Bike wont start - Hornet F4
Discussion
I have a feeling that something is draining the battery. The dash lights up and the needles spin round and back, but then I get a click and nothing.
I've charged the battery and changed the main fuse but no change. Then jumped it off a friend's car and got it running, but then after a 20 min ride I turned it off, let it sit and now we're back to dead.
So, my next thought was a dodgy starter relay. The battery sits around 12.5 so shouldnt be a problem right?
Any ideas appreciated!
I've charged the battery and changed the main fuse but no change. Then jumped it off a friend's car and got it running, but then after a 20 min ride I turned it off, let it sit and now we're back to dead.
So, my next thought was a dodgy starter relay. The battery sits around 12.5 so shouldnt be a problem right?
Any ideas appreciated!
If it started with a jump from the car, then that says the relay is ok.
That voltage is too low.
Read the voltage as you try to start the bike. If its just clicking and a low reading = flat battery.
Hope you sort it.
Edit to say, off load the voltage should be closer to 14 straight after a run. If the battery conections are clean and tight then try a batter conditioner/charger. If that doesnt work then its a replacment needed.
That voltage is too low.
Read the voltage as you try to start the bike. If its just clicking and a low reading = flat battery.
Hope you sort it.
Edit to say, off load the voltage should be closer to 14 straight after a run. If the battery conections are clean and tight then try a batter conditioner/charger. If that doesnt work then its a replacment needed.
Edited by Unbusy on Sunday 22 May 16:28
A battery can suffer an internal problem at any time, so its ok one moment then its not. Its rare, but happened to me twice on cars over the years.
12 volts makes it seem ok, but its how the battery preforms underload that counts.
when you try to start the engine, if the relay is 'chattering' then the battery is not up,to the job.
As it chatters, the voltage may flicker from around 8 or 9 volts back to 14. This shows a bad battery.
Have you a car battery handy and jump leads?
Disconnect the bikes negative connection and put the cable to one side.
Connect the positive jump lead to the battery positive post.
Connect the negative jump lead to the bike frame/engine. Clean metal. Not a painted area so it will pass the current.
You now have taken the bike battery out of circuit.
Now try and start the engine. If it works, then it shows the bike battery is the fault.
Whilst its ticking over, read the voltage actoss the car battery. 14.2 shows that your bike charging system is ok.
12 volts makes it seem ok, but its how the battery preforms underload that counts.
when you try to start the engine, if the relay is 'chattering' then the battery is not up,to the job.
As it chatters, the voltage may flicker from around 8 or 9 volts back to 14. This shows a bad battery.
Have you a car battery handy and jump leads?
Disconnect the bikes negative connection and put the cable to one side.
Connect the positive jump lead to the battery positive post.
Connect the negative jump lead to the bike frame/engine. Clean metal. Not a painted area so it will pass the current.
You now have taken the bike battery out of circuit.
Now try and start the engine. If it works, then it shows the bike battery is the fault.
Whilst its ticking over, read the voltage actoss the car battery. 14.2 shows that your bike charging system is ok.
lindrup119 said:
No luck with the above, wouldn't be jump started from the car either which it would at the weekend.
I'm now thinking reg/rec or a short somewhere, but now have no way of even getting it to a garage and my patience is at an end.
Coincidentally my Haynes manual arrived, time to cram!
So no AA or RAC recovery? Its perfect for these sort of things.I'm now thinking reg/rec or a short somewhere, but now have no way of even getting it to a garage and my patience is at an end.
Coincidentally my Haynes manual arrived, time to cram!
lindrup119 said:
No luck with the above, wouldn't be jump started from the car either which it would at the weekend.
I'm now thinking reg/rec or a short somewhere, but now have no way of even getting it to a garage and my patience is at an end.
Coincidentally my Haynes manual arrived, time to cram!
What's changed for it to stop being jump started? How does it behave when you try and jump it? Can you bump start it?I'm now thinking reg/rec or a short somewhere, but now have no way of even getting it to a garage and my patience is at an end.
