Question for really smart electrical Gurus

[Joel The Biker]

My new 2021 Sea to Sky RT has an intermittent sulfur odor near the battery compartment. At first I thought the battery was venting, but it is sealed. My voltmeter is not showing overcharging(reads 14.5v). After a 1hour non stop trip home, I checked the battery and it was cool to the touch. Bike starts up great. Standing voltage is 12.2v with the bike off. I purchased a lithium battery to eliminate any odor from the battery, but have decided not to use it. I just ordered a new AGM battery from Slingmods to see if it has the same result. Any gurus have an idea where the smell is coming from and should I worry about it? I have seen a cell go bad and a battery overcharge and get really hot before, but my battery is cool and working fine.

 

[SportsterDoc]

As a preliminary response, pending that from a "really smart electrical Guru", the standing voltage, key off, is very low.

A lead-acid battery should be 12.6 and AGM 12.8.

State of Charge (AGM battery)
12.8 100%
12.6 75%
12.3 50%
12.0 25%
11.8 Zero

Suggest investigating what load is present with key off and measure load with an ammeter in series with battery cable, + or -.

 

[Little Blue]

Battery

The "standing voltage" should be about 12.8 volts. Are you checking the voltage at battery posts? The 12.2 volts is a low reading. If one cell is bad or going bad this might be causing the sulfur smell. Are you able to see the fluid levels in the battery?
I had a 'post area' crack on a battery and it gave me some real problems. Did not see the crack until I removed the battery. ......:thumbup:

 

[jcthorne]

Your OEM Yuasa battery was already an AGM. The Chinese battery from Slingmods is a step down and they do not last long.

As for the Sulfur smell, remove one side body panels and check for corrosion of the valve covers and other cast aluminum parts. There have been several reports on 2020 RT of badly oxidizing aluminum parts under the body and oxidizing aluminum can have a sulfur-like odor. No idea what is causing it but some of the photos I have seen have been pretty extreme.

 

[Joel The Biker]

I took the battery out and checked it out but didnt see any obvious problems. I also should state the voltage reading of 12.2v was with engine off but key on and reading the voltage shown on dash voltmeter. I havent checked the standing voltage with the key off. I looked inside the battery and it appears to be an AGM. No acid will spill out. The odor is only occasional. Maybe smell it 2 or 3 times on a ride, but can smell it when the frunk is opened. Something seems to be going on, but no other symptoms. If the battery is ok, I can put the new one from slingmods in my 2014. That battery is weak.

 

[SportsterDoc]

"Standing voltage is 12.2v with the bike off." led to the misunderstanding.
Key on, engine not running, 12.8 will drop quickly to about 12.5 and continue to drop with load.

1. KEY OFF battery voltage, at the battery: Normal is 12.8.
If just taken off a charger, voltage may be 13 point something. The battery needs to sit for a while (or turn on the key for ~3 seconds, then turn off) before a reading is useful.
In the case of a bad cell, the other cells overcharge and give an almost normal reading, until load is applied.
• If lower, then battery is discharged and needs charging or
• Battery has a bad cell

2. KEY ON battery voltage (headlight on): Normal is not under about 12.5 initially, but will decline the longer the headlight is on, without the mοtor rսnning. Under no load, 12.5 volts indicates severe discharge, but under headlight load, it is just voltage drop.
• If lower, then battery is discharged and needs charging or
• Battery has a bad cell or
• Bаttery cаble(s) have high resistance

3. KEY ON battery voltage while cranking: Normal is not under 10.5 volts
• If lower, then battery is discharged and needs charging or
• Battery has a bad cell or
• Bаttery cаble(s) have high resistance or
• Starter is drawing too much current
• Sοlenoid contacts have high resistance

jcthorne's post #4 should be investigated.

 

[ButterSmooth]

Out of the Box. The most common sulfur smell comes from fuel with a high sulfur content being burned in the catalytic converter. Toyotas were especially known for this and you could get a whiff in your air vents when one passed. If you're sure it's coming from your Spyder, try a different fuel to see if it goes away. And, keep an eye out for those Toyotas.

