| Author | Message | ||
     Reepicheep |
My Uly battery finally gave up the ghost, and was just clicking when I tried to start the bike. I used this trick to start it three different times so I could get it home (then to the dealer) to get a replacement. Turn off the ignition after the dreaded "click click click" and let the battery recover for a minute or so. While waiting, put the bike in 5th gear. Bump the bike backwards (roll with the clutch in, then pop the clutch). You will feel the bike "pop" off the compression stroke and rotate back 720 degrees (or whatever Blake corrects me with). Turn on the ignition, and fire it up. Basically, instead of the starter trying to start at the hardest part (compression stroke under high compression), the bike rolls through the easy part and the starter and flywheel have some inertia to "roll through" the compression. It won't work for long, your battery is worn out. But it might get you from where you are at to where you want to go without a jump start (it did me, three times). Can you even start an XB by coasting and popping the clutch? Never tried it, it looks daunting. | ||
| Rotzaruck |
I like tricks! If I could only remember them when I need them. | ||
| Reepicheep |
OK, I think I spoke too soon... Something else odd is happening. The new battery didn't eliminate this symptom. The old battery was 5 years old, and was turning slow, so I am happy to have replaced it anyway... But there is something else going on here. Hit the starter, in neutral, clutch in (cover all my bases) and you just get a click from the relay under the seat, and a click from the starter solenoid (I think) then nothing until you release the starter button (and get another click). The voltage only drops to 11.8 or so, so current is going somewhere. So I then turn off the ignition, put the bike in 5th, roll it a bit and pop the clutch to turn it past the next compression stroke. Then turn the ignition back on, thumb the starter, and it will spin up nice and strong and run perfectly. So what does this mean? Do I need a new starter, or are there parts in the starter (like the solenoid) I can rebuild? | ||
| Froggy |
Bad ground not allowing enough current? | ||
| Reepicheep |
Hmmm. So you are thinking bumping it over just "wiggles" the ground wire? Where is the ground strap on a Uly, on the rear case? I should check it for crash damage as well, that rear mount got broken in the accident. I also have a slow leak in the rocker box back there right now also, that could be getting in there and making the ground flaky. | ||
| Froggy |
In general the grounds aren't great on the Uly, too much powdercoat overspray and whatnot. You are more of an electrical geek than me, how about run a long thick wire from the battery terminal direct to the starter? | ||
| Bluzm2 |
Bill, Most of the grounds on the Uly are by the battery box. They bolt onto the subframe rail. Not sure where the one for the motor to the frame one is though. I don't have my manuals handy... | ||
| Blake |
Great tip Bill! Bad ground or residue on connection(s) at battery? | ||
| Reepicheep |
Thanks! More information about my starter problem... 1) Battery is brand new (old battery was probably still serviceable, but was at 5 years old, so I don't mind replacing it to end the suspense of when it's gonna go). Battery connections are bright, shiny, tight, and covered with dielectric grease. When the starter does spin 2) I looked at the parts manual, and they sell a solenoid rebuild kit. Page 29, row 21, part number 31603-91. No idea about cost yet. So that's goood news. 3) I looked in the service manual, and it has a fairly remarkable diagnostic procedure for debugging the starter. I walked through the flowcharts this morning going by memory (I had done some of the tests last night without RTFM), and I think they also point to me having a bad starter solenoid. So here is my next question.... 4) The manual talks about removing the starter, and gives a nice description, but doesn't say boo about rotating the engine down or pulling the header. Can this be right? There is a little room in there, but it seems like there is no way it's enough to pull the starter out. It may not matter in my case, as I also have a slight weep on the rear rocker box (the head I replaced because of crash damage), so I am probably rotating the engine regardless. But now I'm curious. I'm guessing I'm going to need a solenoid repair kit, and a starter gasket. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I'll leave this thread be, as it is still a potentially useful tip, even though I mis-identified the root problem. But it's in the wrong section now... so I started a new "starter diagnosis" thread in the right knowledge vault section. So y'all can continue helping me here: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/384 2/675179.html?1333989388  |
