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[Midnight Rider]

Is it just me, or is the battery cover on the touring bikes a bitch to get off?  I must not be holding my mouth right, or am overlooking the obvious, but I had a hell of a time getting to the battery posts yesterday evening.  I've done it once before, but for the life of me, could not figure out how to get the cover to release from that silver L shaped, movable hold down in front of the battery.  Got the ECM off, other stuff out of the way, two rear bolts removed, but could NOT get the friggin' thing to come off.  Cussing didn't help...hitting it didn't help...being nice to it didn't help.  In the end, I managed to gain access to the positive terminal without removing the thing entirely.

I'm sure I'm overlooking something simple, or that I'm stoopid (sometimes the simplest things confound me).  The service manual was no help.  Is there a "trick" to this?

Got the work done, but just wondering for the next time.

BTW...if the battery is down to 12.31 Volts, the starter won't engage...   Installing several LED's in place of "regular" stuff, Load Equalizer, and tailight flash module...doing all that, testing, and leaving the ignition on for a while when trying to keep the alarm from going off runs the battery down faster than I thought possible, and I keep it on a battery tender all the time.  Thought maybe I'd left a connection on the battery loose, but knew better, so measured the voltage at the pigtail...12.3V  Just clicks.  Left tender on all night...fired right up this AM.

[ultrafxr]

No Terry, it is not just you.  I've had the same problem getting that dang cover off. 
It has been a while but I think there is a tab that engages a slot in the cover (on the front side) that causes the problem.  For something so simple they sure can make it complicated. 

[Midnight Rider]

No Terry, it is not just you.  I've had the same problem getting that dang cover off. 
It has been a while but I think there is a tab that engages a slot in the cover (on the front side) that causes the problem.  For something so simple they sure can make it complicated. 

Yea, Jerry...it's that stupid tab that I could not figure out how to release.  Aggravating POS.  And it doesn't look like it's really necessary, particularly since the bolts hold it down securely.

Trying to work in that general area is like trying to build a ship in a bottle in the first place!

[spada84]

Yep!  I fiddled with it for some time, and suddenly, it came off easily.  Never figured out the trick to make it repeatable. 

[Deep Blue Dives]

Amen to this discussion - when adding my heated gear cables, I couldn't believe the stuff sitting on top, attached to, and that damn bracket up front expected to hold the cover in place.  Once I saw there was a curved bracket up there, I figured how to massage it off, and back on. 

Plain simply a bitch!  I can think of a few other things to fix before any re-engineering resources are spent on making an easier battery mount to get off/on.

[lvngd]

Had the same problem with mine but got it down now. I just push down on the top cover front and it seems to hop off. Then a little angling towards the front of the bike to get it back on. But yes, sure is allot of chit to move just to get to the leads!!

[bikerboy53]

It's been awhile, but I do remember that it's hard to get that cover off. I think I trimmed some of the plastic off of the tab area the last time I was in there, but I don't remember exactly what I did. It's still not easy peasy tho! Not sure why they made it so hard to get off... 

Wait a minute, now I think I remember -they want us to take the bike to the dealer! 

[DESERTBEAR54]

This is a funny thread because I have had the same issue and then all of a sudden it comes off and I think to myself "self" how did I do that and the process starts all over again the next time I go into the battery!! Getting older sucks!!

[Midnight Rider]

Yea, I had it off a year ago when I put the Legend Shocks on there and wired up the handlebar switch.  I recalled last evening that it was a PITA to get off, but I did get it off last time.  But, that was a year ago...I should take notes, but then I'd forget where I put the damn notes.   

[timo482]

supposedly the electrical system on the softails uses a LOT less wire and takes up less space

i wonder why that is not on the touring bikes

hmmm

to

[Fired00d]

What cover???

Just wanted to say how much I love my '04 .

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

[grc]

supposedly the electrical system on the softails uses a LOT less wire and takes up less space

i wonder why that is not on the touring bikes

hmmm

to

It will be in the near future.  Harley doesn't put the new stuff on all models at the same time, probably because they realize they do such a lousy job introducing new technology and they don't want to have to fix every bike they build for the next two years.  For the HDLAN (CAN-Bus) system, they chose the Softail model line.  For the initial year of the new primary and Cruise Drive trans, they chose the Dyna models.  For Electronic Throttle Control they chose the Touring models.  Eventually all those things have or will become standard on the other models.

Actually the Touring models will be the ones to benefit most from HDLAN, once they get it debugged.  Lots more electrical and electronic stuff, so the cost savings to H-D will be greater.  If they eventually become sophisticated enough, they could offer the ability to alter the operation of various components with just a tweak with a scan tool, similar to what the auto folks have been doing for many years now.  For instance, in the old days if you needed to add daytime runnng lights to a Ford, you had to buy a separate module and wire it into your vehicle's lighting circuits.  These days, you just hook up the scan tool and navigate to module programming, find the setting for DRL, and toggle it on.  Done.


Jerry

[tazmun]

  Hey TC, what you should have done before you got upset was let that BH, look it over!
I've learned that years ago, explain it to her, show her what you've done, then wait
for the real simple answer! Then proceed to smack your head on the nearest wall!
 
Just saying!
Taz

[Barmats]

I've done it twice and it wasn't any easier the second time.

[kravnut]

I couldn't agree more with the battery cover being a PITA!  I screamed, yelled, cursed and threw things when I was trying to get to the terminals to hook up the battery tender and heated gear leads.  Finally had to call the dealer and talk to one of the techs, since the service manual was of no use at all.