Coincidentally my Haynes manual arrived, time to cram!
Check your fuses again, then swap for a known working battery (that's the cheapest and easiest to check).
Reg/Rec is pretty common on these to fail, depending on how it's failed it may have taken the battery with it too. To be honest if your reg/rec was dead you wouldn't have been able to ride it for very long before the battery went flat and the bike had cut out, so at the moment the battery would seem to be the most likely.
WaferThinHam said:
lindrup119 said:
No luck with the above, wouldn't be jump started from the car either which it would at the weekend.
I'm now thinking reg/rec or a short somewhere, but now have no way of even getting it to a garage and my patience is at an end.
Coincidentally my Haynes manual arrived, time to cram!
What's changed for it to stop being jump started? How does it behave when you try and jump it? Can you bump start it?I'm now thinking reg/rec or a short somewhere, but now have no way of even getting it to a garage and my patience is at an end.
Coincidentally my Haynes manual arrived, time to cram!
Check your fuses again, then swap for a known working battery (that's the cheapest and easiest to check).
Reg/Rec is pretty common on these to fail, depending on how it's failed it may have taken the battery with it too. To be honest if your reg/rec was dead you wouldn't have been able to ride it for very long before the battery went flat and the bike had cut out, so at the moment the battery would seem to be the most likely.
Haven't actually tried a bump start yet so might give that a go.
When I turn the ignition on and press the starter I get a click from the starter. But if I try again, the power saps and the bike dies completely, lights off etc.
I checked as many connectors as I could, and pulled out the rec/reg clip and found that one of the pins in the loom socket for the rec/reg is slightly charred. So rather than shell out for either a battery or a rec/reg yet I might have that replaced first.
Cheers for the input, I'm fairly crap mechanically (especially electrically) and was hoping not to have to learn the hard way with this bike but through modifications instead.
lindrup119 said:
Not sure what's changed. Have replaced every fuse on the bike just for the sake of it.
Haven't actually tried a bump start yet so might give that a go.
When I turn the ignition on and press the starter I get a click from the starter. But if I try again, the power saps and the bike dies completely, lights off etc.
I checked as many connectors as I could, and pulled out the rec/reg clip and found that one of the pins in the loom socket for the rec/reg is slightly charred. So rather than shell out for either a battery or a rec/reg yet I might have that replaced first.
What happens if you turn the ignition off, wait 30 seconds and turn it back on?Haven't actually tried a bump start yet so might give that a go.
When I turn the ignition on and press the starter I get a click from the starter. But if I try again, the power saps and the bike dies completely, lights off etc.
I checked as many connectors as I could, and pulled out the rec/reg clip and found that one of the pins in the loom socket for the rec/reg is slightly charred. So rather than shell out for either a battery or a rec/reg yet I might have that replaced first.
Quickest thing to do as I say is find a mate with a battery of the same size and just swap it. Then see what it does.
WaferThinHam said:
What happens if you turn the ignition off, wait 30 seconds and turn it back on?
Quickest thing to do as I say is find a mate with a battery of the same size and just swap it. Then see what it does.
It comes back alive and I get the dash lights, headlights and dials. Pressing the starter button seems to drain it again.Quickest thing to do as I say is find a mate with a battery of the same size and just swap it. Then see what it does.
Have you checked the starter solenoid, this is the thing that clicks when you press the start button but the connectors inside often corrode over time so it does not pass any current to the starter motor.
The bike would still bump start though. Easy check is with the multimeter on the soleniod output which goes to the starter motor, it also sounds suspicious if the volts do not drop when you press the start button.
None technical way is to use a big screwdriver and short the solenoid connectors, be prepare for a big spark and the starter should spin.
The bike would still bump start though. Easy check is with the multimeter on the soleniod output which goes to the starter motor, it also sounds suspicious if the volts do not drop when you press the start button.
None technical way is to use a big screwdriver and short the solenoid connectors, be prepare for a big spark and the starter should spin.
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