Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Starter motor turns over slow?

[Rip]

My 748R would not start today, bummer first time this has happened since Duke ownership 5 years ago. The symtoms are with a fully charged battery the starter motor struggles to turn over the engine. The starter relay has tested ok, same with the fuses. Is it just the starter motor being goosed? I will have to take it to JHP early as still under warranty and booked in for the end of April anyway. Am I missing something? When thumbing the starter the starter relay does it's dinger. TIA

[nelly]

Check the leads are tight at the battery and from the solenoid to the starter.
Also check the small white connector that plugs into the back of the solenoid.

[rockhopper]

What Nelly said. Also might be a duff battery - get it load tested. My ST2 wa always sluggish. It would kind of do a half turn then you had to keep your finger on the button while it sat there for a couple of seconds while the starter plucked up the courage to heave it over the compression stroke. If you were lucky i started, otherwise it was out with the charger.

The new battery plus the optimate plus Nellys superb stetup means that the ST4 bursts into life first push no matter how long it has been standing.

[Rip]

Thanks guys, all connections seem fine. May be it is the battery, but I always trickle charge it every couple of weeks or so and it ran fine 4 weeks ago.

[rockhopper]

Batteries are funny things at the best of imes though. Work perfectly one day, flat as a very flat thing the next day.

Keep it on an optimate or similar and think about changing it if its about three years old.

[Rip]

Yes they are. After being on charge over night it started first time, obviously not holding a charge like it used to. Must ride it more often, Ducati reliability intact.

[mike916]

This can be a problem caused by wear in the starter motor oil seal which allows oil to leak past onto the brushes and the symptoms are exactly like those described - push the start button and the engine turns only slowly, if at all, as I found out on my 916 a couple of years ago.

Despite this not being a service part the seal can be removed and a new fitted, a new seal can be had from any specialist seal supplier. its a bit of a pain to do as the left casing has to come off to get the starter motor out but at least you can check the crank end nut is still tight at the same time!

Not a fix that some dealers like to advertise as they like to sell a new starter motor and throw away they old one. Waz that last bit a bit cynical - I dont think so