Weird starting problem - flat battery?

[MikeO]

Just got the bike back from the shipping agent yesterday

Re-connected the battery this morning, tried to start it up and....

The fuel pump fired up as expected, but when I pressed the starter, all the warning lights went dim and I got a loud buzzing and clicking from the relays in the fuse box. I switched off, rocked the bike backwards & forwards in gear, thinking it might be a stuck starter solenoid and then tried again, with the same result - the symptoms continued until I switched off the ignition - and re-started as soon as I switched back on. Another interesting thing that happens with the ignition on and the relays clicking away, is that the rev counter needle slowly climbs up to about 4000 rpm.

All the above symptoms (dim warning lights, clicking relays and rev counter weirdness) happens with the ignition on - I don't have to press the starter button.

I put the battery on charge (it's been a week since it was used and it's the original 2002 battery, which has seen 86k miles), but after an hour and a half or so, there's no change.

Any ideas??

Mike

ps 2002 GS Adventure

 

[Kropotkin]

You need to measure the charge in the battery (using a voltmeter). I forget the exact value needed.

But having all the lights dim sounds like a battery on the way out. And charging an old battery won't help, as they don't hold their charge properly. But first, check the voltage.

 

[Deak]

Mike you'll proably find it needs a lot more than an hour or two to recharge.

From memory I think it's a 19 amp hour battery so if your battery charger is less than 3 amp output it will take 6 or more hours to fully recharge.

 

[MikeO]

Thanks Deak - I realised I'd need to give it more time - just confused as to why it's still clicking away etc, without my actually trying to start it - ie all I've done is to switch on the ignition...


David - haven't got access to a voltmeter at present - a new battery was also on my Christmas present list, but I'm hoping to get a little more use out of this one (I usually ride every day throughout the year...)

Mike

 

[notadrop]

Mike I wouldn't blame the battery -
I had a problem recently where clock backlights were on with ignition off, then dipped beam stayed on when ignition off and key removed...............I found the problem to be a short in a feed wire under the tank! I suggest something is shorting somewhere, I can't see how a low battery can produce this??

 

[littleredrooster]

Typical symptoms of a flat battery, I'm afraid. Seems to be compounded now by the starter solenoid terminals welding themselves together because of low voltage/excess current, so every time you turn the ignition on, it tries to turn the starter motor. Charge the battery overnight and try again, but it may mean the starter solenoid (top of the starter motor?) has to be stripped (?) or replaced. Sorry 'bout the question marks, I'm trying to visualise where the bits are from my desk @ work!

 

[trotsky]

On the other hand, this is exactly the symptoms my other half had with her Ford Fiesta a few months ago. We'd driven from London to Birmingham with no problems and parked in a sloping driveway. When we tried to start it on leaving there was a lot of clicking, rapidly flashing weak lights and a slowly climbing rev counter.

I put a voltmeter across the terminals and got 12.2V. We tried jumping from a spare battery which helped but didn't feel confident making the trip back without knowing what was up.

A call to the AA got a man in a van on the doorstep and when he put some more sophisticated diagnostics on the battery he told us it was dead - his opinion was that there was some crud from the plates in the battery and the slope on the driveway where we'd parked had moved it sufficiently to short out some of the cells. A reading of 12.2V withno load turned into 5.3V when we switched on t'ignition. A new battery from the back of the van sorted it out so he wasn't wrong.

He reckons the clicking and flashing is done to all the electronic gumpf failing to get sufficient oomf to switch on properly (not too technical there, am I?).

Since the bike has been even slightly jiggled aboutduring shipping the same problem could be at the bottom of it. New battery if it is...

 

[cookie]

surest way to check the battery is with a battery hydrometer before & after charging.

little ones available cheap at motorists stores.

 

[MikeO]

On the other hand, this is exactly the symptoms my other half had with her Ford Fiesta a few months ago. We'd driven from London to Birmingham with no problems and parked in a sloping driveway. When we tried to start it on leaving there was a lot of clicking, rapidly flashing weak lights and a slowly climbing rev counter.

I put a voltmeter across the terminals and got 12.2V. We tried jumping from a spare battery which helped but didn't feel confident making the trip back without knowing what was up.

A call to the AA got a man in a van on the doorstep and when he put some more sophisticated diagnostics on the battery he told us it was dead - his opinion was that there was some crud from the plates in the battery and the slope on the driveway where we'd parked had moved it sufficiently to short out some of the cells. A reading of 12.2V withno load turned into 5.3V when we switched on t'ignition. A new battery from the back of the van sorted it out so he wasn't wrong.

He reckons the clicking and flashing is done to all the electronic gumpf failing to get sufficient oomf to switch on properly (not too technical there, am I?).

Since the bike has been even slightly jiggled aboutduring shipping the same problem could be at the bottom of it. New battery if it is...

That sounds spookily similar - I'll see if the charger has done anything in the morning - if not I'll try jump leads...

Cheers

Mike

 

[notadrop]

........apologies Mike......I was describing what the fault was with ignition OFF for me and on reading the question PROPERLY this time I can see my advice is of no use what so ever......please do follow the instructions at the bottom of this page!

 

[Steptoe]

sound like the battery has gone U/S .

 

[(RIP) Kaister]

Sounds like all the battery plates have lost all the charge holding material due to shaking and banging in transit.
This would short the battery plates out - leaving the battery 'nearly' ok due to previous good health - so the electrolyte is still good - but the plates are phcked.



new battery time - i don't think its US - its GB now.

travel insurance.. ?

 

[ed again]

sound like the battery has gone U/S .

Its most likely suffering from culture shock being back in he UK.

 

[simonm]

Hall Sensor Failure??