Dead 999S
 

Any ideas on the following problem. Took delivery of my new 999S in January, put the battery on charge and went to work overseas for seven weeks. Came back mid March and reinstalled battery. Alarm was disarmed and works ok, bike turns over and fuel pump is hear to prime system, but sounds like the starter is disengaging before the bike has a chance to fire up. Flatly refuses to start. Voltmeter shows 12.5 on the instrument panel. Plenty of oomph in the battery. just wont fire. Fuel as I say seems to be getting through. Any ideas, this one has got me beat. Have not even ridden it yet and was hoping to go to the launch of the new Ducati London Central store too weather permitting. Guess that is out the window now. Grrrrrr :(

Why did you take the battery off? When you say charger do you mean a tricke charge or proper charger.

Battery Off
 

I took it off as I sold my optimate with the 998 and have not got around to buying a new one yet. Figured the alarm would flatten it in seven weeks, that's why I took it off. As I said the battery seems OK bike turns over ok, fule seems to be getting through....just wont start....Help !!

? Fresh fuel needed? - simple, but sometimes the case.

C

I'm no expert on 999/749's 'cos they're too exotic for me to afford...yet...

But. The ECU has a built in immobiliser on these bikes doesn't it? Could it be that the immobiliser or the ECU has been disabled when you took the battery off? Could need some fancy code entering or connecting up to a PC or something to re-boot it?

If the fuel pump is working and the starter motor turning it may just be that your starting tecnique is at fault.Is the engine kill switch on?Bike in neutral?
Switch on the ignition and let the instruments do their light show.Press the starter button.DO NOT use any throttle or cold start lever.When (if!) the bike fire's up use the cold start lever to control the revs.
If the bikes imobilser is working,the EOBD light will be on and the starter button will do nothing.You can disable it with the red key and code.

[Edited on 20-3-2004 by KeefyB]

Still no joy !!
 

Have followed all your suggestions and it still will not start. No joy at all. Everything points to a much more complex problem so I gave up in the end and sent it back to my dealer ion the hope they can fix it. It is odd given I was meticulous in re-assembling everything but I am not infallible so its still possible I left something out but I have checked and double checked everything and nothing doing !! Really frustrating after seven weeks away at work in Africa, three re-assembling it after I got back and none riding it (zero on the clock !!) since it wont start. Got to get some miles on it before I go back to work again. Grrrrrr !!!

I had the same problem twice with my 999S and even though it was a new battery it was knackered and once replaced under warranty everthing was fine.
On my previous 998 the problem was a sticking solenoid, again replaced and no more problems.

Resolved !!
 

Finally sorted out what the problem was. When the loom was refitted, after it was removed from the bike along with everything else for the frame painting work to be done, on reassembly everything was put back perfectly save for the oil pressure switch and neutral light switch, which had been connected around into each other's repsective plug (they are identical so it's easily done). Result was that since the engine was not running, the was no signal from the oil pressure (which was connected to the neutral !!) so the engine took this to mean the bike was in gear and would not let me start. Had I pulled the clutch in and put the stand up it would have fired up and perhaps given me a clue as to waht was wrong (and saved me five hours labour at the dealers to spot it). So if any of you ever have to remove these two leads, if you bike wont start after, bear this tale of woe in mind !! Doh !!

Ah, so you took it pieces to paint the frame. If youd of said that on your original thread id of said check the oil pressure switch wiring.... ;o)