[blkhwk34]

I recently had my 05 LT serviced at dealer in preparation for a 5000+ mile trip. After the service I drove to a nearby city to pickup a trailer I had planned to take along. On my way home my ABS failure started fast flashing. I made it home and later took the bike back to the dealer to have things checked. All checked okay. After looking at the forums/web found it could be a battery/electrical problem. I have an Odyssey battery that's about 1.5 yrs old which I keep on a tender. I only have the problem when there's a heavy electrical drain, i.e. pulling the trailer, or I haven't charged the battery in a few days. Any thoughts or suggestions? Thanks.

 

[jzeiler]

I would have the battery load tested. Almost any parts house (Autozone, Advanced) will do it. Just to make sure it is holding a proper charge. I have a 2 year old Odyssey and pull a trailer quite often and have never had an issue. The bikes alternator should be able to handle the load OK. May have a parisitic draw when not in use. I do keep mine on a tender now since I got the Odyssey.

 

[blkhwk34]

Thanks John. I forget to mention I did have the battery load tested. I'm wondering if the output on my alternator is enough, but problem there is I'm not sure how to check it.

 

[Bones1955]

Thanks John. I forget to mention I did have the battery load tested. I'm wondering if the output on my alternator is enough, but problem there is I'm not sure how to check it.

Put a volt meter on your batt while running it to maybe 2k.
Should be somewhere around 13.8 -14.2 I believe.

 

[bobst2]

the volt meter will give you an idication that the aternator is working but wont tell you
alt, amp output you may need to do an avr/carbon pile test. if you have lost a diode in the alternator trio it will only produce aprox, 1/3 amp output & voltage will still apear fine.

proper volt meter test is done by hooking meter across battery should read aprox.12.3
volts(fully charged) then start bike voltage should rise to aprox 14 volts.
be sure to check all connections as a bad connection will cause restance & will lie to the alt,making it think the battery is fully charged

 

[deputy5211]

the volt meter will give you an idication that the aternator is working but wont tell you
alt, amp output you may need to do an avr/carbon pile test. if you have lost a diode in the alternator trio it will only produce aprox, 1/3 amp output & voltage will still apear fine.

How does one do this AVR/Carbon Pile Test?

 

[bobst2]

an avr is a service tool that is hooked across the battery and draws power simulating a heavy load at the same time an inductive pick up is placed around the charge line and measures amp output. most auto shops have then mabey even your local parts store.

you could prob do a reasonable test with just a meter by keeping an eye on voltege
with the bike running at about 2K rpm.and keep applying load thankfuly with all the lt accessories load the s# out of it with high beams,all heated stuff & acc. on the battery
voltage should stay fairly consistant. if it starts to drop and continues to drop the alternator may not have full output. i know in the manual it says not to run all the heated stuff at an idle for extended periods because it can run down the battery
it should give you an idea of alt,output

 

[deputy5211]

Thanks for the info, Bob.

 

[blkhwk34]

Thanks very much. I'll check these things out and post what I find.

 

[blkhwk34]

With everything hooked up and on, the output was 13.5 v at 4,000 rpm. Checking on the trailer wiring now.

 

[dukey33]

How does one do this AVR/Carbon Pile Test?

One of these can apply a BIG inductive load.
http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/battery/100-amp-6-volt-12-volt-battery-load-tester-90636.html

If you have aux lights and other accessories on your bike, you can do a load test by simply watching the voltage drop with all the accessories turned on...lights, heated seats/grips, etc
The battery should try very hard to stay above 10.5V. (engine off)
The alternator should try very hard to stay above 11.5V (engine running)

 

[deanwoolsey]

A simple way to check for corroded or loose connections:
Using a digital meter check the voltage across the battery posts. Then compare that to a reading across the battery cable ends. In other words, check the voltage on the battery side and then the alternator side of your battery bolts. Once you're done with that take a look at the resistance on each terminal measuring between the terminal base and the cable end. In other words you're looking for resistance in the battery connection. If you find resistance or a difference in the voltage it's time to clean and tighten.