Good thought Mike, but no - no immobiliser or alarm on the bike.
Intermittent starter problem?
- Thread starter MattW
- Start date
Good thought Mike, but no - no immobiliser or alarm on the bike.
slimbo
Registered user
check the battery earth terminal!!!!
and ensure it is clean and tight . take it off and clean it , whilst your at it clean the positive too..
and ensure it is clean and tight . take it off and clean it , whilst your at it clean the positive too..
+1 to the above your last description of the fault sounds like a bad earth.
Thanks guys but the battery terminals are good and secure - I've had the battery earth disconnected a good few times recently, taking the starter motor on and off
Thanks guys but the battery terminals are good and secure - I've had the battery earth disconnected a good few times recently, taking the starter motor on and off
Did you test the solenoid when the starter is off the engine?
So connect those two wires ( small and big black wires ) as they used to be and put a BIG GROUND GABLE ( 16 square mm or bigger) from the starter body to the engine.
Then start.
Does the solenoid and starter work OK?
Pekka
Thanks guys but the battery terminals are good and secure - I've had the battery earth disconnected a good few times recently, taking the starter motor on and off
I made a new battery positive cable direct to the starter and a new
ground cable to the engine when wondering my starter problems.
And left the old ones there. So now I have double ground and positive cables.
It didn't help though. I had to buy a new starter anyway.
Pekka
Thanks Pekka,
Thinking about this, I'm starting to think that it's some sort of wiring fault rather than the starter itself. I wouldn't have thought that some of the random behaviour I noted in post 19 above could be caused by a bad starter motor.
I've read about problems coming from corroded earth junctions in the loom - I might try and look at this.
Diagnosing it is made harder by it being an intermittent fault, so hard to test for.
Thinking about this, I'm starting to think that it's some sort of wiring fault rather than the starter itself. I wouldn't have thought that some of the random behaviour I noted in post 19 above could be caused by a bad starter motor.
I've read about problems coming from corroded earth junctions in the loom - I might try and look at this.
Diagnosing it is made harder by it being an intermittent fault, so hard to test for.
beermonster
Registered user
Long shot maybe, try cleaning (if dirty) the casing where the starter motor attaches to the bike, plus the corresponding surface on the starter motor it'self.
I had the same problem was a bad earth.
Simon
I had the same problem was a bad earth.
Simon
my starter button was causing mine to do the same recently. I managed to fix the problem by taking apart the starter button housing. Under the starter button is the 'real' button that starts the bike. Turned out the two were not making proper contact. perhaps the plastic had stretched over time...
I didn't do a good job though. I found it impossible to put the damn thing back together properly and will be buying a replacement soon as I am currently without a proper kill switch
It starts every time now on the button so to speak
I know it seems silly but the difference in my bike when it's firing up is remarkable. Hope this helps a bit.
I didn't do a good job though. I found it impossible to put the damn thing back together properly and will be buying a replacement soon as I am currently without a proper kill switch
It starts every time now on the button so to speak I know it seems silly but the difference in my bike when it's firing up is remarkable. Hope this helps a bit.Good call
however I've checked my starter motor earth (even ran a temporary heavy earth direct back to the battery).my starter button was causing mine to do the same recently. I managed to fix the problem by taking apart the starter button housing. Under the starter button is the 'real' button that starts the bike. Turned out the two were not making proper contact. perhaps the plastic had stretched over time...
I didn't do a good job though. I found it impossible to put the damn thing back together properly and will be buying a replacement soon as I am currently without a proper kill switch
I did wonder about the starter button but I doubt it would cause some of the random behaviour when it won't turn over (fuel pump re-priming / fuel level zeroing etc).
However looking at the wiring diagram, the starter trigger circuit does tie a lot of this stuff together and the relay contains a diode.
I've ordered a new relay....
Resolved? Just wondering.
I've got a couple of 1150 starter motors in various stages of redundancy if you need something: I'm not too far away.
I've got a couple of 1150 starter motors in various stages of redundancy if you need something: I'm not too far away.
Thanks for asking
The simple answer is I'm not sure.
Having taken the starter to bits again, I'm 90% that it's fine. I changed the starter relay which made no difference but after faffing around and 'wiggling' with the starter button I'm starting to think that it might actually be the button itself - the last few test starts in the garage were ok. However, I'm still not sure if this would cause the occasional pump re-priming and fuel gauge zeroing behaviour when I press the button. I'm at something of a loss really - I've checked everything I can think of - I suppose I'll have to wait for it to become a 'non-intermittent' problem and fault find it
Since all this, I've been up to my ears with a load of building work at home and am on holiday in a week (not on the bike) so it'll be a few weeks until I get out and see how it pans out.
Thanks for the offer of help - if it looks like it actually is the starter I'll be in touch
Stewart H
Registered user
Tell you what, £150 and I will take it off your hands 
Tell you what, £150 and I will take it off your hands
Never!
I love my 1100 - this is just a little niggle which we'll work out
Thanks for the offer of help - if it looks like it actually is the starter I'll be in touch
Feel free to ask if you want to do so. It's always better with two heads than one.
PS. Ignore Stewart H; he spent his £150 at the hairdressers.
starter solenoid is live all the time - the button only earths the cct - so you could use a parallel wire as the starter up to the bars to see if the fault disappears#
as someone else said - even if everything else tests ok - inside the solenoid is a big lump of copper that acts as the connection bar - this gets burnt and pitted after a while - strip the solenoid down and emery up the bits.
as someone else said - even if everything else tests ok - inside the solenoid is a big lump of copper that acts as the connection bar - this gets burnt and pitted after a while - strip the solenoid down and emery up the bits.
rudiemoto
Registered user
bad earth under battery tray
Feel free to ask if you want to do so. It's always better with two heads than one.
Will do
Good points Martin - I'll investigate. Didn't think about the actual contactor in the solenoid - I'll strip it and clean it up.
bad earth under battery tray
Thanks Rudie - I'll find it and check it out.
Uncle Crumpet
Registered user
dunno if this is of any use, when my Guzzis have starter issues I just short them across the solenoid to starter with a screwdriver,at least you know the starter is ok, Valeo in BMW is the same as Guzzis just different orientation, might ferk the electronics though.
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