Ducati Sporting Club UK
 
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 10-Jan-2005, 17:09
chris99 chris99 is offline
Registered Forum User
Mille
 
Posts: 345
Join Date: Aug 2004
Mood: building the beast
Guess what, my 748 wont start (help please)

Hi all,

Hope you all had a top festive period

I spent most of Christmas in Florida this year so before i went away i gave the bike a good clean and put it in the garage under a sheet on the trickle charger.

When i got back i went to check on her and couldnt resist starting her up. I pulled the sheet off to be greeted by an iluminated neutral light when the ignition was off WTF . I turned the bike on and then off again and the light went off but now it wont start

When i turn on the ignition i can hear the fuel pump do its thing but when i press the starter a get a loud buzzing on the R/H side of the bike. I traced this to the little solonoid (spelling?) that leads to the starter motor. It tries to turn the starter somtimes but it cant quite do it enough to get it to fire up. I thought it must be the battery but it seems to be charged ok because the lights come on ok are are bright as usual. I jump started it first time and it also bump starts ok. I took it for a 50 mile run but when i stopped it wouldnt re-start

Does anyone have any ideas as to whats up with it? I think its ****ed of that i left it here to bugger off to somewhere a bit warmer.

Thanks in advance

Chris
Quote+Reply
  #2  
Old 10-Jan-2005, 17:19
phil_h's Avatar
phil_h phil_h is offline
Registered Forum User
Ducati Meccanica
 
Posts: 2,527
Join Date: Sep 2004
Mood: 900,900,851,750,750,750, 600,600,450,350,350,250
I had a rant on another thread about what this _might_ be ... which I have suffered from twice now, on my old 916 and my recent 748.

Before I launch again ...
DONT DONT DONT keep trying to start it if it chatters on the left side - buzzing on the right means the relay isnt getting enough current to engage fully -
chattering on the left means the relay is engaging, but the starter is only getting enough current to take up its slack, and that will hammer the sprag clutch and kernacker it pretty quickly, requiring left side surgery !

Anyway - the poxy culprits of lots of 'is this battery duff ?' questions are the little right-angle brackets on the battery terminal - they have a threaded bolty-bit (technical term) splined into the sheet, which can slip if you tighten it - and then you've got a not-quite connected terminal, which drops enough volts to stop the starter and often confuse a 'smart' charger.
It goes without saying that you've checked the bolts on the top of the battery for tightnes of course
Quote+Reply
  #3  
Old 10-Jan-2005, 17:47
chris99 chris99 is offline
Registered Forum User
Mille
 
Posts: 345
Join Date: Aug 2004
Mood: building the beast
Quote:
Originally posted by weeksy

Battery mate, simple as that..... no discussion no debate.... as to what 'caused' it, that's open to debate, but your battery simply doesn't have the charge to turn it over.

2 choices.

Jump leads
Battery charger.

Funnily i started mine yesterday, first time in 10 weeks. new fuel in there and 1st push of the button it started.

don't ya just love Jap machinery

I jump started it and took it for a 50mile + ride. Would that not be enough for the bike to recharge it or could it just be fecked?
Quote+Reply
  #4  
Old 10-Jan-2005, 17:56
chris99 chris99 is offline
Registered Forum User
Mille
 
Posts: 345
Join Date: Aug 2004
Mood: building the beast
Quote:
Originally posted by phil_h
I had a rant on another thread about what this _might_ be ... which I have suffered from twice now, on my old 916 and my recent 748.

Before I launch again ...
DONT DONT DONT keep trying to start it if it chatters on the left side - buzzing on the right means the relay isnt getting enough current to engage fully -
chattering on the left means the relay is engaging, but the starter is only getting enough current to take up its slack, and that will hammer the sprag clutch and kernacker it pretty quickly, requiring left side surgery !

Anyway - the poxy culprits of lots of 'is this battery duff ?' questions are the little right-angle brackets on the battery terminal - they have a threaded bolty-bit (technical term) splined into the sheet, which can slip if you tighten it - and then you've got a not-quite connected terminal, which drops enough volts to stop the starter and often confuse a 'smart' charger.
It goes without saying that you've checked the bolts on the top of the battery for tightnes of course

Dont worry the noise is defantly on the left

Only kiddin its the right so that means

"buzzing on the right means the relay isnt getting enough current to engage fully - "

I have checked the battery terminals and they seem fine so i feel at a bit of a loss. It is giving out 12V though so how could it be the Battery? Also i have bump started it and ridden it so it it was low would the bike not recharge it?
Quote+Reply
  #5  
Old 10-Jan-2005, 18:03
nelly's Avatar
nelly nelly is offline
Registered Forum User
Ducati Corse
 
Posts: 3,134
Join Date: Jan 2002
Mood: Bloo and Yellow.. and Red now ;)
There's a small white connector plugged into the back of the solenoid. Check this is pushed in fully, even give it a wiggle. It's a common problem. If the connections aren't good, the supply voltage to the solenoid coil is either none existant or not enough to pull it in hard enough to get the starter supply high enough.
Quote+Reply
  #6  
Old 10-Jan-2005, 18:10
chris99 chris99 is offline
Registered Forum User
Mille
 
Posts: 345
Join Date: Aug 2004
Mood: building the beast
Quote:
Originally posted by nelly
There's a small white connector plugged into the back of the solenoid. Check this is pushed in fully, even give it a wiggle. It's a common problem. If the connections aren't good, the supply voltage to the solenoid coil is either none existant or not enough to pull it in hard enough to get the starter supply high enough.

Thanks for the reply Nelly! I read your post on another thread and took it all apart, cleaned it and put it back together again but all it did was lower my spirits even more when it didnt start again.

Anymore ideas?
Quote+Reply
  #7  
Old 10-Jan-2005, 18:37
Lily Lily is offline
Registered Forum User
Ducati in my Blood
 
Posts: 4,527
Join Date: Apr 2003
Mood: stiff and tired
how old is it and what model.

from what i have heard and experienced first hand once the battery gets to a certain point its buggered!!

i had the same trouble and although i could charge the battery it wouldn't hold it for long etc. I got a new battery and its been fine ever since. I have alarm/immob on and it still starts after not being run for over 3 months.
Quote+Reply
  #8  
Old 10-Jan-2005, 19:21
chris99 chris99 is offline
Registered Forum User
Mille
 
Posts: 345
Join Date: Aug 2004
Mood: building the beast
Its a 748s 2002 if that helps
Quote+Reply
  #9  
Old 10-Jan-2005, 19:23
JPM's Avatar
JPM JPM is offline
Registered Forum User
BSB Star
 
Posts: 5,682
Join Date: Jun 2001
Mood: Soon my pet, soon
2002 bad year for batteries then...

I replaced the one on the Bostrom about 6 months ago, and Lily did hers before that too, both 2002 bikes, and the 996 battery last 5 years
Quote+Reply
  #10  
Old 10-Jan-2005, 19:25
Lily Lily is offline
Registered Forum User
Ducati in my Blood
 
Posts: 4,527
Join Date: Apr 2003
Mood: stiff and tired
mine is an 02 748r and it did the same.

for the price its worth getting a new battery and then get yourself an optimate if you are not gonna be on it for a while.

make sure you scuff up the terminals on battery and connecters so you get a good connection.
Quote+Reply
Reply
  
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes
Postbit Selector
Switch to Vertical postbit Use Vertical Postbit

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Recent Posts - Contact Us - DSC Home - Archive - Top
Powered by vBulletin 3.5.4 - Copyright © 2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. - © Ducati Sporting Club UK - All times are GMT +1. The time now is 20:13.