| Author | Message | ||
     L8_br8ker |
'09 XB12 Scg......When I hit my start button I get about 2 cranks of the starter, ...then ECM cycles, everything goes blank for a second, fuel pump reloads, yellow light comes on, then off, looks rdy to go, hit the start button, 2 cranks ...everything goes blank, ecm recycles again, If it starts in the 2 cranks, it runs fine, if not, the sequence just repeats, any thoughts? | ||
| Akbuell |
Take both battery cables off the battery. Clean the terminals and the cable ends shiny bright. While the neg cable is off, check for continuity/resistance to ground - to check and see that the cable is good - then take the frame end of the neg cable off and make that clean and shiny. Then reinstall, making sure the cable ends are tight. If that doesn't solve the problem, take the battery and have it load tested. Resistance from some source, or a loose connection, is causing the current to drop off, then reset. Hope this helps, Dave | ||
| L8_br8ker |
Thanks for the reply Akbuell, and the insight. I check the cables, and terminals on my battery, they're good to go, (battery cables in good shape, connectors good, terminals clean, and good contact. It's a pretty new Motobatt battery, really strong. Should I be looking at pulling the starter, or is there another possible area that might be loading the system?, no fuses have blown, so I'm thinking it's probably not a short somewhere. Gonna bring the battery to a shop nearby to test tomorrow, my bet is that's not the problem though. | ||
| Akbuell |
No, don't look to pulling the starter. Yet. The battery and cables are usually at the top of the list of usual suspects. Once you are confident that the problem is not there . . . I believe you are correct about it not being a short. I think the issue is an open, or more accurately in 'intermittent open'. Some thing is not making as solid a contact as it should, causing the ECM to think the key has been shut off,then back on. If battery and cables are good, try swapping the relays around. The IGN relay could be in a pre-fail mode, and not closing completely or being able to stay closed. Hope this helps, Dave | ||
| Reepicheep |
That dash behavior isn't unusual for a weaker battery. When you hit the starter, the battery dumps massive current, but also drops voltage dramatically. Once the voltage gets below say 6.5 volts, the voltage regulators that step down the 12v normal bike voltage to the 5v levels the semiconductors in the ECM and dash use cease to operate. So at below 6.5 volts, the ECM basically doesn't get power anymore. Different systems have different regulators with slightly different characteristics, so different ones will drop out at different voltages. But all will generally be around 6.x volts. If the battery is good and charged, you can tell it's not a short of the battery power by telling if anything is currently on fire (or if a fuse is blown). If it isn't, the battery isn't shorted. It could be a short in a signal wire somewhere though. Worn out batteries (even if newer) and dirty connections or missing grounds (like the one from the rear head to the frame if you have worked there recently) are the most common culprits. For what that's worth. | ||
| L8_br8ker |
Reepicheep, and Akbuell...thanks so much for your help, it turned out to be a bad relay, which certainly saved me a lot of work, and money too, you both steered me away from pulling my starter, and ripping apart my harness where it goes between the frame and engine, the battery is pretty new, and those Mottobatts are beastly, I cant even say how many related wires I've checked, not wanting to get down and dirty, thanks a lot again, (you called it right Akbuell, and so did Reepicheep, (the relay does =bad signal wire, electrically speaking). I'm off to a country road this afternoon, with no cars, happily breaking really late in the corners,lol. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Excellent. Don't brake *that* late.  | ||
| Akbuell |
Too Cool! Glad the bike is operating as it should. And you are very welcome. Dave |
