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Author Topic: Can't start after wiring in a USB charger  (Read 1296 times)

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Offline HairyBiker777

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Can't start after wiring in a USB charger
« on: May 23, 2020, 06:20:22 am »
Hi all,

I did what I thought was a simple wiring job on my 2016 R-spec today... I connected a USB charger to the battery on a cable with ring terminals. Now the bike won't start - I just get a whirring / buzzing sound. Bike is in neutral, kill switch is OK, I'm seeing the usual startup sequence on the dash - settling down to just the green "N" after a couple of seconds. The bike started OK earlier today.

The phone mount is clever enough not to draw any current unless a phone is connected, and I haven't connected a phone to it yet, so I can't think I've drained the battery in any way.

It's the end of the day and I'm grumpy and tired, so I haven't tried undoing my work yet. My only guess is that maybe the bike's own terminals don't have a good enough connection to the battery now (although I thought I screwed them back down properly). Any other ideas? TIA.
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Offline DrM

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Re: Can't start after wiring in a USB charger
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2020, 06:52:06 am »
I hope you find the problem and educate us all as to the cure.  I'll be holding off doing anything similar until your issue is solved.
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Offline lunkhead

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Re: Can't start after wiring in a USB charger
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2020, 01:05:42 pm »
USB ports have a parasitic drain. You have to disconnect it or it'll kill the battery completely after a couple weeks. They aren't as sophicated as you think. I specifically bought a Battery Tender brand thinking it wouldn't drain the battery but it did. Completely killed the battery.
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Offline HairyBiker777

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Re: Can't start after wiring in a USB charger
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2020, 07:11:54 pm »
Quote from: lunkhead on May 23, 2020, 01:05:42 pm
USB ports have a parasitic drain. You have to disconnect it or it'll kill the battery completely after a couple weeks. They aren't as sophicated as you think. I specifically bought a Battery Tender brand thinking it wouldn't drain the battery but it did. Completely killed the battery.

This is much less than that though... I fitted the charger yesterday and tried to start the bike immediately afterwards.
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Offline bedheadjulian

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Re: Can't start after wiring in a USB charger
« Reply #4 on: May 23, 2020, 07:22:53 pm »
Check your fuses
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Offline HairyBiker777

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Re: Can't start after wiring in a USB charger
« Reply #5 on: May 23, 2020, 08:32:28 pm »
I've taken the USB charger off the battery now and I still have the same behaviour, but if I hold the starter in for a bit longer then I see error code 1 on the dash. This is "no signal between ECU and meter". Checking old posts on this forum, I see that possible causes include loose connections into the ECU or the battery, so I'll start there but will certainly check fuses too if it turns out not to be either of those things.
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Offline lunkhead

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Re: Can't start after wiring in a USB charger
« Reply #6 on: May 23, 2020, 09:16:14 pm »
Is the buzzing you hear the solenoid? That would indicate a low battery and the error code is probably from holding the starter button in because it's taking the voltage down below what the ECU needs. What's the resting voltage of the battery? How old is it and has it been tortured or neglected in the past?
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Offline HairyBiker777

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Re: Can't start after wiring in a USB charger
« Reply #7 on: May 24, 2020, 01:32:38 am »
I don't have any kit to measure the voltage, unfortunately. The battery is about 7-8 months old and hasn't been neglected IMO. I haven't had it on a trickle charge but the bike gets a good run at least once a week.

TBH I'm not sure I'd recognise the noise of the solenoid, but having watched a few YouTubes today it sounds like you get a single click from it when it has a problem. What I'm hearing is more like a buzzing mosquito, and it lasts as long as keep the starter button pressed.
« Last Edit: May 24, 2020, 01:49:37 am by HairyBiker777 »
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Offline lunkhead

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Re: Can't start after wiring in a USB charger
« Reply #8 on: May 24, 2020, 04:28:56 am »
The single click sound with no crank is usually what it makes just before the buzz. As it dies, the electromagnetism decreases, the contact releases, voltage goes up and the cycle repeats many time a second to make the buzzing sound. Is it a cheap battery? Sounds like you damaged a battery terminal connection internally when you tightened it. That'd be my guess from what you describe.
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Offline HairyBiker777

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Re: Can't start after wiring in a USB charger
« Reply #9 on: May 24, 2020, 05:36:32 am »
Not sure about the battery brand... it's whatever the shop (Yamaha main dealer) put in it. I'm going to try a jump start from a car tomorrow, and will go from there...
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Offline furboll929

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Re: Can't start after wiring in a USB charger
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2020, 10:19:40 pm »
I'd say it is a loose battery terminal as well. Your issue sounds like mine this year. I rode the bike fine all year last year and winterized it on the tender. I went to start it this year and same thing you described is what happened to me. When I went to put anew battery in, the terminals were not secured. All the vibration knocked them loose.
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Offline HairyBiker777

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Re: Can't start after wiring in a USB charger
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2020, 03:20:33 am »
Flat battery, if anyone was still wondering - not super-flat by any means, but not quite enough to start the bike. Looks like it was a remarkable coincidence and my ham-fisted wiring skills aren't to blame after all.
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Offline 7udro

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Re: Can't start after wiring in a USB charger
« Reply #12 on: May 27, 2020, 03:41:15 am »
Last week I had drain battery for error (light on for 30 minutes) I had to start it with a slope. Bike tried to crank and failed. A very awful noise... Now bike starts normally but battery is the 2016 stock one, thinking of a new one.. Buy a multimeter to check volts... 10 € from a Chinese shop..
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Offline furboll929

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Re: Can't start after wiring in a USB charger
« Reply #13 on: May 27, 2020, 08:46:25 am »
Quote from: 7udro on May 27, 2020, 03:41:15 am
Last week I had drain battery for error (light on for 30 minutes) I had to start it with a slope. Bike tried to crank and failed. A very awful noise... Now bike starts normally but battery is the 2016 stock one, thinking of a new one.. Buy a multimeter to check volts... 10 € from a Chinese shop..

Factory battery played a part for me as well. When I took it to store for the exchange the guy was surprised I had got 5 years out of it. I'm just glad it happened while I was home and not out on the road.
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Offline 7udro

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Re: Can't start after wiring in a USB charger
« Reply #14 on: May 27, 2020, 08:58:03 am »
Neat, 5 years is much than honest duration for a battery with almost daily use 👍🏻
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