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Can somebody help me please


Thomas09

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Hello friends:

This is about my 1996 R1100RT with 56500 miles. The bike has everything done to it when I purchased it about month ago. The starter was installed last week. So was the Westco battery that was installed back on July 2018. Past Saturday before going to work I try to start the bike turning the ignition switch the power came on but no crank. Suddenly I saw smoke coming in front of steering area. So I parked the bike connect the battery to the charger . Today before removing the panels I got voltage reading and the battery was reading at 12.75/ 13.25 volts with the ignition on and the crank amperage was reading only at 5 volts and sometimes even lower on the new Westco battery!!! Once again I saw smoke raising after this attempts. After taking the battery out i saw the melted negative pole and solder all melted and gone. Please see the attached pictures.

I believe that the battery must be defective and this all because of lack of cranking power even on full charge and too much stress from the starter on the already a bad battery!

What is your idea? Did this ever happend to any of you fellow Bemeer oil head owners. Any sugesstion, I am extermey thankful.

Images can be seen here

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1NuYW0Sga1BbR_57ne7NfbhWDpxmTvdVR

Sincerely

Thomas

Edited by Thomas09
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A bad battery won't cause it's terminal to melt. A loose connection at the battery terminal is what happened here. The battery had plenty of current to melt the terminal. Have you checked the steering head area for melted wires?

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A bad battery won't cause it's terminal to melt. A loose connection at the battery terminal is what happened here. The battery had plenty of current to melt the terminal. Have you checked the steering head area for melted wires?

Yes no melted wires anywhere only melted negative pole ! Even when it smoked it didn't smell like burning wire (plastic burning) it was only the smoke!!!

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Maybe the smoke you saw was coming from the battery terminal melting and the smoke traveling under the tank to the steering head. The melted terminal and the low battery cranking voltage (depending on where you had the meter leads) makes me believe that you only problem you originally had was a loose connection at the negative battery post.

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Hi Thomas, I agree with kioolt that the burnt negative terminal is very likely from a loose connection. You'll need a new battery from the looks of your photos. BTW except for checking charging voltage a 12volt test light is a better tool to diagnose 12volt system connections. Once your battery is replaced and tight connections restored I'd connect a test light across the battery to start. Then from battery + to the engine block should be just as bright. If not check your (-) connection from the battery to the frame (chassis ground). Make sure your connections are shinny metal and not tarnished (with a light coating of WD40 not a bad idea or automotive bulb grease) as it doesn't take much electrical resistance to mess with only 12volts. :P

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So, a new starter was installed last week, and suddenly you have melting battery terminals? I've never seen loose battery connections cause melted terminals. My guess is that your recent repairs to your starter motor have created an electrical short.

 

 

 

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"So, a new starter was installed last week, and suddenly you have melting battery terminals? I've never seen loose battery connections cause melted terminals. My guess is that your recent repairs to your starter motor have created an electrical short"

 

Always revisit work just done before issue.

 

Did you do it?

If a dealership, stop, contact, tell them to sort it out.

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