[oldtimer54]

I have a 99 LT and am experiencing electrical confusion.I ride evryday and over the past few weeks this has happened to me three times. I turn my key to on and all my usual lights come on and when i hit my starter button,everything shuts off. The first time , iwaited a few minutes and it started right up. The second time i jumped my bike and rode home and put it on the Battery Tender and it showed "green" in a matter of minutes. Same thing today. What causes a complete "shorting out"of my entire electrical system? I have read about the starter relay causing problems but would it cause my entire electrical system to fail? I am new to BMWs as i have ridden Wings for the past 21 years and i could use some help on this.Thanks

 

[Spenceer]

clean the connections

 

[Cochinosucio]

Even though your batter tender says green, you could have a dead cell. If cleaning the connections, like Spenceer mentioned, doesn't work, get a battery.
The reason it is doing this is called the "Load Shed Circuit". The bike is setup to shut off all non-essential electrical loads during start so all available power can be directed to the starter. It sounds like the system is doing it's job, but the battery is tired.

 

[LJSMITH1]

Even though your batter tender says green, you could have a dead cell. If cleaning the connections, like Spenceer mentioned, doesn't work, get a battery.
The reason it is doing this is called the "Load Shed Circuit". The bike is setup to shut off all non-essential electrical loads during start so all available power can be directed to the starter. It sounds like the system is doing it's job, but the battery is tired.

+1 The battery has probably dropped a cell. It has enough amperage for low load items like lights, but as soon as a larger load is applied, the voltage drops significantly.

 

[biknut]

Have the battery load tested- sounds like it is getting ready to "retire" on ya!

 

[jzeiler]

Look at the little 5mm bolt at the rear of the starter. Hard to see without pulling the battery. Since the starter is double ended and in oil baths on each end sealed by o-rings this little bolt is the only sure ground for the starter. If it is loose and the starter looses its ground all your lights will go off since the load shed relay gets its ground through the starter. With the battery out you can get a 5mm ball driver in there to tighten it up.

Since you are new to the LT the load shed relay cuts out the major electrical loads during engine cranking by the starter. The means just about everything except engine electrics.

 

[oldtimer54]

Thank you all for your posts. I certainly will do all of your suggestions and update the thread when i have fixed the problem. After fixing my clutch linkage last week thanks to this forum, I am reminded that whatever it takes to be in the wind is worth it. Thanks again

 

[stevea2980]

Also note that if you let your 6 year old Gel battary get to low you will burn your starter relay when trying to start as I just did on my 99 last week. The replacement relay will not burn out but its still a $600 repair since I am not setup to tear my bike half way apart.

New Odessy Gel is already here!

I have had my BMW for over a decade now and I co-signed for my sons Volvo and all I can say about European engineering is that when everything is working your fine but at least once a year you will have a major problem like two Space Shuttle's to date.

My 2000 Chev Tahoo still has the same spark plugs in the beast and everything is fine. Dont tell me the Europeans are better please!!!!

Later

Steve A