2018 RTL, won't start

[Realtor]

Strange, I turn the key on, there is a clicking sound, the screen shows an ! and the parking brake. One time it said Transmission (something or another), on another attempt, the screen said Bad Key, the next time it said Rear Cargo open.... (It was closed...) I seem to be getting something different when I let it sit for a while, then try again? Any ideas? is it possible to reset the computer? if so, How? Thansk...

[rmag]

Check your battery connections, make sure they are good and tight. Add star washers if they are loose.. The star washers is a tip from Blueknight Mike.

[Peter Aawen]

It really does sound like a lack of power to the dash &/or computers?!? Can you check & tell us the battery charge with a multi-meter?? Both when it's resting, with no load; and when you're trying to start it??

[Realtor]

i'll check that in the morning, but we keep them on the tenders all the time, I started it and backed it int he garage, then it started to act up. I'll check the terminals in the morning, thanks, Jim

2018 bike, I assume its a 2018 battery, so only 2 years old.... Bought it in November 2018.

[Peter Aawen]

Yeah, not saying this was definitely your problem, but just putting it out there for any who may not know - keeping your vehicle on a battery tender won't necessarily stop its battery from failing - even brand new batteries can fail!! And Realtor, if you've had your Spyder on a tender whenever it's not been running, that could well have been masking the gradual degradation that may have told you your battery was on its way out!! Plus, there's 'Battery Tenders' and there's 'Battery Tenders' - you need to use a good quality battery tender that's suited to your particular battery type and how it needs to be maintained, as well as keeping on top of any battery drain from the vehicle.... and it hasta do that in a way that doesn't 'kill the battery thru kindness'!

It's a bit of a Catch 22 - if your Spyder's gonna sit for extended periods, it needs a tender to maintain the battery charge; but if you leave it on a tender all the time & only ever take it off to ride, you may not realise the battery is (slowly or otherwise) failing!! Until it just won't start one day - or worse, it might start OK initially, let you get some distance away from home & once you've stopped for whatever reason, THEN it won't start again!! Luckily for you this time, it seems you got the 'good start' backing it into the garage, but that took all the 'surface charge' off the battery & the short run was not long enough to replace that 'used power', so now your battery is flat! But at least you're not a long way from home!!

I hope it's not, but from your description, it sounds even more like your battery has carked it, and it's time for a new one!

Good Luck!

[Realtor]

Thanks, I hope it is just the battery. BTW, the clicking sound comes as soon as the key is turned to on, I'm not pushing the start button. I have a couple classic cars from the 70's, I keep them o the tenders as well. Thanks, Jim

[Mikey]

The crappy thing about battery's is they don't have a expiration date, and if you don't have a load tester you don't have a good idea just how much time you have left on the clock! These bike are VERY voltage hungery and if you don't feed the dragon it will lay down on you!

[Realtor]

Not the Battery, that tested fine this morning. The place I bought it from is 4 weeks out for warranty work. any other ideas? BTW, I re-seated the Pos and Neg cables, and re tightened the terminals..

[Arion]

Had a similar issue with my wife's 2012 RTL. The battery terminals were tight, however, the ground-to-frame connection wasn't and therein rested the problem. Corrected that and then charged the battery and all was well. We've been using Battery Minder Plus "chargers" rather than Battery Tenders for some time and have been very pleased with the performance. Here's a comparison between the two, taken from a forum that focuses on electrical topics (to be taken at face value):

The Battery Tender works to pump 1.25 amps through a battery to which it is connected. However, this charge is not a constant rate. The charge changes from a full load to a floating charge that fluctuates as the battery reaches full charge. The Battery Tender monitors the battery to switch off when needed.

The Battery Minder provides a similar benefit in keeping a battery fresh. Using three different options (charge/maintenance/conditioning), the Battery Minder can keep all versions of 12-volt batteries working. Using a high-frequency pulse, the product offsets sulfation which kills batteries when they age.

[Realtor]

Fixed, Back on the Road again. Simple 5A ECM fuse was blown, not sure why it would blow, but replaced, bike operated like it always has. Thanks all for the suggestions and pointers.

THis got me thinking, what are your feelings on the BEST extended warranty? The 2 year runs out November 2020.... thoughts?

[JayBros]

Congratulations, you found the cause. I would say it bears watching; a fuse like that shouldn't just blow.

Re B.E.S.T. extended warranty, how deep are your pockets? I purchased one that I never used before it expired last fall but would do it again if I were to buy a new RT. Shop around. FL dealers can't sell but must honor them if you decide to purchase one. Imotorsports last month was reported to have the best deal, a bit lower than Bert's Mega Mall.