12.25 volts at the battery...

and needs to be pushed to start it cold. Starts fine when it's warmed up. Is it time for a starter rebuild?

 

how cold and how old is the battery do you use a battery tender or have you charged the battery?


have you load tested the battery? if it drops below 9.5 volts you get no start voltage to low for TCI

this link covers testing battery and alternator just need a multimeter and 5 minutes
The Ultimate Relay, Switch, Sensor, and Diodes Guide

 

The battery will be three years this summer. I brought it inside for the winters. I charged it and put it on the bike and still had to push start it. I don't use a battery tender. It was about 50f when I tried to start it cold. I can tell it cranks slowly. I can take it on a half hour ride and it starts fine but when it cools off from being outside for a few hours in 45-50f, I have to push start it. I can sit on it and push with both feet and get it going fast enough to start but it doesn't look too cool.

 

if you are confident in the battery do a starting voltage drop hook up meter and see what the voltage drops to when you start it
after bump starting

have you checked the fluid level in the battery if it needs to be filled up use distilled water

but really check your charging system and your voltage drop as discribed it the link I posted above if it passes the test pull the starter and clean and rebuild it
kit runs 30 to 40 bucks
XJ's are known to boil the battery.

 

Thanks. I will check the charging system.

 

My bet is the battery is shot

 

What do you mean? I did the duck walk thing for a short while, and everyone was pointing and talking. . . . I figured they were saying "look at him, isn't that macho to start a bike without cranking it?"

Seriously, I did the duck walk for two days at work, then I got a new battery. Go through the checks like XJ550H suggests, it is always good to know more about your bike. It wouldn't hurt to check, clean and add dielectric grease to your connections.
+1 on boiling water in batteries.

 

Based on my experience, I'm betting the battery.

Mine often is a hard start when less than 55-60 Fahrenheit. Often, the first sign my battery is going is when it won't fire up in the spring, esp. if it starts using jumper cables from my car.

Some of my battery's have only lasted 3 seasons, some longer, even with same brand.

If you don't have a volt meter, even a $5 digital one from Harbor Freight can verify you are below voltage while the starter is engaged, per XJ550H above.

 

Or just take care of the obvious........get a new battery. On the off-chance it is NOT the battery, then at least you know you have a new battery for the next couple of seasons.


Dave

 

Might want to invest in one. The one Chacal sells has a indicator that will kill the charge if something is wrong with the battery. It'll also trickle the charge once the battery is fully charged.

Gary H.

 

Would a partially charged battery ever reach full capacity just by riding the bike? The battery came empty and I had to add the acid. Seemed to charge quickly so I put it in the bike and forgot about it. Dealt with push starting it when cold for the 2nd season. I've been charging it for a few hours at a time at 2 amps and seeing it looses a volt and a half by the next day. It's been 50f in the garage. Today I went in to see it has 12.63 volts after sitting 18 hours. It was still taking a charge of 14.4 volts when I took it off.

 

Did you read the charging instructions that came with the battery?

 

Did you completely fill each cell? There should have been very little if any acid left after the fill. Some people think they've filled each cell but haven't. The red straw used to fill the cells must be pushed far enough down into the cell so you can see the acid hit the bottom.

Gary H.

 

Well, the volts dropped below 9 but the bike started in 50f without the choke almost instantly after sitting overnight. It has never started cold without the choke on before.

When I got the battery, A local battery shop charged me $3 to fill it. I could only get battery acid in 5 gallon quantities locally. I charged the battery with an automatic charger and it said it was done in about an hour. The same charger hasn't shown it was done and I've been charging it 5 or 6 hours at a stretch for 3 days. The volt meter says 14.4 while it's charging but shows it dropping fast as soon as I take it off the charger. It eventually settles at 12.63. I guess I will look into a trickle charger/maintainer and a possible starter rebuild. Thanks for the help.

 

12.6 to 12.7 volts is the normal resting voltage for your battery. The 14.4 volts you see is the output from the charger.

Are you saying that the battery drops under 12.6 volts after several days of sitting?

Your sarter is likely fine if it's turning the engine over fast enough for it to start.

 

It dropped to 12.25 after sitting for a few days in 40-50 degree garage.

 

Is the battery still in the warranty period?

 

No solution but a few comments..

'Fresh' acid will not require a full charge so rest easy there.

14.4V seems high for a slow charger if you charger has a Fast/slow switch make sure it's on slow. These are piddly units compared to
car batteries and I don't think they can take 'abuse' (so perhaps it is nadgered)

At least it's not a gel battery - I hate those.

I've never had any luck with trickle chargers either - far better to disconnect teh earth when not using for a while IMO.​

 

If it dropped below 9, its toast. It may have started your bike, and if you're tight for cash you might be able to limp through the season with it...but who wants that drama? Get a freshie and be done with it

 

Not sure if there's still a warranty on the battery. It was $27 including shipping off ebay. I'll just push start it for now if it needs it. I only ride for fun anyway. How much do you think a shop would charge for a starter rebuild?

 

Do it yourself:
http://www.xj4ever.com/starter brush replacement.pdf
And save $$$ AND know that the job was done right.
Avoid shops at all costs, most of the guys working at them are younger than the bike, many shops won't work on a bike older than 20 years, they charge too much and they are in the business (most of them) of turning bikes over, not doing meticulous work to insure reliability and safety.

<\dismounts_soapbox>

 

A $27 battery. Sounds like you bought a doorstop.

A shop would overcharge you because your starter likely does not need rebuilt (since it spins the engine around like it's supposed to), and if it did you can rebuild it yourself.

 

The battery worked fine for the first season. I brought it inside for the winter and charged it at 2 amps until the auto charger function it turned off. Now after charging and looking for voltage, which I never did before when I just waited for the green light to say it's done, it seems like it will work. It's the drop below 9.5 volts that's got me concerned. I'll just ride on nice days only, like always, and stay prepared to push start it if necessary.

 

Voltage is only half the battle. Like I said before, having 12+ volts while sitting idle (no load) means very, very little. Its the ability of the battery to take a load that matters- and as evidenced by the voltage drop well below what it should be, at least one cell in the battery is not pulling its weight. And $27 for a battery is a steal, if you got two good seasons out of it you surely got your moneys worth.