Battery seems dead but third time's the charm
Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2019 10:33 pm
I got a new battery and then a weird thing happened to my 2005 R1200RT.
I turn the ignition key on and there's a flicker of light on the dash before it goes dark. I push the starter button and get a weak "whuh-uh" before silence. Seems like the new battery is weak.
I turn the key on and off. Same thing. I repeat again but same.
The third or fourth time, the dash lights up brightly and the system goes through the self-check. When it's done, I push the button and the starter roars the engine to life. I ride off without any further issues.
I checked the battery terminal connections and they are tight. This has happened on several occasions.
The new battery is a Yuasa YTX20L-BS and the guy at the Not a BMW dealer said it was the correct battery.
https://www.yuasabatteries.com/battery/ytx20l-bs/
So I look it up and it is not what Yuasa recommends for the 2005 R1200RT. Yuasa recommends the YT19BL-BS. Here is how they compare:
Recommended What I Got
Model YT19BL-BS YTX20L-BS
CCA 170 270
Amps 1.8 1.8
Capacity 17.7 18
Acid Volume 0.95 0.93
From the numbers, I would say that the battery I got should be better than the recommended battery. Is there something other then these numbers that would make the battery I got wrong?
I put a tester gizmo on the battery and it measured 235 CCA and good voltage at the battery. After starting and revving the engine, the alternator test passed. I think it was 14.1 V.
Could this be some electrical glitch in the ignition switch and the timing is just a coincidence? What should I test next?
I turn the ignition key on and there's a flicker of light on the dash before it goes dark. I push the starter button and get a weak "whuh-uh" before silence. Seems like the new battery is weak.
I turn the key on and off. Same thing. I repeat again but same.
The third or fourth time, the dash lights up brightly and the system goes through the self-check. When it's done, I push the button and the starter roars the engine to life. I ride off without any further issues.
I checked the battery terminal connections and they are tight. This has happened on several occasions.
The new battery is a Yuasa YTX20L-BS and the guy at the Not a BMW dealer said it was the correct battery.
https://www.yuasabatteries.com/battery/ytx20l-bs/
So I look it up and it is not what Yuasa recommends for the 2005 R1200RT. Yuasa recommends the YT19BL-BS. Here is how they compare:
Recommended What I Got
Model YT19BL-BS YTX20L-BS
CCA 170 270
Amps 1.8 1.8
Capacity 17.7 18
Acid Volume 0.95 0.93
From the numbers, I would say that the battery I got should be better than the recommended battery. Is there something other then these numbers that would make the battery I got wrong?
I put a tester gizmo on the battery and it measured 235 CCA and good voltage at the battery. After starting and revving the engine, the alternator test passed. I think it was 14.1 V.
Could this be some electrical glitch in the ignition switch and the timing is just a coincidence? What should I test next?