I just picked up my trike last Saturday and the dealership said they just put a brand new battery in it. Today I tried to start it and it's completely dead. No dash lights, nothing. I just put the trickle charger on it, but it shouldn't be completely dead from sitting for just 5 days. Any ideas on what I might check? I called the dealership and they weren't much help.
Trike Won't Start
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Check your trunk light..........it comes wired from the factory to be hot all the time. If you accidently leave it on it will run the battery down overnight. We now change them to operate with the key on only! I have seen new Honda batteries be defective more than once also.
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Lisa, I am not much of a wrench, but it seems the battery would not be dead in just a few days unless you left a switch on of some sort. Make sure your ignition switch is off, not on acc. Check the battery cables to make sure the cables are tight at the terminals. Do you have a trunk light that may have been left on? GPS off? I am sure other's will have more ideas for you to check. Keep it on a battery charger after you find the problem. I plug mine in much of the time. Good luck.
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I read where Gary Pogue mentioned the trunk light...great minds run in .....??[/quote]
4:Oh No! Me and George think alike:22yikes: This explains everything!
4:Oh No! Me and George think alike:22yikes: This explains everything! It's been on the trickle charger for about an hour and now when I turn the key, everything lights up so the battery is charging. I checked the trunk and it was shut tight. Also, my trunk light comes on with a switch and it was turned off. It got down to 0 here for a couple of nights so maybe it's just that it's so cold outside. I'll leave it on the trickle charger over night and see what happens. If it loses its power again, I'll charge it back up and take it to the dealership to have it checked out.
G
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·Keeping your bike battery on a charger 24/7 is not necessary, and not a good idea because doing so can mask a battery problem or something draining the battery, and that can result in you finding out you have a problem while you are on the road and not charging it continuously. A good battery should stay charged well enough to start the bike for weeks. If it doesn't, you have something discharging the battery, or you have a bad battery.
I am sure you don't keep your cars (etal) on a charger 24/7 George. What's the difference?????? :roll:
Ride safe.
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590 Posts
Battery Tender Junior
Every toy I own (Trike, ATVs, snowmobile, skid loader, F-450, Lance camper) has a Battery Tender Junior installed.
Lisa: Zero degrees will not affect your battery IF it has a full charge.
Your local Auto parts store can put a load on your battery and tell you if it is defective...free.
Sounds more like a bare wire touching the frame and gradually draining the battery...or at least before it blows a fuse.
Keep us posted HERE. Thanks Johnny Lane Colorado aka IOWASTROKER.
Every toy I own (Trike, ATVs, snowmobile, skid loader, F-450, Lance camper) has a Battery Tender Junior installed.
Lisa: Zero degrees will not affect your battery IF it has a full charge.
Your local Auto parts store can put a load on your battery and tell you if it is defective...free.
Sounds more like a bare wire touching the frame and gradually draining the battery...or at least before it blows a fuse.
Keep us posted HERE. Thanks Johnny Lane Colorado aka IOWASTROKER.
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590 Posts
Multi-volt meter
Another good investment is to own and learn how to use a multi-volt meter. Radio Shack, Sears ,any auto parts store will sell them and usually the enclosed pamplet will teach you how to use it. I carry one with me on every vacation. Johnny
Another good investment is to own and learn how to use a multi-volt meter. Radio Shack, Sears ,any auto parts store will sell them and usually the enclosed pamplet will teach you how to use it. I carry one with me on every vacation. Johnny
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2,582 Posts
John wrote: Keeping your bike battery on a charger 24/7 is not necessary, and not a good idea because doing so can mask a battery problem or something draining the battery, and that can result in you finding out you have a problem while you are on the road and not charging it continuously. A good battery should stay charged well enough to start the bike for weeks. If it doesn't, you have something discharging the battery, or you have a bad battery.
I am sure you don't keep your cars (etal) on a charger 24/7 George. What's the difference?????? :roll:
John, I keep my three bikes plugged in most of the time, (okay, not 24/7 but whenever I think of it, which is most of the time). Battery chargers sure help keeping up the battery and adding life to the battery.
I am sure you don't keep your cars (etal) on a charger 24/7 George. What's the difference?????? :roll:
John, I keep my three bikes plugged in most of the time, (okay, not 24/7 but whenever I think of it, which is most of the time). Battery chargers sure help keeping up the battery and adding life to the battery.
