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Betty is dying.....help!

Discussion in 'Hangout Lounge' started by spamsxj550, Aug 20, 2008.

?

Which is it?

  1. Battery

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%

  2. Starter

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  1. spamsxj550

    spamsxj550 New Member

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    Ok so betty, my 1982 xj550, is dying and i dont know why. everything with her has been perfect since i bought her. then starting monday she was harder to crank. then yesterday when i tried to crank her it sounded like a cat being dragged across a chalk board. then nothing....nothing but a "click" coming from under the seat when you hit the start button. i dont have much experience with bikes. but if it was a car i would say battery, starter, or solenoid. what do you guys think?.....
     
    spamsxj550, Aug 20, 2008
    #1
  2. bill

    bill Active Member

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    Sounds like battery. Check the voltage just like a car should be around 12.4 volts. Check the fluid level and charge it. Should resolve the issue unless the battery is shot. You may know this but just in case - don't use a car charger unless it can be set to deliver 2 amp charging rate. Most newer chargers have this feature.

    IMHO hitting it with 10 amps will over heat and could "boil" the battery. Not the same mass to dissipate the heat as a car battery has.
     
    bill, Aug 20, 2008
    #2
  3. TIMEtoRIDE

    TIMEtoRIDE Active Member

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    You could also try boosting from a NON running car and see if it ticks right over, then it's definitely the battery.

    $32 at Wally World.
     
    TIMEtoRIDE, Aug 20, 2008
    #3
  4. CdnDave77

    CdnDave77 Member

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    If the battery is new-ish, and can be re-charged, you might want to check your alternator output once you get her going again. There should be 14.5 +/- 0.3 V at the battery terminals at 2000 rpm. If you are measuring less than that, then you aren't getting the charge on the battery, which will gradually weaken and die - giving you the result you have now.

    Good luck !
     
    CdnDave77, Aug 20, 2008
    #4
  5. Gamuru

    Gamuru Guest

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    Which is it? I'm thinking none of the above. From your description, I'm betting on a possible bad starter clutch.

    Check your battery, first, though. That's easy enough to do.
     
    Gamuru, Aug 20, 2008
    #5
  6. spamsxj550

    spamsxj550 New Member

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    ok frist off gamuru...not to sound like a newbie (which i am) but what is a starter clutch?....
    ok so i hooked up a charger last night and today it cranked no problem.....twice....about an hour between cranks...then we decided to run down to mcdonalds and eat some dinner...then i come out and get on betty and nothing.....just the single click again......can a battery die in a 10 minute ride and 30 minutes sitting in mcdonalds?.......oh and to top it off we dropped betty putting her on the trailer...and now there is a fist size dent in the side of the gas tank :(......but still gonna try to figure this out and fix her.....
     
    spamsxj550, Aug 20, 2008
    #6
  7. jswag5

    jswag5 Member

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    check your starter brushes, they may have gotten toasted, causing bad contact points, just a suggestion.
     
    jswag5, Aug 20, 2008
    #7

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