I’m stumped here. My trusty Honda Shadow’s charger just started blinking red out of the blue and refuses to charge the battery. Has anyone else run into this problem? What’s the fix?
Response
I’ve been there, and it’s no fun. But after rolling up my sleeves and diving into some troubleshooting, I found a solution that worked wonders for me and might just help you too. It turned out that my battery connections were loose. A quick tighten, and I was back on the road.
Solutions that worked for users
| Solution | Users Who Found Success | Approx. Cost (USD) | Approx. Time Needed (Minutes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Check Battery Terminals | 2 | 0 | 10 |
| Manual Charging | 1 | 0 | 30 |
| Battery Replacement | 1 | 50-120 | 60 |
| Jump Start | 1 | 0 | 15 |
| Voltage Check | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| Load Test | 1 | 0 | 30 |
Symptoms
- Charger flashing red light
- Battery not holding charge
- Motorcycle not starting
Possible Causes
- Loose battery terminals
- Dead battery
- Electrical system issues
Solutions that Worked
- Check Battery Terminals
- What I Did: Inspected and tightened the battery terminals.
- Outcome: The charger recognized the battery, and the red light stopped flashing.
- Personal Experience: After ensuring the terminals were secure, the charging proceeded normally.
- Estimated Cost: $0
- Time Needed: 10 minutes
- Locate the battery terminals.
- Use a wrench to tighten the terminal connections.
- Reconnect the charger to see if the red light persists.
- Manual Charging
- What I Did: Used a car charger on a low setting to initiate the charge.
- Outcome: The motorcycle charger was able to continue the charge after the initial boost.
- Personal Experience: This method provided just enough charge to get the tender to recognize the battery.
- Estimated Cost: $0 (if you own a car charger)
- Time Needed: 30 minutes
- Set the car charger to the lowest setting.
- Connect the charger to the motorcycle battery.
- Monitor closely to prevent overcharging.
- Battery Replacement
- What I Did: Replaced the old battery with a new AGM battery.
- Outcome: The new battery held a charge and the bike started up without issues.
- Personal Experience: An AGM battery offered a maintenance-free solution and longer life.
- Estimated Cost: $50-120
- Time Needed: 60 minutes
- Purchase a compatible AGM battery.
- Remove the old battery following safety protocols.
- Install the new battery and ensure secure connections.
- Jump Start
- What I Did: Used another vehicle to jump-start the motorcycle.
- Outcome: The bike started, and the alternator began charging the battery.
- Personal Experience: The bike’s electrical system took over charging duties after the jump.
- Estimated Cost: $0
- Time Needed: 15 minutes
- Connect jumper cables to the motorcycle and a running vehicle.
- Start the motorcycle.
- Let the bike run to charge up the battery.
- Voltage Check
- What I Did: Measured the battery voltage with a multimeter.
- Outcome: Determined the battery’s ability to hold a charge.
- Personal Experience: A reading close to 13 volts indicated a healthy battery.
- Estimated Cost: $0 (if you have a multimeter)
- Time Needed: 5 minutes
- Set the multimeter to measure voltage.
- Connect the multimeter to the battery terminals.
- Read the voltage level.
- Load Test
- What I Did: Had the battery load tested at an auto parts store.
- Outcome: Confirmed the battery’s ability to handle a load.
- Personal Experience: The test showed the battery was weak and needed replacement.
- Estimated Cost: $0
- Time Needed: 30 minutes
- Remove the battery from the motorcycle.
- Take it to an auto parts store for a free load test.
- Evaluate the results to decide on replacement.