| Author |
Message |
    
Mcintodo
| | Posted on Sunday, July 14, 2013 - 03:37 pm: | 
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After two years deployed, avoiding motorcycle discussions to prevent missing it, I've pulled the bike out of storage, had it serviced from Battery to wheels.
After a full day of riding, I stopped at a friends to catch up. Upon leaving, the bike refused to start. Turned the keys, gauges sweep, lights come on, and the fuel pump primes.
Hit the starter, and I get nothing. After diving here, sweep google, and regretting that I left the manual behind in MT when I PCSed to CA, I have the following assumptions:
The battery is shite, but that conflicts with the fact that my head lights are working.
There is a fuse blown, but I haven't been able to find information on which fuse to test, and I am on the verge of just replacing all of them.
The alternator, Stator, 77pin, or components there in that charge the battery while the bike runs, don't.
What I don't know, is where to start on the trouble shooting, so any and all help would be appreciated. |
Harleyelf
| | Posted on Sunday, July 14, 2013 - 04:54 pm: |
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You can see visually which fuse is blown, pull them out one by one and look at them.
You are certain that the kill switch is in the "run" position?
It is quite possible to have a headlight and not enough battery to turn the starter. To eliminate this possibility jump a car battery with good bolt-on cables to your existing battery and push the starter button.
Do you have 14.1 - 14.7 volts at the battery when the motor is running? If so, your charging system is fine. |
Mcintodo
| | Posted on Sunday, July 14, 2013 - 05:45 pm: |
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On the kill switch: yes.
After posting this, I took my Napa Battery Maintainer (85-303) over to visit my bike. Also, I took the following diagnostic steps.
Removed the seat:
Starting in Neutral, kickstand down and up.
Starting in first, kickstand down and up.
For each, I started with the ignition and kill switch off. Turned the key, pulled in the clutch, kill switch to on, and attempted to start the bike. During each, the lights came on, the gauges swept, and the fuel pump primed, but the bike did not start. What did happen was there was a small click coming from the fuse box, in the vicinity of what I think is the starter solenoid each time I used the electric start button.
All fuses seemed intact, but I did switch the 15 amp spare with the 15 amp starter, no change. Also, after verifying they were the same, I switched the solenoids (I think they are solenoids anyway), moving each clockwise and attempting to start the bike: no change.
On the note of the battery: I attached the Battery Maintainer, it indicated charging for about 30 minutes, and then indicated it was in maintaining mode. Neither my friend or I own a multimeter, so I have not checked the batteries out put, or moved down the path of comparing what is being sent to various points with what is supposed to be, in accordance with the wiring schematics that I have not yet checked. Also, while we are both Submariners and know the theory of electrical work, neither of us have any hands on experience. |
Reepicheep
| | Posted on Monday, July 15, 2013 - 08:46 am: |
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Your battery is likely just toast.
Jump it from a car with jumper cables, but never hook the motorcycle to the car when the car is running (the car charging system works differently than the bike charging system, and can (and probably will) blow up your voltage regulator). |
Mcintodo
| | Posted on Monday, July 15, 2013 - 09:24 am: |
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The battery was the next thing I was going to try, in order to get it off my friends lawn and back to my house. However I suspect that is only a symptom of a larger problem that needs fixing.
It would suck for this to happen 200 miles from home. |
Harleyelf
| | Posted on Monday, July 15, 2013 - 11:34 am: |
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Harbor Freight sells a good multi-meter for four bucks.
The relay you hear clicking is indeed a small solenoid. One works the starter and the other works all the other electrical circuits.
It's a common Harley part.
The ignition switch sometimes can pass enough current to light up the headlamp and fuel pump, but not enough to kick the starter in. It can be bypassed by disconnecting the switch at its connector and shorting all three wires together (I wind a big hunk of solder around them and plug the connector back together) temporarily. If this does the trick you can drive home and order a replacement from Al at American Sport Bike.
Tried pulling the headlight fuse to increase the current available to the starter switch? If the battery is just weak that sometimes does the trick. Does the headlamp dim when you press the starter switch?
You can also try running a hot wire from the hot terminal of the battery (carefully!) to the small terminal on the starter. If it is the switch this can bypass the issue.
Welcome home! Thank you for your service. |
Mcintodo
| | Posted on Monday, July 15, 2013 - 07:35 pm: |
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I think my next step is to try replacing the battery, if only to see if that will push enough for me to get the bike home.
Past that, everything else is a bit more than I am comfortable doing free hand. Electricity and I have a tortured past. |
Froggy
| | Posted on Monday, July 15, 2013 - 08:01 pm: |
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It doesn't sound like your battery from what you have described. If the battery is too weak, when you press the start button you will get a rapid series of clicks like a machine gun. Your clock and tripometer would reset too.
If I had to take a guess, power is not getting to the starter, or the starter is not turning. |
Sparky
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 - 12:22 am: |
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+1 Froggy.
I'd check the small blade contact connector on the Starter Solenoid to see if it came loose or the wire has high resistance. This wire connects the switched Start Relay power to the Starter Solenoid. If there is discontinuity in that wire, the Start Relay would click when pushing the Start Button but the Starter Motor would not energize. |
Mcintodo
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 - 02:35 am: |
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Here are my next intentions: Try and get the bike back to my house. I didn't notice a dimming of the head lights while I was trying to start the bike the night it didn't work, but I really wasn't looking for it. During my previous diagnostics, for what they are, I did cycle the solenoids round robin clockwise. I didn't try every permutation, but since (1234, 2341, 3412, and 4123) didn't change any indications, I don't think the issue is the solenoid.
I'll avoid the extremes of the electrical works. I can grab a multi-meter and check for current, but I am lacking a guide. Closest I have found so far is a 2005 Firebolt. Guidance, but not enough exactitude to ease my nuked mind.
On the note of the maintenance guide, the trouble shooting guide has the following:
Starter Motor Does Not Operate or Does
Not Turn Engine Over
1. Engine stop switch in OFF position.
2. Ignition key switch not ON.
3. Discharged battery or loose or corroded connections.
(Solenoid chatters.)
4. Starter control relay or solenoid not functioning.
5. Electric starter shaft pinion gear not engaging or overrunning clutch slipping.
6. Clutch lever not pulled in. Vehicle in gear.
7. Starter interlock circuit malfunction.
I can handle a checklist and procedure, so this may be in hand. As a check, the relay and the Solenoid are located far enough away to distinguish which is clicking?} |
Reepicheep
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 16, 2013 - 08:45 am: |
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Jumper cables hooked to a car battery with the car not running is a 5 minute diagnostic procedure that will tell you a lot. I'm not saying the problem must be a bad battery, I'm suggesting thats the first thing you should try (because it is so fast and so easy).
The other suggestions are good also, and you may need them. They just take longer.  |
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