 

[Longtimer]

Before I started doing a lot of things I would call the place I got it and talk to them it's new should not have these problems. I know you don't what to hear that but to pay these prices and have this kind of problems it's not right but if you short something out or break something they are going to try to throw it back on you. And I am the type of person who want fix all mine own stuffs and keep it out of shop. But

 

[Joel The Biker]

If you want something done right, do it yourself. I will only take a vehicle to a mechanic if its something I cant fix. I dont care how much it costs me to fix or if its under warranty. I have plenty of money and excellent mechanical skills. Mechanics are only doing a job. They have no personal interest or pride in your vehicle. The dealer will be an absolute last resort.

 

[PMK]

Joel, I know your bike is new, and not doubting your sense of smell, is there any possibility you might be sensing the smell of that coolant Can Am uses? As in, is it possible the coolant is venting a bit, or the cap is poorly seated? Not saying that is the problem, merely an idea of a possibility in that general area.

 

[Joel The Biker]

Joel, I know your bike is new, and not doubting your sense of smell, is there any possibility you might be sensing the smell of that coolant Can Am uses? As in, is it possible the coolant is venting a bit, or the cap is poorly seated? Not saying that is the problem, merely an idea of a possibility in that general area.

Yup. That is definitely a possibility. I removed the battery cover and smelled the cover. No odor. Then smelled in the area above near the headlights. I smell the odor there. The coolant cap is tight. I will have to open it when its cool and take a wiff. Everything else is working great! Almost 500 miles on it this week.

 

[brad1965]

well i dont know what the smell is,,but our 2020 rtl smelled the same,,sulfer sort of smell for the first 500 or so mile

 

[Steve W.]

Also keep in mind that your "sealed" battery really IS vented.

It has a special vent that allows gasses, but not liquid to pass, otherwise it would blow up when it gets charged.

That said, I have never noticed ANY smell, sulphurous or otherwise, coming from any of the AGM batteries I have ever used, and I have used quite a few.

.

 

[Peter Aawen]

well i dont know what the smell is,,but our 2020 rtl smelled the same,,sulfer sort of smell for the first 500 or so mile

If it's happening to more than just one Spyder, but only when they're 'new' then dissipating within about 500 miles... maybe it's just all the lockite that BRP slathered on every thread going off?? :dontknow:






Sorry, but I just hadta! :roflblack: She made me do it! :dg2:

 

[porkchop1965]

Out of the Box. The most common sulfur smell comes from fuel with a high sulfur content being burned in the catalytic converter. Toyotas were especially known for this and you could get a whiff in your air vents when one passed. If you're sure it's coming from your Spyder, try a different fuel to see if it goes away. And, keep an eye out for those Toyotas.

As soon as I started reading this post and knowing it's a new 2021, I immediately thought it's the catalytic converter that is in "process" of being new and has to run through some heat cycles to "burn out" the newness.

 

[Joel The Biker]

well i dont know what the smell is,,but our 2020 rtl smelled the same,,sulfer sort of smell for the first 500 or so mile

Thanks. I now have almost 500 miles on mine. The odor is slightly less noticeable now. I can really smell it when I park in the garage. Kind of an ozone/sulfur odor. I have a bypass pipe on the exhaust, so it's not the CAT. I opened the coolant and took a wiff, nope not that. Maybe the power steering unit? Maybe the battery? Maybe the newness burning off? Maybe a ziptie laying on the exhaust manifold from the many I had to cut to add all my stuff? I dont know. Everything is working fine. If its something bad, it will rear it's ugly head at the worst moment. Someone needs to find that guy Murphy and get rid of him!

 

[PMK]

I know you mentioned it up front, but any chance the drive belt is tracking against a pulley flange?

 

[Joel The Biker]

Update: I put a new Motobatt AGM battery in it. Started it up and it is showing charging at 14.7-14.8v. That seems high to me. Any possibility the regulator in the alternator is messing up? Or maybe some screwy wiring? The only other thing I was thinking is a loose wire on alternator but haven't checked yet. The mystery continues...

 

[ButterSmooth]

Update: I put a new Motobatt AGM battery in it. Started it up and it is showing charging at 14.7-14.8v. That seems high to me. Any possibility the regulator in the alternator is messing up? Or maybe some screwy wiring? The only other thing I was thinking is a loose wire on alternator but haven't checked yet. The mystery continues...

I wouldn't give that a second thought -- seems fine to me. The new battery requires less charging current than the old one, so voltage goes up (just slightly).