Hard start on UXV 500i

[CROSSBOLT]

Should say no start! Schumacher charger-tender kept battery topped off. All I could get was a pop each revolution. Have to figure out how to mount a lawn mower battery in place of the scrawny scooter/motorcycle battery. Temp warmed to above 40 F but the engine had to still be 29.

Karl

[Stig / Major Tom]

Dang Karl !
Room enough in the battery area/box to go bigger with a battery of more CCA's..??
..did that on 3 of four scooters for more reliable frigid weather starts.
Of course, I didn't wait to see what the no-start threshold was....
I don't like walking a scooter home on frozen days , so I went bigger out of an abundance of caution.

Stig

[airshot]

Should say no start! Schumacher charger-tender kept battery topped off. All I could get was a pop each revolution. Have to figure out how to mount a lawn mower battery in place of the scrawny scooter/motorcycle battery. Temp warmed to above 40 F but the engine had to still be 29.

Karl

Hard to believe it is the battery unless your battery is toast...I would have a load test done on it to know for sure, one bad cell will kill the ability to start. I still have the original battery in my 450i, going on two yrs and two winters and it still going strong. Just used it to haul trash today, 26 degrees out and she started right up with no hesitation.  If you are sure the battery is good then I would look into something with the engine. With todays EFI they should start quite easily!

[Dayooper]

I had a tender go bad once that would still show the correct lighting but wasn't tending. Hooked it up to my boat battery charger and battery was all but dead, 4hrs later we were back in business. Just a thought.

[CROSSBOLT]

Tender works, but that was a good consideration, Daylooper. Proof is in: hooked up the Walmart Everstart riding mower battery yesterday and got a summer-time start!  It had warmed to the mid-thirties. This morning is low twenties so we will see.

Karl

[CROSSBOLT]

More update: I must have TWO poor batteries! Ya got me, airshot! All is well with both batteries in parallel but one at a time will not work. Load test then decide which gets replaced.

Karl

[Stig / Major Tom]

More update: I must have TWO poor batteries! Ya got me, airshot! All is well with both batteries in parallel but one at a time will not work. Load test then decide which gets replaced.

Karl

Years ago, during a brutally cold spell while living in Mass. I kept the battery for my VW beetle in the apt. for my early morning work commute. Thought about doing the same with the oil - but my brother told me that would be crazy.

Stig

[CROSSBOLT]

Battery was under the back seat inna bug, wasn't it? Musta been tough! Oil? Maybe not....

Karl

[airshot]

    I hafta say I have been quite lucky over my many years in that I have aways had a car that started well in the cold....if it didn't I had it fixed or replaced it!!  Nothing worse than a cold weather non-starting vehicle. I learned my lesson about 20 yrs back when we built our present home, I have a heated garage, normal temp is 55 degrees but a turn of a knob and I can make it 70 if I need to work out there. Funny thing is my vehicles start like it was summer time now..

[CROSSBOLT]

Latest update: several perfect starts in twenty something defrees F! Now I gotta size a decent battery....

This sxs was new old stock with a small amount of time on it, probably demo rides. Was two years, maybe three years at the dealer before we got it so the battery was marginal at best.

Karl

[CROSSBOLT]

Several starts in 8 and 14 degree mornings. More revolutions before firing but reliable starts.  Meaning more revs the colder it gets. 40 F= 1 rev then runs. 14 F= 3revs, 8 F= 4 revs. Leaning towards cheap, 230 + cca lawn & garden battery....

Karl

[randyo]

I was doing some wood splitting last weekend, @ fifteen below, my UXV450i started as easy as it does when it's 65°, I had to pull the splitter around to the wood pile, getting the splitter started, that was a different story, no electric start 8.5hp Kohler, usually starts within 1st 3 pulls, It pulled like it had 50w oil and 15:1 compression, after a dozen pulls, I started to see the exhaust puff, a few more pulls and I could actually feel that it fired, finally after about 25 attempts, it was running, still took another couple minutes before I could completely open the choke. Probably would have been less of a workout, splitting the wood by hand. When it's 15 below wood splits easy, even tough stringy stuff just pops as soon as the wedge penetrates a half inch

[airshot]

We heated with wood many years back. I remember all the splitting like it was yesterday. Wood warms you twice, once while cutting and splitting and the other is when you burn it!!  Now I just push a button and the propane fireplace comes to life, much easier at my age.  It has been really cold around here with temps near -20F and my 450i has started very well. The battery is starting to sound a little weak but I am thinking my machine is now 2 yrs old and who knows how long the dealer had it. Battery is original so I figure battery time is near and with the added strain of the winch with all the snow plowing I have been doing I did get another battery tender jr, and just keep it plugged in. Haven't really noticed any difference in cold starting but the winch for the plow seems stronger for a longer period of time with the tender usage. it was slowing down after 3/4 hr of plowing with lights on, it has always worked but after an hour of plowing the winch slow down was quite noticeable. I posted in another post about the propane golf cart heater, that thing works great. Nice to be warm in the cab enclosure with the little heater going, I could plow all day. But now the wife is complaining that I am just out looking for some snow to move around so I can play with my toys....probably some truth to that!!

[Stig / Major Tom]

👍

Stig

[randyo]

I don't have any electrical accessories on mine , when I do, I will probably add an Optima Yellow Top AGM battery under the seat

My primary heat is oil, I only supplement with wood, keeps my annual heating cost to $600 or less