KymcoForum.com
General => Technical | How To => Topic started by: ss10gotanks on December 16, 2017, 05:31:50 AM
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So to start, I am not very good when it comes to working on vehicles. I fix computers, not so much cars. But I'm willing to learn. I also have friends that do stuff with their own cars that will help me when I buy the parts. So I bought the bike knowing there is phantom drain on the battery. I figured it was the stator or the wiring since the guy said he had just bought a new battery for it. There is only one place in town that will work on my bike and from what I gathered they can't fix it. They replaced the stator and told me it was fixed but the bike died twice on the way home. After a couple of weeks they told me that they can't pinpoint the problem and that it was probably the wiring harness and that it would cost thousands of dollars to fix. I can't afford that, so my choices are try to sell the bike with a problem that is getting worse or try to fix it myself. It's my only transportation right now so I'd like to get it working if I can. So i'd like to pick ya'lls brains on this if I could before I buy any parts. Please bare with me if I ask any dumb questions.
So here is what the bike is doing.
So when I got the bike it was running pretty well. It started dying after riding for like 30-45 minutes mainly only on starting and when I'm at a complete stop. Like at a stop light. The more I drove it the worse it started getting. The shop said the stator wasn't all the way dead but it was on its way out. My battery tested okay for them but the shop couldn't figure out the problem they had it deep checked or something like that, and there is a bad cell in it. In order for my bike to work now I have to take out the battery and charge it in my house. That used to work okay, but now when I charge it the bike very well might still not start. Its hit or miss. W/e it would die and not turn over, the lights and the horn would still work. I have noticed that the times the bike won't start that the positive terminal heats up a lot. The cable itself doesn't seem to up as much as the screw that holds it to the battery. One time it heated up so much that a bit of the metal on the battery melted off. I've also burned myself on it. Now when the bike starts fine there is no heat at all. I thought it was just the positive but the day before yesterday it was the negative terminal. Maybe one of the screws is doing something? idk. That's all I can think of right now.
If ya'll have any probing questions, I'll answer as best I can. Do ya'll think its the wiring harness? I saw one on ebay for like 70 dollars. I haven't been able to find any youtube videos on replacing that, just a service manual which is hard to understand. If anyone has any tips on replacing it from someone who has done it before as well as tools I'll need to make sure I have would be much appreciated.
I really like this bike. It drives smoothly. Please help me get it back up and going if possible.
Thanks!
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If your battery tested bad and is readily going dead, then it sounds like it's time for a new battery. What's the voltage? Does the voltage drop overnight if it's not connected? Does it drop if it is?
The stator can/should be tested by checking the voltage when the engine is running.
Do you happen to know if it was arcing at the battery terminal that was getting hot? Maybe the connection is loose or corroded?
It is still dying after running for a while? That could be a lot of things.
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Should have read this one first! OK, you are committed. You work on computers? OK, you are qualified! Start with what Hypophthalmus said. Get a multimeter if you don't have one. Report back when you do for the next step.
Karl
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The best way to check the condition of a 12v battery is to LOAD test it. In order to do this, you should remove the battery and charge it up all the way. You should get between 13 and 14 VDC. Let it sit over night, preferably in a warm place. Then check it again with a multi meter. If the battery is good then you should still get the same as before. If it passes that test you can take it any of the chain auto parts stores and they can do a load test on it, for free. If it passes that test, then you have a good battery and it's time to look else where for the problem. Keep us posted as to what you find. If it's not the battery, then follow Karl's advise and we'll give you step 2.
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Sorry it took so long to get back with ya'll it took some time for me to borrow a multimeter. Here is the results that I got.
I fully charged the battery and it read 13.02- the bike wouldn't start but almost did a couple of times. I left the battery connected the whole day and check again and the voltage was 12.42.
I then fully charged the battery before bed and it read at 13.02. I let it sit inside the whole night and went to bed. When I woke up in the morning it was 12.92. I checked it again when I got home from work 9 hours later and the battery was at 12.86.
So I bought a new battery that came in the other day. It arrived fully dead so I had to charge it. It will not start up in the bike at all. All it does when I try to start the bike is do a big spark from the positive terminal and nothing else.
This is the battery I bought.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01292US4E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01292US4E/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
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Your old battery was toast. Did you put the acid in the new battery before charging?
Karl
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acid?
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Yeah, you get a battery shipped to you there is a well sealed jug of electrolyte included to pour into the drycharged cells. You buy a battery inna box at Walmart, you get the same thing. Some even have bottles with six spouts so you get all six cells filled precisely right in one pour! This is all about the common lead-acid battery. What kind did you get?
OK, I read the fine print on your Amazon link. Sound like you got a bad battery. Their description sounds very much like a chinese to english translation. 35 bucks for completely sealed battery sounds.....well....a little TOO GOOD to be true. Getcher money back and get a battery locally or get a Yuasa.
Get the multimeter back, get the bike started and measure the battery voltage at idle and at 4000 rpm (on centerstand!). Then tell us whatcha found.
Karl
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Listen to Karl. He is is giving you solid advise.
