Yamaha Xj6 2012 not starting this morning

[mcrdave]

First time the black beauty has let me down. Fairly new biker too so just checking I'm doing the right thing.

Minus 2 this morning but have started her in colder / similar temps without probs. Turns over / chugs away on the starter but no spark.

The difference being I washed her on Sunday and didnt start / ride the bike. Just washed and pushed her back to the parking spot (outside under a cover)

I'm guessing as it's been so cold since Sunday that water / ice has got in somewhere and with a few degrees of warm it'll be back to normal.

So I gave up this morning and parked it back up but might take the battery off and give it a charge. Anything else I can do? I can't imagine the plugs are easy to get too?

Ta Dave

[trickywoo]

How do you know there is no spark? I assume you mean it doesn't even splutter / half catch?

First thing I'd do is make sure the battery is strong.

[mcrdave]

True I don't know for sure, I meant it wasn't catching. A couple of halfway catches but never fired. the battery must be good as I was trying for a good 10 - 15 mins on and off. I'm going to take the battery out tonight and charge it anyway.

[thatdude]

Is it cranking slowly?

When you turn the ignition "on", can you hear the usual wirings of the fuel pump priming etc? Can you smell fuel from the exhaust after its been cranking?

My bet is a weak battery...could try jumping off a car battery (car engine NOT running); positive on car battery to positive on bike battery, then negative from car battery to something like an engine bolt on the bike.

Sometimes just getting the battery warm helps

Dont be tempted to keep cranking and cranking and cranking, you'll still be injecting fuel and end up flooding it / loosing compression

[Hooli]

WD40 the kill switch & ignition barrel. My bike suffers no fuel pump occasionally if water has settled in the ignition.

[mcrdave]

Cheers guys, it seemed to be cranking over normally until towards the end when I could tell the battery was struggling, also could smell fuel from me trying a little gas when it was cranking.

Will I have done any damage? Or should I just get the battery back on charge, wait for a tad warmer weather.

[Hooli]

It'll be fine.

[southgate]

trickywoo said:

First thing I'd do is make sure the battery is strong.

^^^ This

[Mr2Mike]

mcrdave said:

First time the black beauty has let me down.

We're not allowed to use that word any more, you racist

[dapearson]

Kill switch. Check it's not stuck half on/off.

I would sometimes get this on my old fazer when the ignition wasn't fully on too. Making sure the key is fully in the on position otherwise it just floods with fuel and doesn't fire - eventually starting once i fixed the problem with an enormous BANG!

[mcrdave]

Tried again tonight when I came home, battery still gave it a good go but just no actual start! So annoying.


dapearson,

I flicked it on and off (kill switch) a few times but nothing changed,

Have took the battery out now and going to charge it over night

[bgunn]

Plugs out - see if they're wet.

Then it's basic stuff like see if you have a spark, that'll then tell you if you have crank sensing. Noid light on an injector connector to see if you have fuelling.

[mcrdave]

Update.

Charged battery overnight, then this morning I skipped breakfast, got the missus's hairdryer out and set about warming the black beauty up looking like an absolute loon. After about five minutes of heat and the battery re-installed I gave here a squeeze on the starter and she started.

Happy days.

Thanks for the help all though, some useful suggestions for future reference.

[CAPP0]

mcrdave said:

Thanks for the help all though, some useful suggestions for future reference.

To include "run it until it's warm after the next time you wash it"!

[mcrdave]

Yes, that is a good one. Lesson learnt.