| Author | Message | ||
     Koz5150 |
So... The other day I was out riding and the bike was fine. I stopped for a few minutes, turned the bike off, and it wouldn't start. The bike just makes a loud clicking noise. I thought the battery may have gone bad so I replaced it, but the new batter has made no change. Could this be a starter problem? Any ideas are appreciated. | ||
| Koz5150 |
BTW, If I push start the bike it runs fine. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Did you give the new battery a chance to fully charge, via trickle charge? If you jumped it, or only charged it a little, and ran the bike for a while, and have a bad stator, you could experience exactly what you describe. | ||
| Koz5150 |
I put the new battery on the charger, I will hope for the best. I really hope the stator didn't go bad. The old batter was 4 years old to the month. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Do you have a decent Digital Voltage Meter ($10 from harbor freight)? 1) (Easiest, least reliable, but decent check)... Put in the battery, push start the bike, put it in neutral and measure DC Volts across the battery terminal revving the bike to maybe 2500 RPM. Is the battery voltage slowly increasing? Or does it increase when you rev up the engine from neutral? If yes, your stator is probably OK. If no, the stator is probably not (though could be the voltage regulator). 2) (Better, not that hard) Put the meter on AC volts, disconnect the plug from the stator to the voltage regulator, and put the meter between the two pins (only two on tubers, choose any two of the three on the XB). As you rev the engine, the AC voltage should go up with engine revs if you have a good stator, otherwise you don't. 2.5) While you have the stator disconnected, put the meter on Ohms (lowest range) and measure from stator pin to stator pin. Look for something like .6 volts (from memory). Then look from each pin to ground (should be infinity). If any of these are not the case, your stator is toast. Replacing the stator is not a *huge* deal. | ||
| Lake_bueller |
Don't forget to check the voltage regulator. I had mine go bad on the S3T a few years back. We were out riding one day. Stopped for fuel and couldn't get it started. It had the same symptoms you're describing. Again, it's an easy fix if that's the problem. | ||
| Kccyclone |
I will put money on it being the starter relay!!!! 3$ fix Larry | ||
| Bluzm2 |
I'm having the same problem on my 00 Cyclone. It started happening after I changed the starter gasket. If I keep hitting the starter button, it will catch after a few times. You can hear hear the loud click from the starter but the starter doesn't engage. It's going to wait until winter for a permanent fix. Brad | ||
| Koz5150 |
Well the new battery was low, so I have it on a charge. I will hope for the best, and if not, I will park on the top of a hill. | ||
| Lake_bueller |
Koz....still sounds like a voltage regulator to me (unless the battery was already low before you ran the bike). I'll be in the Appleton area tomorrow if you need a hand with anything. | ||
| Koz5150 |
Thanks, I am going to Mountain WI this weekend in the jeep (gonna get muddy). If I can't get it started for tonight, I will just have to take the Jeep to Irish Fest. (free admission between 4:00 and 5:00 today!) Dennis, I do need to talk to you sometime in the near future. Maybe we can do lunch sometime. i will email you next week if that's cool. | ||
| Koz5150 |
Well it is running. I just hope it continues to work tonight! Thanks GUYS!!! | ||
| Lake_bueller |
Koz...the early part of next week is okay. Things start getting crazy on Thursday, Friday & Saturday. Do you have a spare stock derby cover? I'd like to get the Marylin signature on the S1W. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Koz, if it was a bad stator, a fully charged battery is good for about 30 miles of riding and a couple starts. After that point, until you charge it again, the bike will be be a doorstop, you probably won't even be able to bump start it. Plan accordingly. If you can sneak jumper cables in a tail or tank bag, a 10 minute charge from a friendly cager might get enough juice in the battery to get you home. (Message edited by reepicheep on August 19, 2005) | ||
| Tramp |
koz- it sounds far more like a starter connection issue. there are some flimsy lt connectors at the starter of the Buell. they are also water magnets. check them, and be vigilant of your relay. Do NOT get obsessed on doing exhaustive tests for one problem. check everything in flow. you have a new battery (it could have just been batt. conn.s), so check starter connections and then relay. I wouldn't obsess on anything else until you're sure that's all good. | ||