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Agreed that Yuasa batteries are a safer bet and should last much longer.
But there's a spark coming from the terminal when you try to start it? That's an indication that the connection to the battery is bad, and not allowing enough current to pass through. Either loose, or corroded... or something else?
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Will this be okay?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000WJX4BQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515204093&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=Yuasa+kymco+xciting&dpPl=1&dpID=51r3JG5reFL&ref=plSrch (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000WJX4BQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515204093&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=Yuasa+kymco+xciting&dpPl=1&dpID=51r3JG5reFL&ref=plSrch)
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If it fits in the battery box.
Karl
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Yes, that appears to be what their website recommends. It probably says 14-BS somewhere on your old battery too.
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well the one I bought fit just fine, but it didn't work. Just the spark thing. The old battery didn't spark. I'll try to charge up my old battery to see if I can get my bike to turn over to give ya'll the readings. If I can't i'll have to get back with ya'll once I get the new battery.
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Something is missing big time in what you are telling us! New battery: did you put the acid in? Did you charge it before installing it in the bike? Just exactly where is this sparking occuring?
Karl
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Sparking at the battery post ?
ANY chance you are attaching the scooter wires to the wrong battery posts?
What color wire are you attaching to the + battery post?
Stig
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So I got the new battery working. The voltage is 13.53. I went and drove it around for a while. New problem though. Its no longer reading my speed. It just sits at the bottom, whether I'm driving slow or on the highway. The other meters are working.
Also, this might be a silly question, but better to ask and learn then ruin my bike. First, how do I check the oil levels? I pulled out the little stick but there is no numbers on it to tell me the level. Also when ya'll change your oil, what kind do ya'll use? Also how do I know when I need to replace the tires?
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Most likely the speedometer cable is bad.
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Check owner's manual for oil level checking, oil type, oil amounts, change intervals, etc. Oil showing in 'hatched' area of the stick is good. Don't over-fill! Some sticks are checked after screwing in ...some pushed in but not screwed in. Important to find which your scooter requires!....screw in or just push in without screwing.
Find these answers, or keep asking here till someone with your scooter pipes up!
When tires are worn to tread depth indicator bars - it is time to replace. Google this question and see answers on youtube or photos.
Google & youtube are your friends.
Stig
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I can tell you that the speedometer cable is somewhat fragile. Mine has broken 4 times, twice in the actual cable and twice right there by the sensor, i replaced the wire twice, with some twin core (there are 3 wires in this cable ) and resoldered the joints at the sensor. Regarding the oil level, just put the plug back in but don't screw it in, then read it. I change my oil and filter every 3000 km.
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As soon as tyres look smooth, DO replace them SOONEST, since any water won't have a channel to squeeze out through, so the tyre could aquaplane, NOT good for you.
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The rear one will need replacing twice as often as the front.
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I use full synthetic 10w40 specific for bikes.
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Waiting until all the tread is gone is too late.
The tires I've used have tread indications built in. They're bars in the grooves of the tread, and when the tread is level with them the tire is worn.
Cracks in the sidewall are also an indication that the tire should be replaced.
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Thanks everyone for your advice and knowledge. I'm still having problems with the bike but it runs for the most part. I wondering if some of it correlates to the cold weather. I live in Texas so the weather is bipolar, but I had most of the bike not starting at all during the winter. and now that it's technically spring, the bike starts up alright. Now there was a cold day recently where the weather dropped to like 30-40 something and I couldn't get it to start at all.
So I've got two batteries that I keep charged to run in it. It's been starting all right as long as they seem to be charged. I've only had one instance where I rode for a long time and the bike just shut off. It did turn back on but I could tell the miles display was flickering a little. My guess is that the battery is not being charged while i'm driving and that if I leave it plugged in it drains just sitting there. So I disconnect it every time I stop using it. Also the speedometer started working again randomly.
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You are correct. ....the Kymco 500 scooter is notoriously a hard start or no starter in cooler or cold temps. Mostly no start.
Please read some of the posts on this scooter, here. Some have found a solution.
Stig
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Is the positive battery terminal still heating up or sparking?
The battery plays a very important part in modern vehicles. It's not simply there to start the bike. It functions as a capacitor or reservoir as sorts to moderate electrical demands on the bike. Sensitive electronics like the instrument cluster may not function right if the connection to the battery or the battery itself is problematic.
You also need to figure out why the charging system isn't sufficient to run the electrical system and replenish the battery. Do you have the service manual? It can show you the expected resistances of the electrical components so you don't end up replacing them prematurely.
Are there any gauge lights (especially MET-IN) that stay on when you park the bike on the day, but before you remove the battery? Sometimes, if the seat isn't latched properly, the under seat light will stay on and steadily run the battery down if not caught in time.
To make it easier on you, is your bike parked outside near a power outlet? You can attach a quick-disconnect pigtail to your bike to charge the battery without removing it from the bike. You do need to take care to make sure the seat is latched down.
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The regulator and stator need to be checked. There is a thread on this forum about a Honda regulator that charges at a higher rate that the kymco one. I have had better luck with cold starts with a gel battery.
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