Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Now mine won't start ...

[TP]

MY 2000 996 that has sat quietly on it's own since new years day when I had a low speed drop. Money has meant delaying the repair until now.

Because it sat for so long (I've only ridden it 3 times since then and I had to get SOS to come and start it for me) I assume that the alarm ran the battery out. No problem I figured, I'll just get an Optimate and sort it out.

So, the new Optimate 3 rolls up on Saturday morning and I hook it up, and away we go. Drops into orange and starts charging away .... Sunday morning everything looks peachy and the light is green - which from reading the instructions means that the battery is not only charged but the Optimate reckons it's alright - not a dud battery. Cool methinks. I let it go until this morning when I went out to start it. I disconnected the Optimate and turned the ignition over and .... it turned the motor over, barely, but wouldn't start. It was only just getting the motor to turn over but nowhere near strong enough to start it. Grrrrrr ...

I understand that there are some experienced Optimate peeps on the board so perhaps one of you would be kind enough to point me in the right direction that would be lovely.

Oh, on the occasions when SOS came to help out it started fine straight away - no problemo's at all.

Cheers,

TP

[TP]

I haven't tried jumping it off the car but I know that when SOS came and jumped it for me from their van it started straight away, last time was three weeks ago.

If the battery is dodgy shouldn't the Optimate pick that up with it's testing? It's one of the things that sold me on getting the Optimate in the first place ...

TP

[TP]

Cheers Weeksy, you're a champion.

TP

[TP]

Thanks very much Weeksy. Unfortunately I'm in Colchester this weekend from Friday night until Sunday night.

I really appreciate your offer!!!

I have to say, the spirit in this club is very good and I must say my rather cynical view of human nature is being challenged ... maybe I've been consulting for too long ...

TP

[uncle porry]

will you be taking your bike to colchester ? i could come over on sat afternoon with my meter....i`m only a few miles away in ipswich..

[TP]

Thanks for the offer uncle porry but I'm there with the wife and the short people who live here too ... here I was just finished a post on helpful people in these forums has convinced me to the join the DSC and then I find this post!!

I'll whack one on it either this weekend or early next. The wife leaves Heathrow on Monday morning so maybe monday night I'll be on it.

Ned, Jason, Phil et al (Twickenham crew) do any of you guys possess one of these technological marvels called a multimeter?

Cheers,

TP

[748mart]

Hi TP,

I would say your Battery is past it. The Green light on the optimate just indicates the battery voltage is not dropping significantly when the charge current is removed, it does not indicate the battery can supply the current to crank over the engine.

Charging circuits etc should not come into the equation as you have attempted to charge the battery with the optimate. The reason for the battery dying is probably due to the battery being discharged for a period of time. To prove the charging is working without a multimeter start the engine of the jump leads & disconnect the leads, if the headlight brightness increases when the engine is reved to about 2K the charging circuit should be OK.

Martin.

[TP]

Thanks Martin,

I might get SOS around for a jump seeing as I don't have a 12V source to jump from.

How much is a new battery for these things, and what options do I have for one that will never die, never need maintenance and do the washing up etc?

TP

[748mart]

Battery cost £30 - £40.

Before you fit the new battery to the bike you should ideally use the optimate to give it a full charge.

As long as you keep the battery charged, topped up etc it should last several years.


Martin.

[TP]

Thanks again Martin, just one more question before I really annoy everyone ..

I can just replace the Yuasa that is in there now or should I be looking at alternatives that will be better for it - I'm talking about low maintenance numbers or whatever that people have had experience with that fit in the tray under the fairing .... I've found a battery place in Twickenham that stocks Yuasa batteries but if it's something else that would be a good buy then if you could direct me to where I can find it that would be great

please help?

Thanks again ..

TP