Topic: Clunk on start-up (Read 5566 times)

tlr · « **on:** October 25, 2015, 09:11:11 AM »

Hi all,

I recently started having an issue on start-up on my 15 SG CVO. Bike is on tender and i ride pretty often. On initial crank, there is a slight hesitation, almost as if the battery is weak. Lights dim for a split sec, sounds like it may die, and then cranks over. This doesn't happen all the time, enough however that it doesn't appear normal. I think it happens when the bike is cold or warm. I have done a couple of searches but cant find anything. Thanks much for your help. Peace.

windjammer · « **Reply #1 on:** October 25, 2015, 09:48:40 AM »

Are you sure the ACR system is working properly?

grc · « **Reply #2 on:** October 25, 2015, 10:02:08 AM »

The first thing to check is the battery connections. Loose or corroded connections will reduce the ability of even a perfectly good battery to crank the engine. If the connections at the battery and the starter are clean and tight, then proceed to a battery load test. Just because the bike is less than two years old doesn't mean the battery is automatically good. Lots of folks have had batteries fail in the first year of ownership, including batteries that were purchased as replacements.

Jerry

CaptRat · « **Reply #3 on:** October 25, 2015, 11:44:55 PM »

I repeatedly had an identical problem with the 110 in my 08 EGU. Although it always seemed like a failing battery, the battery always checked good. It turned out to be the ACRs. Over the 7 1/2 years I owned the bike I had to replace the ACRs 4 times.

If it tried to crank hard when I first thumbed the starter, I'd let off, wait a second and try again. It almost always cranked normally on the second try.

tlr · « **Reply #4 on:** October 26, 2015, 07:55:47 AM »

I checked the battery for anything obvious such as corrosion or loose connection. Is there a way for me to check the ACR? if not and I bring to the dealer, of course they will focus on the battery. How do I get them to check the ACR? Thanks

grc · « **Reply #5 on:** October 26, 2015, 09:04:14 AM »

Quote from: tlr on October 26, 2015, 07:55:47 AM

I checked the battery for anything obvious such as corrosion or loose connection. Is there a way for me to check the ACR? if not and I bring to the dealer, of course they will focus on the battery. How do I get them to check the ACR? Thanks

I guess you get them to check the ACR's by asking them to check to make sure they are working. If they are like many Harley shops, they won't think of it on their own.

OK, you've looked at the battery connections and they seem to be clean and tight (if you have a multimeter you could actually check voltage drop across all the connections to make sure). Now you need to check the actual capacity of the battery, with a load test. You can leave the battery on the tender 100% of the time, but if the battery is failing internally it isn't going to help when you hit the starter button. Any dealership or auto parts place can load test a battery btw.

ACR failures were quite common on the early bikes, but not so much on late models (even Harley eventually fixes some of their problems). I believe an ACR failure would be less likely than a bad battery. Btw, have you added any tuning system or device that may have turned the ACR's off?

Jerry

tlr · « **Reply #6 on:** October 26, 2015, 10:09:49 AM »

I looked at some pics online and it looks like the ACR is screwed into the heads next to the spark plugs. I assume that I should check that they haven't loosened up. anything else?

mcdonaldroadcapt · « **Reply #7 on:** October 26, 2015, 10:50:27 AM »

Quote from: tlr on October 25, 2015, 09:11:11 AM

Hi all,

I recently started having an issue on start-up on my 15 SG CVO. Bike is on tender and i ride pretty often. On initial crank, there is a slight hesitation, almost as if the battery is weak. Lights dim for a split sec, sounds like it may die, and then cranks over. This doesn't happen all the time, enough however that it doesn't appear normal. I think it happens when the bike is cold or warm. I have done a couple of searches but cant find anything. Thanks much for your help. Peace.

Exact same problem on mine and found out that ACR's were disabled by accident during a TTS programing. Once enabled, problem solved.

grofcvo · « **Reply #8 on:** October 26, 2015, 05:39:13 PM »

Quote from: mcdonaldroadcapt on October 26, 2015, 10:50:27 AM

Exact same problem on mine and found out that ACR's were disabled by accident during a TTS programing. Once enabled, problem solved.

dumb question, how you enable them (do a dyno again or..)

mcdonaldroadcapt · « **Reply #9 on:** October 26, 2015, 05:55:05 PM »

You can go in on the TTS or other program and select to disable or enable the ACR's. It is listed on the options of most tuning devices.

shrknz · « **Reply #10 on:** October 27, 2015, 02:01:14 AM »

I am having the exact same issue as well on my 13 CVO. It started shortly after I installed a thundermax tuner.... So I thought that maybe they had gotten turned off in the thundermax settings. No such luck, they were turned on.

