Non Starter For The Final Time

[squirrel_hunter]

Well I tried that but didn't seam to register any voltage. The battery was good though.

So I swapped the starter relay solenoid with my old bikes one and then even swapped the cable from the relay to the motor after trying to use jump leads on it. Still it doesn't start.

A friend jokingly said I seized the engine, I'm starting to believe him... I'm at the point of giving up on it and calling a local mechanic in. Any final suggestions for tomorrow?

[Speedy]

Right. So you tried this with clutch pulled in etc?

Still no voltage down that cable? Then electrical fault.

Is there voltage at the starter relay MAIN terminals?

What happens if you bridge them?

According to my Haynes manual, there is a "starter control really" on the current flow diagram!!??

Basically, if there's no power getting to the starter, then it won't start.

Are you sure the engine Earth is good?

What if you just jump straight from the battery (or from a car or other battery) with jump leads, connect the Neg one to neg on battery then to the Engine directly, Then the Pos one to pos on battery and from that to the starter motor directly.

This, providing the starter motor is OK, should turn the bike over!!

It's not in gear or anything stupid!?

If you want my phone number, PM me, I'll send it back!

[squirrel_hunter]

Originally Posted by Speedy

Right. So you tried this with clutch pulled in etc?

Yep clutch is zip tied back as I'm doing this on my own.

Originally Posted by Speedy

Still no voltage down that cable? Then electrical fault.

There is some voltage coming through. Its not registering anything without the starter, but with the starter it is showing 4-6 volts.

Originally Posted by Speedy

Is there voltage at the starter relay MAIN terminals?

Yes, I get good voltage on both sides .

Originally Posted by Speedy

What happens if you bridge them?

Same thing as trying it off the button. It sound as if its trying to turn over but doesn't have the power.

Originally Posted by Speedy

According to my Haynes manual, there is a "starter control really" on the current flow diagram!!??

Pass. I thought that was the solenoid?

Originally Posted by Speedy

Basically, if there's no power getting to the starter, then it won't start.

Thats the thing, it is getting power, it just doesn't look enough.

Originally Posted by Speedy

Are you sure the engine Earth is good?

No, not checked this. Other test seam ok, but if there is a main point for that then its worth checking. Do you know where its is and the best way to check?

Originally Posted by Speedy

What if you just jump straight from the battery (or from a car or other battery) with jump leads, connect the Neg one to neg on battery then to the Engine directly, Then the Pos one to pos on battery and from that to the starter motor directly.

This, providing the starter motor is OK, should turn the bike over!!

Tryed that with a spare battery and nothing happened. So that is odd. As grounding the starter against the frame has spun it. I think I did something wrong there, but don't know what?

Originally Posted by Speedy

It's not in gear or anything stupid!?

Not in gear, kill switch is checked. I would love it to be something stupid.

Thanks for all your help.

[Speedy]

Originally Posted by squirrel_hunter

There is some voltage coming through. Its not registering anything without the starter, but with the starter it is showing 4-6 volts.

Where/how and under what conditions are you measuring this??

I mean, at the starter motor connection, whilst starter button pushed?

You should have Battery voltage at this cable, disconnected from starter, when starter button pushed.

Also, you should only have battery voltage on starter relay Main terminal on the side that comes straight from the +ve side of the battery and 0v on the second Main termainal when NOT trying to start.

When you push the button, it should have battery voltage on both, with the cable disconnected from the starter obviously, as if connected, the voltage should drop.

If you're not getting battery voltage down to the starter motor with cable disconnected, I'd trace that cable back checking for damage.

[_Stretchie_]

Originally Posted by squirrel_hunter

I’ve had enough of this now, this will be the last my bike doesn’t start on an SV I will post.


The Bike: 99 SV650S, Datatool Veto, left hand seat bolt removed to protect wiring. Reg/ rec is a pattern replacement.

There's your problem!

Originally Posted by Speedy

try connecting a single wire, or even a jump lead, directly from the Earth/Negative pole on the battery straight to an unpainted, clean part of the frame

You've not met this bike have you


But Squiz, if you want a hand let me know, a second pair of hands might be useful for doing all these things at once

have you had the battery drop tested to test the load on it?

The batteries current might be too low to turn over the starter.

If you got your old bike have you pinched starter motor etc. . .and tried?

[squirrel_hunter]

Originally Posted by Speedy

Where/how and under what conditions are you measuring this??

I mean, at the starter motor connection, whilst starter button pushed?

You should have Battery voltage at this cable, disconnected from starter, when starter button pushed.

Yes at the starter motor when the button is pushed. With the starter disconnected it wasn't showing anything. That said with it connected it wasn't registering cleanly, but that I mean it was all over the shop nothing, something, then going to a maximum of 6V.

Originally Posted by Speedy

Also, you should only have battery voltage on starter relay Main terminal on the side that comes straight from the +ve side of the battery and 0v on the second Main termainal when NOT trying to start.

When you push the button, it should have battery voltage on both, with the cable disconnected from the starter obviously, as if connected, the voltage should drop.

Agreed. I was grounding against the frame, and had full battery voltage showing on the battery side and again when the starter was pressed. Didn't test voltage on the other side when starter not pressed, but if I had that would mean the starter motor is constantly live? Didn't test the voltage here when the wire was disconnected from the motor. But with the wire off the motor the solenoid was clicking but I wasn't seeing volts.

Originally Posted by Speedy

If you're not getting battery voltage down to the starter motor with cable disconnected, I'd trace that cable back checking for damage.

Thats what I would have thought so I tried the cable from my old SV and had the same problem. I even tried using a jump lead but still no luck.

Cheers for all the help, I'm not great with fault finding as I don't have the experience but I'm fairly confident with the spanners so hopefully we'll get this sorted.

[squirrel_hunter]

Originally Posted by thefallenangel

have you had the battery drop tested to test the load on it?

The batteries current might be too low to turn over the starter.

If you got your old bike have you pinched starter motor etc. . .and tried?

How do I do a drop test?

The current SV is now using the old SV starter motor, solenoid and wire that connects between the two.

[squirrel_hunter]

Originally Posted by _Stretchie_

But Squiz, if you want a hand let me know, a second pair of hands might be useful for doing all these things at once

It may well be the alarm but I can't see how and where etc.

As for help, sure if you want to come over you're welcome any time.

[squirrel_hunter]

Right had another go at it and I think I've cracked it, the problem that is...

Being a little more methodical tested the voltage from the battery to the solenoid 12.8V (its down a little as all the testing has given it a bit of a hit, so its back on charge now). Other side of the solenoid is at 0.0V. With the button pressed its giving 12.6V when not connected to the starter motor.

At the starter motor end of the wire I get 12.6V when grounding against the frame. But when I ground against the engine its all over the shop. 12.6V then 3.8V then 8.9V the 6.5V where it then sort of settles.

So correct me if I'm wrong but that indicates that the engine earth is damaged or faulty. So the question would be where does it ground?