Spyder won't start? Help yourself understand possibly why....
One thing I think everyone should carry is a simple plug in cigarette 12V meter.
I read far too many posts about "won't start battery is good".
How do you know the battery is good?
The Spyder has nothing to tell you this.
Some have replaced the analog gauges and added a volt meter gauge. If so then you don't need this cheap tool.
Before I installed a permanent 12V gauge I got one of these.
Simply plug it in your trunk cig lighter socket and you know your voltage.
When the key is turned on you can see how much it drops under a light load.
When you hit the starter you can see how much it drops starting.
This simple $4 device will give you much more knowledge of what is going on.
I have one, and use it not only for my Spyder, but for my cars as well. It's a good way to keep track of the "health of your battery, particularly in cold weather when starting places more demand on the battery.
"A Wise Man Once Said, I Should Ask My Wife."
2017 Champagne Metallic RT-S SE-6 Rivco Dual Flag Holders; Slingmods Highway Pegs; (Hate Them) Airhawk Seat Cushion; Show Chrome Black Touring Rack w/ Risers & Touring Windshield; RAM X Mount For TXTAG; TackForm Phone Mount; Lidlox; Magic Mirror Mounts; Guardian Bells; WOLO "Bad Boy" Air Horn; Dual USB Power Outlet With Voltmeter; 12V outlet for misc. stuff; Spyderpops Full View Mirror Turn Signals; Large Brake Pedal; Kott Grilles; Large Mud Flap; BajaRon 3 Piece Sway Bar, Last But Not Least, Kuhmo Rear Rire, Vedrestien Fronts.
2017 RT-S , Brake pedal extender is twice the size of the stock pedal. Champagne Metallic
Thanks Bob, you're always thinking outside the box on how to solve common problems. Thanks for all you do for the community
All the great movements in the world began with a cup of coffee!
2018 F3-T
My mods: Can am Trailer hitch, USB and 12 volt power outlets, Gustason windshield, Bead rider seat cushion, battery harness for electric gear and battery tender, Time out trailer.
in addition, I have ones that include 2 usb charging ports so it's plugged into a convenient cig lighter socket all the time with charge cables for our smartphones
I keep one of these handy with cables for smartphones and SENA devices in case I wish to charge them...if my phone gets low, I can charge it right there in the trunk while riding
Ok so you hook up a voltmeter to the system and then what do the numbers mean.
A battery that has been at rest for 2 hours or more if it is fully charged should have a voltage of 12.6 or more. This does not mean the battery has enough amps to start the Spyder just that it is fully charged. 12V or less indicates the battery is completely dead and needs to recharged.
When starting your Spyder. At no time during the engine crank should the battery voltage drop below 10V. Even if you miss seeing the voltage drop below 10V on the voltmeter. You will know because the gage cluster will go blank and reboot. If the battery does drop below 10V during engine crank. That means the battery is low on charge. Battery is defective. Starter motor is damaged. Engine damage.
After the engine is started. With high beams and heated grips on, if you have them. The system voltage at 4,000 rpm should be between 13V and 14V. That is for the 998 engine. It may be different for 1330 engine models.
Most of this information has been taken from the 2013 service manual.
on my 2014 RT, there is a port in the trunk, but not in the frunk, but the hole is there and the wires are there.
I purchased this for $5 from Amazon and was able to reach the wires with connectors through the hole, connect it, and friction fit into the hole just by pushing it in. Worked for me.
Just a FYI my F3 wouldn't start today. Voltage showed 12.8v. I put it on the charger and it showed 75% charged. Put a meter on it and when I hit the starter button it went down to 11.2v. Checked my battery terminals and sure enough the positive was loose. So while a gauge will show you if you have 12 volts it won't tell you if you have a bad connection.
Just a FYI my F3 wouldn't start today. Voltage showed 12.8v. I put it on the charger and it showed 75% charged. Put a meter on it and when I hit the starter button it went down to 11.2v. Checked my battery terminals and sure enough the positive was loose. So while a gauge will show you if you have 12 volts it won't tell you if you have a bad connection.
A meter connected to the battery will not. A meter on the other side of the regulator will like the 12V socket in the trunk.
The reason I brought this up here was due to me helping a guy on Facebook who would not start but said the battery was good or "it's a month old". Well the battery was good but the connections were loose. This cig lighter gauge will show a massive voltage drop, like Billy said above, with loose connections. Just like the dash rebooting or other symptoms with loose connections.
But yes, this will not show you the exact reason e.g. a bad battery can show the same drop as loose connections. But if the battery is good it can show you that the problem is loose connections or some other problem causing the voltage drop. No meter at all (which you used to troubleshoot) your just guessing.
Just a FYI my F3 wouldn't start today. Voltage showed 12.8v. I put it on the charger and it showed 75% charged. Put a meter on it and when I hit the starter button it went down to 11.2v. Checked my battery terminals and sure enough the positive was loose. So while a gauge will show you if you have 12 volts it won't tell you if you have a bad connection.
......Some people here will say otherwise .....but I have NEVER had a loose connection on anything I put a STAR washer on...........................Mike
Spyder won't start? Help yourself understand possibly why....
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, That is a very handy item to keep in your Spyder. 
Originally Posted by Brettssunshine
