cretin Posted October 21, 2017 Share Posted October 21, 2017 I was a bit surprised when my battery died after I had only just ridden it a week before. I'm about 3 years in. After going through a few batteries on my KTM I had gotten a Shorai Lithium Iron battery and never had a problem again. So I decided to go for it. The other day I got my battery (correct battery according to both Battery Stuff and Revzilla) and went to hook it up. I removed what I thought was the negative lead then the positive on the old battery, not even looking at the marks on the battery. I then went to hatch the positive lead to the new battery and got sparks. When I looked at the new battery closer, I realized that the negative was on the right side where the bike's positive lead is supposed to go. I thought it must be the wrong battery, but then I looked at the stock battery, which had been running fine for 3 years and it was on the wrong side too!!! Thoroughly confused, I tried just hooking the new battery up as the old battery was (opposite: + to - and - to +) and after I would attach the + lead to the - side of the battery, when the - lead would touch the + battery terminal it would make some sort of electrical winding sound like a small motor or pump near the location of the batter (under the fuel tank). Then I tried flipping the battery around (this required some jimmying around of wires to connect to the correct sides I got nothing when I turned the key on. Does anyone have any insight into this annoying mystery? PS - leads as marked are correct according to the owner's manual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member texscottyd Posted October 21, 2017 Supporting Member Share Posted October 21, 2017 @cretin - I have to admit it, that really doesn’t make any logical sense to me. I just took a look at my 2015 to verify, and the stock battery has the positive terminal towards the front of the bike, oriented on the right side of the battery if you’re in the seat facing forward. The stock battery is clearly marked positive and negative, and the bike wiring coming to the battery’s positive terminal is red and has a black protective cap with a big + sign embossed on the cover. I don’t see any way it could have come from the factory in any other configuration. I’ll try and post a couple of pictures, but I hope this should be clear. Does your new battery have the same post positions? Looking down onto the top of the battery, the positive terminal would be in the lower right, and negative in the lower left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member texscottyd Posted October 21, 2017 Supporting Member Share Posted October 21, 2017 Here is the way mine looks. Front of the bike is to the left in the first picture. That extra wiring across the top of the battery is just the pigtail for the Battery Tender... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member OutlanderBC Posted October 21, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted October 21, 2017 Isn't the stock battery laying on it's side? (above pic it looks that way) Are you trying to keep the new battery upright? That would explain why the terminals are backwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member fddriver2 Posted October 21, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted October 21, 2017 Mine too. My finger is the front of the bike, just behind the fuel tank... "It doesn't matter who walks in, you know the joke is still the same" Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member texscottyd Posted October 22, 2017 Supporting Member Share Posted October 22, 2017 Isn't the stock battery laying on it's side? (above pic it looks that way) Are you trying to keep the new battery upright? That would explain why the terminals are backwards. Sometimes it’s the simple things that we overlook... you’re absolutely correct, but I hadn’t noticed that battery orientation previously. The ‘top’ of the battery is actually installed into the bike so that it’s facing the right side, and if you tried to install it with the top facing up, you would end up with the polarity reversed. The writing on the side of the battery faces up... who knew? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crempel Posted October 22, 2017 Share Posted October 22, 2017 What is he likely to have damaged by hooking it up wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member sirepair Posted October 22, 2017 Premium Member Share Posted October 22, 2017 OEM battery is sealed, and will work in any orientation. Same with the replacement Shorai Lithium (I've installed one in my FJ and ST1100). Just use the included foam to make the battery fit snugly. Hopefully nothing was damaged by the reversed connection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member texscottyd Posted October 22, 2017 Supporting Member Share Posted October 22, 2017 What is he likely to have damaged by hooking it up wrong? Great question, as I have no idea what kind of safeguards may be in place on the FJ. @cretin - Hopefully there are no issues for you, but please do let us know how this works out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koth442 Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 What is he likely to have damaged by hooking it up wrong?There __should__ be diodes protecting important bits like the ECU, but when budget cuts come who know's what gets axed. '15 FJ09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipperT Posted October 23, 2017 Share Posted October 23, 2017 You’ve possibly blown the main fuse. Hope that’s all. Once you get the battery installed correctly let us know. -Skip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtracer Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 Hmm, I did the same mistake the other day. Didn't realise that I'd flipped the new battery the other way around until I connected the cables and got a flash from the cable. Maybe I should have realised it since the battery can move around when installed the wrong way. I also heard the strange sound from the box below the tank just in from of the battery. Mine bike is completely dead now. Really nothing at all when you turn the key. I will investigate this evening if I might have blown a fuse. Thanks for the advise. /Ulf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koth442 Posted October 27, 2017 Share Posted October 27, 2017 Hmm, I did the same mistake the other day. Didn't realise that I'd flipped the new battery the other way around until I connected the cables and got a flash from the cable. Maybe I should have realised it since the battery can move around when installed the wrong way. I also heard the strange sound from the box below the tank just in from of the battery. Mine bike is completely dead now. Really nothing at all when you turn the key. I will investigate this evening if I might have blown a fuse. Thanks for the advise. /Ulf Sounds like the main fuse. Hopefully that's all! '15 FJ09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtracer Posted October 28, 2017 Share Posted October 28, 2017 I found the problem. Two fuses were burnt. The main(50A) and one fuse called ETV(7.5A) from the fuse box close to the main fuse. After replacement she is spinning again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadawra Posted December 27, 2017 Share Posted December 27, 2017 So Cretin, what happened , which parts are damaged can you find? I am asking because yesterday i did the same mistake and heard the same electrical winding sound from a part which is writing on it ''advics'' i guess it is the brain of the abs system and i hope to don't damage it , when i was searching for is there somebody else like me i found your post, can you share the last situation please? Thanks I was a bit surprised when my battery died after I had only just ridden it a week before. I'm about 3 years in. After going through a few batteries on my KTM I had gotten a Shorai Lithium Iron battery and never had a problem again. So I decided to go for it. The other day I got my battery (correct battery according to both Battery Stuff and Revzilla) and went to hook it up. I removed what I thought was the negative lead then the positive on the old battery, not even looking at the marks on the battery. I then went to hatch the positive lead to the new battery and got sparks. When I looked at the new battery closer, I realized that the negative was on the right side where the bike's positive lead is supposed to go. I thought it must be the wrong battery, but then I looked at the stock battery, which had been running fine for 3 years and it was on the wrong side too!!! Thoroughly confused, I tried just hooking the new battery up as the old battery was (opposite: + to - and - to +) and after I would attach the + lead to the - side of the battery, when the - lead would touch the + battery terminal it would make some sort of electrical winding sound like a small motor or pump near the location of the batter (under the fuel tank). Then I tried flipping the battery around (this required some jimmying around of wires to connect to the correct sides I got nothing when I turned the key on. Does anyone have any insight into this annoying mystery? PS - leads as marked are correct according to the owner's manual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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