Trike won't start
Lisa, This is just my opinion, but the dealership should be jumping up and down to help you. These trikes are not inexpensive items, and with the economy as it is, I don't see how any one in business can afford to have a single customer that is not 100% satisfied. I would be on the phone to that dealer, prefer the owner if possible, first thing tomorrow morning. If the battery went dead through no fault of your own that you can find, then there is a problem. It may be as simple as just a "bad" battery, but they should thoroughly check the trike from end to end. I would much rather be without the trike this time of year than stranded 500 miles from home with the same problem. Keep in mind I do not know your dealer, but I believe this is the time for him to go above and beyond your expectations. Please let us know how things turn out. If you ever get to Columbia give us a shout, we are always up for a ride ( if we aren't working !!!LOL!!) Kruz ez, Dave
Lisa, This is just my opinion, but the dealership should be jumping up and down to help you. These trikes are not inexpensive items, and with the economy as it is, I don't see how any one in business can afford to have a single customer that is not 100% satisfied. I would be on the phone to that dealer, prefer the owner if possible, first thing tomorrow morning. If the battery went dead through no fault of your own that you can find, then there is a problem. It may be as simple as just a "bad" battery, but they should thoroughly check the trike from end to end. I would much rather be without the trike this time of year than stranded 500 miles from home with the same problem. Keep in mind I do not know your dealer, but I believe this is the time for him to go above and beyond your expectations. Please let us know how things turn out. If you ever get to Columbia give us a shout, we are always up for a ride ( if we aren't working !!!LOL!!) Kruz ez, Dave
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8,027 Posts
I think you have found the problem !! That kind of cold for several day will kill a battery, particularly if it wasn't properly setup and charged initially............
When I called the dealership down in Arkansas earlier today, the service manager said "we just put a new battery in that trike". The more I've thought about it, I wonder why they needed to put a new battery in a trike with only 5,000 miles on it. Now that battery went dead. Makes me think there's a problem somewhere. I'm going to call back down to Arkansas in the morning and then I'm going to ride over to my local Honda dealership and have them check it out. I'll keep you all posted on what I find out.
The trickle charger got it charged back up and it started up today. I didn't take it to the dealership today because the roads are really wet and covered with nasty salt/sand from the snow a couple of days ago and Pearl is sparkling clean right now. I did find & talk to a dealership I'll use for service work and they seem to think it was just a fluke and hopefully weather related. I'm going to see if it happens again. If it does, I'll charge it back up and take it to them and see what they find. I don't want to leave the charger on it, because I don't want to mask any problem that might truly exist.
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I'm with LoLead. These are not inexpensive toys here. They should make it right. I had a rattle in mine and finally took it not back to the installer, but to the factory. They found some minor errors and corrected them. (I still think I hear a rattle though...could be in my head )
)The weather is going to warm up in the next 2 days and the streets should dry out, so I think I'll ride over to Dell's on Tuesday or Wednesday and have it checked out. You guys are right, this wasn't a cheap toy so I need to make sure it's running 100% right.
Trike won't start
Lisa, I have delt with Dell's in the past and was always very satisfied with their dealings. I understand they have changed ownership and have not been there since that took place. I really have planned on getting over that way and checking them out. If the current owners are like the previous, I believe they will be honest with you. Kruz ez, Dave
Lisa, I have delt with Dell's in the past and was always very satisfied with their dealings. I understand they have changed ownership and have not been there since that took place. I really have planned on getting over that way and checking them out. If the current owners are like the previous, I believe they will be honest with you. Kruz ez, Dave
They tested my battery today and couldn't find anything wrong. There's nothing drawing on it and the battery is in good shape. But, the light switch in the trunk is lose so they said that could very well be what was causing the problem. They disconnected the light switch and we'll see what happens. I'll be in Arkansas in April and will have the dealership where I got the trike replace the switch.
This was my first experience with Dell's Powersports in Blue Springs. They are a great bunch of people. Very friendly and very helpful. The service manager took me around and introduced me to everyone that worked there.
This was my first experience with Dell's Powersports in Blue Springs. They are a great bunch of people. Very friendly and very helpful. The service manager took me around and introduced me to everyone that worked there.
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