So my next question is, how hard are the ACR's to install?

tlr · « **Reply #11 on:** October 27, 2015, 07:41:54 AM »

i am running PowerVision which I got from Jamie at Fuel Moto. Have the bike just about a year. I highly doubt that the ACR's got turned off thru that setup, but anything is possible. If it warms up a little I am going to bring her in to have them look at it.

grc · « **Reply #12 on:** October 27, 2015, 08:35:39 AM »

Quote from: tlr on October 27, 2015, 07:41:54 AM

i am running PowerVision which I got from Jamie at Fuel Moto. Have the bike just about a year. I highly doubt that the ACR's got turned off thru that setup, but anything is possible. If it warms up a little I am going to bring her in to have them look at it.

Why so resistant to just having the battery tested? It is the most likely problem, so it should be the first item checked and either confirmed or eliminated as the cause. If it's too cold to ride to the dealership, remove the battery and take it to them for testing and replacement if needed. You would definitely not be the first person to have a one year old battery bite the dust, many have reported equally short battery life in recent years.

Jerry

tlr · « **Reply #13 on:** October 27, 2015, 08:38:34 AM »

Quote from: grc on October 27, 2015, 08:35:39 AM

Why so resistant to just having the battery tested? It is the most likely problem, so it should be the first item checked and either confirmed or eliminated as the cause. If it's too cold to ride to the dealership, remove the battery and take it to them for testing and replacement if needed. You would definitely not be the first person to have a one year old battery bite the dust, many have reported equally short battery life in recent years.

Jerry

My bad. not hesitant at all. That is precisely what first step would be. I am juts trying to get educated so that if the dealer says that the battery is fine, I can ask if they would also check that the ACR's are working properly. I would not have known that the ACR's could be a potential issue.

Ted

CaptRat · « **Reply #14 on:** October 27, 2015, 11:15:46 AM »

The original ACRs in my 08 EGU stage 4 heads failed completely, so it was an easy diagnosis via a compression test. But every time after that they didn't fail completely, they just wouldn't open until the engine had cranked at least a little. I learned pretty early on that if it cranked hard when I thumbed the starter to let off immediately and try again. If it cranked hard three or four times in a row it was time for a battery test and usually replacement ACRs.

Side note: When they intermittently fail (occasionally stick closed) as mine did, a compression test may or may not indicate that they're not functioning properly. When the second set of ACRs started to fail, I took the bike in under warranty and (of course) the ACRs functioned just fine while in the shop, normal compression test. The next day it was back to hard cranking. It took three visits to service before they misbehaved in the shop.

Rooster · « **Reply #15 on:** October 27, 2015, 03:56:22 PM »

I have had batteries that seemed 100% charged but would not crank. In other words no guts left to crank. Some one else might know the proper terms for this.

Twolanerider · « **Reply #16 on:** October 27, 2015, 04:26:31 PM »

Quote from: Rooster on October 27, 2015, 03:56:22 PM

I have had batteries that seemed 100% charged but would not crank. In other words no guts left to crank. Some one else might know the proper terms for this.

Bad; that's a "bad" battery.

Rooster · « **Reply #17 on:** October 27, 2015, 04:55:45 PM »

That's the term I use.

Trapperdog · « **Reply #18 on:** October 27, 2015, 05:16:09 PM »

I believe the English refer to it as a "flat" battery.

skorch · « **Reply #19 on:** October 27, 2015, 07:25:58 PM »

I have been having the same problem-Pulled the battery and had it load tested and checked fine. Sometimes fires right up and sometimes just hesitation like the starter is failing. Sometimes even get a long crank cycle with a nice backfire-bike is stock 2010 FLXHSE. Baffled and sometimes I long for my old 2006 simple carb street glide.

CaptRat · « **Reply #20 on:** October 27, 2015, 11:55:25 PM »

I would get the backfire too if I held the starter when it cranked hard. That's why I let off the starter right away if it cranked hard.

Author Topic: Clunk on start-up (Read 5566 times)