Canbus' controlled supply, it would not run.

I could only suppose that the pump drew more than the 5 amp limit of the 'Canbus' supply. I could only make it run direct from the battery, via a 10 amp fuse.

Are you running with the fuel pump workaround 24/7? I am not entirely convinced that is a good idea. I only say this as, I suppose, the controller is there to do something, other than break.
 
Wapping said:
the controller is there to do something, other than break.
Click to expand...

It reduces the pumps output to go a bit more than what the motor requires. This reduces the electrical load, heat into the fuel ... ware on the pump and ware on any filter.


Tim - measure the battery drain current - easy and you'll then know what is going on... well you'll have more information.
 
I wonder if the battery has given up the ghost from the inside due to rough terrain, All the external connections may look sound, but the internals my be falling apart? If a plate or two get damaged you start losing cells.
 
If someone is coming out to meet you, ask them if they can bring along a cheap multimeter. Not too difficult to use, and it will help diagnose the problem, rather then try various solutions. I carry a spare fuel pump relay rather than rely on the work around. I'm on my third so plenty of practice, and don't fancy having something wired live permanently.
 
IMG_1658e.jpg


IMG_1659e.jpg


My pump controller bypass uses the existing CANbus-controlled wiring that would otherwise go into the controller (in other words I haven't wired it directly to the battery, nor have I wired it to the CANbus accessory socket).

My understanding is that it's providing full power all the time to the pump, but when the ignition is switched off, the power would also be cut??

Hopefully Fanum is arriving next week. In the meantime I'll get a multimeter.

Tim
 
It's going to be a lot easier to get the bike put in the back of a truck and taken up to BMW at Casablanca. You're at a major city so they'll be plenty of trucks going that way.

Even if you find out what part it is you're still going to need to order it!
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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