| Author | Message | ||
     Canyon_biker |
Hello everyone, I tried to start my 1997 S1 lightning Yesterday and the battery seems dead. I hooked it to the charger and charged for a few hours but then the motor only clicked. At this time I figured it was a weak battery or not charged enough so I used a car battery to try and jump it again only the clicking. I then took the battery out and put it on the charger overnight I put it back in the bike checked all the connections to make sure they're clean and tight turn the key on and no power at all. No gauge lights, no headlights, and no horn. Nothing.The battery tests at 12.7 V. I checked the fuses with a multimeter and they're all good. I'm a little stumped where should I go next? | ||
| S1owner |
Double check your grounds all of them. Bypass the kick stand switch and clutch switch. And pull the kill switch and jump it Also never jump a bike with a car bad idea | ||
| Hughlysses |
If you don't find something else, take your battery to an auto parts store and have it load tested. A battery can develop an internal short that will give weird symptoms like this. Battery will show fully charged, and will handle a low power draw fine, but will short internally when you put a big load on it like a starter. It will still happen if you try to jump start with the bad battery connected. A load test will show if your battery has this problem. | ||
| Lasbuell |
Hughlysses is right on, you can have 12 volts but not have enough amps. Have it load tested. | ||
| Hootowl |
If your lights aren't coming on, it's a good bet that, as noted above, you either have bad grounds, or your battery is hosed. | ||
| Harleyelf |
Jumping from a running car is a bad idea, but jumping from a loose car battery can get you started well enough to troubleshoot your circuits. Disconnect the hot lead from the suspect battery and make a good ground connection for the big battery. I'm with Ken. Ground connections to the frame corrode and can prevent the best battery from working. | ||
| Sparky |
There is a 30 amp circuit breaker that provides power to the key switch and everything else except the starter motor. I'd check that to see if it is corroded or otherwise open-circuited. | ||
| Mtjm2 |
Im having a similar problem on my M2 New battery . Found that when I put the rear break assembly I didn't tighten the ground Strap . That being done and recharging the battery , I pulled the bike out this week end and ran it for about an hour .When I went to put it away it wouldn't start . Got home from work Tuesday and it fired right Up . Ran it for a short time .Get home Today and it won't start. | ||
| Hootowl |
Do you have lights? If so, does the starter just click? If so, disconnect the negative battery terminal, and remove the starter solenoid cover. Inspect the ring contact on the plunger and the side contacts within the solenoid. One side contact tends to wear faster than the other. When it reaches a certain point, the ring contact cannot rock sideways in the bore far enough to close the circuit. You may also have a faulty ignition switch. Current for the solenoid runs through the switch. When the contacts get crappy, they create enough resistance to impede the operation of the plunger. | ||
| Ocbueller |
Mtjm2, yours sounds like a charging system issue. These bikes will run a good distance on a charged battery, but it will eventually discharge and cut out. Put a voltmeter to the battery while running should be about 14 volts above an idle. SteveH | ||
| S1owner |
Myjm2 Yours is mostlikely a side stand switch issue | ||
| Hootowl |
Sidestand switch should only cause issues if you're in gear with the clutch out. | ||
| Mtjm2 |
Didn't meen to hijack the thread ! 1 question 3 different answers . I love you guys . I don't think its the side stand switch . Put it gear with the stand down and it shut off. I'll check the starter as hard as it is. Thanks , Mark | ||
| Hootowl |
The solenoid cover comes off with three little bolts. No need to remove the starter. Make sure you disconnect the battery. The plunger is spring loaded and positively charged. It will arc like a bastard on the way out if the battery is connected. | ||
| Canyon_biker |
Sparky, I checked the fuses I could find both usually and with a multi meter. Are there more than the four in the fuse box on the right under the seat? Oh wait may bad. You said circuit breaker. I did not check the circuit breaker. I'll do that tmrw. Thanks and thanks everyone else for your suggestions. (Message edited by Canyon_biker on September 07, 2017) | ||
| Mtjm2 |
Cleaned the connection from the battery to the starter. Didn't seem to help the issue . Now what ? Stater ? | ||
| Buell_m2_s3 |
Check the wire harness plug from the controls. I found that they can get corrosion on the terminals it happened on my 2000 M2 a while back. Fixed it for me anyways I used the CRC electrical cleaner. | ||
| Hootowl |
Remove the neg battery cable. Remove the solenoid cover. Push the plunger back in its hole. Reconnect the battery. Push the plunger hard into the contacts. Does the engine crank? If it doesn't, it's very likely your battery is toast. | ||
| V74 |
I have the same problem 99 M2 Good battery, tried someone else's to make sure. Power on everywhere but when ignition switch pressed I get a click at the relay but nothing from the starter motor so somewhere between the relay and the starter there's no electric, a so called electric expert asked me what the cranking amps measured but can't measure them as no electric getting to the starter. Anyone got any ideas ? Had a starter problem before but still got a click at the starter (new selenoid kit cured that ) but not this time . | ||
| S1owner |
Ok so I have had a few electrical gremlins and everytime it was something simple and something I was told to check and went no way it is not that. So amuse me here and both of you try these things on at a time. 1-Pull your kill switch and jump it with a wire. ( Mine would only work sometimes and would work for the start if the day but once I stopped I would get a click) Jump both the clutch switch and sidestand switch ( I had both of these go out and if they are not making good contact they will not let the system act right) Pull your ground cable from the battery both sides clean apply dielectric grease and resecure do this with your ground strap under the battery to the swingarm mount block also. Last do the same as above with your positive battery cable Try all those even if you have already go do it again as it cant hurt right! I had a battery melt my turn signals from a loose connection once Also had the positive post melt right off from a loose battery connection. Its almost always something simple we missed! | ||
| V74 |
Ok Got no clutch kill switch Got no side stand switch Done the ground lead. Will try the rest when I get time Cheers | ||
| Hootowl |
If your starter is clicking, it's getting power, just not enough. All those interlocks that prevent starting and cut the ignition aren't in play. Current for the starter solenoid runs through the ignition switch. A poor design. The contacts in the switch just can't deal with the current and cook, creating enough resistance to prevent the solenoid from getting full voltage/current. Try bypassing the ignition switch. Pull the switch connector, and jumper the hots together, then try starting the bike. | ||
| V74 |
I'm getting a click at the relay but no click from the starter. | ||
| Hootowl |
Sorry...I got your issue mixed up with another. Is there voltage at the relay contact from the battery? Have you tried swapping the relay? IIRC there are two identical relays. Swap them and see what happens. Check fuses? Sometimes a fuse can fail without blowing. It just physically breaks. Looks fine when you pull it out to inspect, but when you shove it back in, it separates again. I've seen this personally while working on another badwebber's bike. With the ignition on, make sure you've got 12 volts on both sides of the fuse. Use the little test points on the top of the fuse to test. | ||
| V74 |
Fuses swapped Relays swapped Power everywhere but when starter button pressed there's a click at the relay but no click at the starter.somewhere in between the relay and the starter is where the problem is. | ||
| Hootowl |
Have you checked to see if you're getting 12 volts to the solenoid? There's a wire attached to a spade lug on the starter. That's the solenoid control signal wire. Is there 12 volts on it when you press the starter button? If there isn't, work your way back. Is there 12 volts at the relay? (Message edited by hootowl on September 12, 2017) | ||
| S1owner |
Have you pulled the kill switch and the start seitch and jumped them to see if it eorks the kill switch and start switch can do this my kill switch did | ||
| Harleyelf |
Have you checked the heavy wire from the voltage regulator that runs under the right side of the starter? It has a bullet connector that can come loose. |
