Battery and heat?

You guys ever had a problem with engine heat causing the battery to fail?

 

In my experience with cars and bikes, a failing battery will start the engine from cold but then fail to restart the engine when it has been running for a while. I do believe that heat soak is a factor that can create an internal short in a failing battery.

 

Yes. It hasn't been a common occurrence though. I can think of once in the years and thousands of miles I've been riding. Well, if I had to guess the battery was already on the way out.

About two summers ago on a 2000 VFR. Bike started fine that morning, and the on board voltmeter showed nothing odd. Mid day I was running short errands. A few stops running in and out and bike starting up every time. Last stop, I was off the bike for just 2 minutes. Came back, and "click" from the starter relay. That was it, battery was completely done. Luckily there was a side-by-side with jumper cables available where I was at and I got it going. I was able to get the bike home fine, I just made sure not to stop the engine until I got back.

 

Some decades back, my wife as running errands with our toddler kids in the car. She couldn't find a park close to where she needed to pick up some stuff, so parked (very briefly!) in a handicapped park. Of course, that was the moment the battery decided to give up. It created a lasting memory...

 

It is a new battery, holds a charge fine. Starts the bike when cold but then on a particularly hot day with the engine heat it would just "click"?
I checked it with the multimeter and it was 12.5v? put it back in and "click" after cooling down and on a charger for a while it seems okay again??

 

Maybe you have a problem with the starter solenoid when it is hot? You can jumper the solenoid to check that.

 

Oh, okay!
that is a good idea!!
Thanks!!!

 

Voltage doesn't give a complete picture of battery health. The battery really needs to be load tested. Instead of jumping the starter solenoid, I would carry a small lithium jump pack on the bike. When you run into "click" conditions, you could quickly pop the seat and get the jump pack on there. If your bike starts, you know it's not the solenoid.

 

makes sense, thank you.

 

it's definitely the Battery!
got hot enough today to check it out!!
went out for a little ride, got the bike nice and hot and as soon as the battery got the heat from the engine "click, click click"and no starting!!!
hooked up the jumper and boom starts right up?
So my question is why a brand new battery is affected by heat from the engine??
just a shitty battery or does this happen???

 

Just a shitty battery. I have never had an issue with the battery in my VFR until it started to zero the clock and tripmeter when starting, which was an old-age problem.

 

https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-804a-corrosion-shedding-and-internal-short

 

yeah, this battery is new!

 

Did you get a warranty with it? The large battery chain around here offers a 1 year on all standard AGM powersports batteries. I think their lithium packs come with a 3 year.

 

No, it was an Ebay purchase!

 

https://batteryuniversity.com/article/bu-806a-how-heat-and-loading-affect-battery-life

 

so I put another brand new one in today and it started fine, rode to town and would not start again?

 

Not saying this is your issue, but it has been on 3 of my bikes. Remove your starter, split it and clean it out. Spray out all the brush dust with electronics cleaner, lightly sand the brushes and clean the armature. I've never had to replace the brushes on any of my starters, but some people want to because it will be apart.

The excessive brush dust build up created extra resistance when the starter got hot from the engine. After cooling down it would start fine. Serviced the starter(s) and the issue went away. Couple of them had quite the pile of dust on my bench when I first opened it and tapped it out.

If you decide to get in there, pay close attention to the thrust washers and their order. They like to stick together or to something else and you don't even realize it was there... until it isn't anymore.

Ymmv.

 

Wow, okay, thanks Cap!
Definitely something to look at, I live on a VERY dusty road!!
A dirty hot starter would have more demand on the battery?
when this happens I can put another battery in and it starts??
Can you elaborate on those washers, I am a little worried about that?!!

 

I'm not talking about road dust. STARTER BRUSH dust trapped inside the sealed starter motor that can add resistance, especially when hot. I've had starters that would barely crank the engine, but after servicing spin it up no problem.

Doesn't sound like this is your problem, but it could help a lot regardless.

There are thrust washers on the ends of the shaft of the starter, both fiber and stainless. Pay attention when disassembling and note the order of the details, just like working on anything.