Ducati Sporting Club UK > Model Specific - Discussion, Technical Problems and Help > 998 / 996 / 916 / 748 > Dodgy Electrical Fault

[ROACHMAN]

My 998s has developed a mind of its own. When im riding along the engine suddenly decides to switch itself off, I then have to coast over to the side of the road, switch the bike off and then on again and the bikes fires into life. This has been going on for the last year.

Recently a new fault has raised its head.

If I turn the key there is no noise from the fuel pump. After about 5 attempts the fuel pump decides to work and the bikes fires into life but when I switch the headlights on the rev counter, temp guage and indicators stop working - after about 5 minutes riding it all starts working again. Also with the lights switched off the rev counter only registers if the engine is doing more than about 5000 revs.

Its almost like there isnt enough juice to power all the instruments as well as the lights.

Could the faults lie with the rectifier or could it be a bad earth or a relay ???

Anybody got any advise, its doing my head in

[keefer]

Burn it








in seriousness do you have a volt meter ?
if so you could check the rectifier issue quickly.
otherwise by all means check the earths. I am afraid I don't have a quick fix solution. hopefully someone who has experienced similar will be a long to save the day

[TopiToo]

Hello ROACHMAN

sounds like its defo an electrical issue,

new fuel filter
check all fuses/connections for burnout
clean all connections to the battery
check regulator with a multimeter

I still have a slight problem on my bike
with rev counter doing its own thing,
so will be checking connections too and from ecu under the seat.

good luck

TopiToo

[skidlids]

James it does sound like a volt drop problem, I would check the earths and even try running a seperate earth between the battery -ve and a suitable point on thr front harness, like the -ve terminal on the back of the Temp gauge or tacho.
Other than that checking with a voltmeter to see if you have 12 volts in certain areas again the back of the tacho and temp gauge are easy places to check once the fairing is off.

If you think its the ECU at any point I have a spare for my 998 you are welcome to try

[Ray]

Had a similar problem with a 996 years ago, did it quite a few times, appeared to come back from the dead by waggling the main battery leads.

If everything is dead leccy wise I'd check the battery connections, are they clean and tight?

Ray.

[nigeeeboy]

It sounds like all the symptoms experienced by a friend on his 916 a couple of summers back, it was his regulator dying slowly over a period of 2000 miles through spain and france the electrics slowly went to electrickery heaven in the last 500 miles, indicators failing, going onto one cylinder, fuel pump, revs not showing......................replaced the item when returning home following the last 300 miles on the back of an AA truck and all was well.

Good luck

[crm250]

Wonder who that was nige ?


and i wonder who this is ?? i do remember certain hand gestures warning passing french motorists not to buy a certain italian brand, then you go and buy one ! but at least you joined the gang suffering a major failure. welcome to the club.

[rcgbob44]

Roachman

As for your 998 just dying etc, mine does this occasionally since I fitted Termi`s and the new ECU. With mine, I beleive its a mixture problem as it starts up ok imediatly after it shuts of and only does it after a thrash from high speed, sometimes it does it just after a back fire in the air box!

[spinoli1]

Just a thought - try replacing the fuel pump relay which is under the battery and very vulnerable to moisture and corrosion. They only cost abnout £5 - I had similar probs with cutting out whilst riding and unreliable starting - new relay solved it.

Spin

[nigeeeboy]

Ah - memories of a red hot Spanish trip...............And then I bought one.