| Koz5150 |
Well, the bike ran great all afternoon. turns out it was just the death of a 4 year old battery and the new one needed to be charged up before it was ready. It's the first battery I have changed in a cycle (only been riding for 3 years). Thanks for all the help. | ||
| Newfie_buell |
My negative terminal became loose one day while riding and I had the same symtoms. Tightened it up and it went fine. | ||
| Thunderbox |
I would bet on a starter relay. There is 2 small copper contact points under the cover at the end of the starter. If these get worn and they do. It will click but not turn over. I take it that it only clicks once each time you try the starter. This is a simple fix and cheap. Any starter or alternator repair facility will be able to supply you the new contacts and a new plunger and contact disc. I get them here in Saskatoon for about 15$ CDN. Then your starter will be like new again. Actually a very robust and reliable starter on these bikes. (JAP) | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
Also check the earth strap connection to the frame, any corrosion will give you problems too. | ||
| Grndskpr |
Also check the earth strap connection If his bike is straped to the earth, i would suspect there are bigger problems than the bike not running of course as always MHO R | ||
| Newfie_buell |
I run my Earth Strap Connection real loose!!!! That way I can go a bit farther. | ||
| Koz5150 |
Well, my problem showed up again Sunday morning. I rode to work (15 miles, all freeway) and the bike was fine Saturday night. Sunday morning I got the dreaded click click click. I got her push started and was able to ride home. I guess I will look at the stater now... | ||
| Koz5150 |
I checked the stator and it appears to be fine. I was getting a charge at the battery and I did the stator test as described in the manual. I also tested the voltage regulator and that checked out good. I guess I move on to the starter now... Any other advice would be gladly accepted  | ||
| Tramp |
isn't it nice to actually TEST components instead of just changing them because of internet banter? How's your battery, and it's connections? how about that lossely-connected LT lead at the starter? remember the simplest test, Koz- disconn. your ground lead, then connect a VM between it and your ground, and check for discharge. if you see a volt or wto, that's bad. disconnect and reconnect components until you see the discharge drop to "0". when that's occured, you've disconnected, and thereby identified, the offending short/discharge. Keep it simple and test twice, replace once, when it comes to electric components. | ||
| Newfie_buell |
Do you have any funny led lighting or other stuff attached to the bike that will give a slow bleed? Stuff like led lights, heated gear connectors, cig lighter connector, etc, etc, etc......could be simple as a corroded wire or connector. | ||
| Road_thing |
Koz: Have you checked the starter relay? rt | ||
| Tramp |
I didn't consider asking him, myself, being that he hears a "loud clicking noise" at the starter. I more than agree that a relay check should be high priority, though. | ||
| Road_thing |
Well, to my ears, the starter relay isn't really a loud click, but then I've been told I don't hear so good... I've had a couple of 'em go out on me, though, the first one drove me nuts trying to chase it down...until I read the troubleshooting guide in the service manual. That was a head-slapping moment. Convinced me to RTFB. I've also been able to clean the contact points and make the relays work again--posted about it a couple of years ago here rt | ||
| Tramp |
i'm all about checking them first, too believe me. i just check the lead to the starter, first. if i'm getting juice at the starter, the relay's ok for starts. now, as far as draining , that's another story, for sure. it definitely happens quite a bit in HD products. (Message edited by tramp on August 30, 2005) | ||
| Koz5150 |
Well I am going tear into it tomorrow (tonight is my last night of work till Monday). after letting it sit for 7 hours the battery was at 12.8 v. I will check it again in the morning. I really hope it isn't the starter, I don't want to have to pull off the primary chain cover for a second time this year. Do you have any funny led lighting or other stuff attached to the bike that will give a slow bleed? ha ha... I will be checking all that stuff tomorrow also |
