DL650 won't Start

[spezzer]

Hi - I've got a 2007 35k not starting. It's been running fine for 18 months with regular services. I noticed recently the starter was getting sluggish. Then it refused to turn over at all. I charged the battery and I get 12.5v at rest then drops under 12v with the starter button. Perhaps that's too low? I hooked up a car battery which took it to 13.5v and that does exactly the same. Ignition on, lights on, clock needles spin, fuel pump primes, and then the starter button just produces a clicking relay down by the battery. Without the clutch pulled it does the same except without the relay click so reckon that's OK. There's no CHEC messages. Here's some video on Youtube to put it into context.



Any help appreciated.

[Fat Rat]

 drop in to the introduction section and let us know who you are.

1. Your battery sounds like it has failed if dropping below 12v under load
2. Maybe a poor earth somewhere will account for the problem 'click'

[V-Strom3]

There as been a discussion on here about the starter button activating but not sending signal to starter.

Is the kill switch off?

I think Andy is correct with the clicking a bad earth - check leads to starter and earth lead from engine back to battery.

I suppose the starter could have failed anyone know how to check this?

[mjc506]

If it's clicking (take the seat off and try to locate it, it should be just forward of the battery, on the left hand side for the starter solenoid), all the killswitch/clutch switch etc are OK, and the bike is trying to start.

Do the gauges reset when you try to start?

From your description so far, it sounds like everything is OK, up until somewhere between the starter solenoid and the starter motor. Start by checking the connection to the starter motor (ie, is it clean and tight?)

You can test the starter solenoid as follows:

Ensure the bike is in neutral (this is critical!!!), switch the ignition on (not critical, but if its off, the bike won't start even if it turns over), remove the plastic cover from the starter solenoid, and short out the two big contacts on top with something metal. A 15mm spanner fits quite nicely. I'd recommend wearing gloves, as this will produce some sparks and heat, and make sure not to touch the spanner to the frame or anything else. Hopefully, the engine will turn over, maybe even start. If so, switch off, and try again with the starter button. If the spanner works, but the starter button doesn't (ie, the solenoid clicks, but the bike doesn't turn over) the solenoid has probably failed. A replacement is easy to fit.

If the spanner doesn't work, the next thing to look at is the connection between solenoid and starter motor. For this, you may need a willing (or otherwise) helper and a multimeter (the multimeter does not have to be willing, just functional). Check continuity between the starter motor and starter solenoid. You should read 0 ohms. If not, you've found your problem and should start checking the connections, or maybe even replacing the complete wire (be warned, it's buried deep in the bike and you will need to take at least the tank and plastics off to get to it). If the wire reads ~0 ohms, next you can check the starter motor resistance. One lead on the starter motor connection, the other on a suitable ground (bare metal on the engine, of battery -ve terminal for example). You should get some resistance, but not a lot. Less than 10ohms I think. While you're here, it's worth checking that the engine is grounded properly. Battery -ve to any bare metal on the engine should give you 0 ohms.

There are some further checks you can do while the starter motor is under load (checking the voltage drop across the connections while trying to start) but this is tricky, even with a helper!

[iansoady]

I would suggest the battery has had it. Connecting the car battery (I assume with jumper leads) may not improve matters enormously as the leads may not make very good contact and although you see 13.5 volts (which is incredibly high for a battery not on charge, unless it's just come off the charger and has residual surface charge) that may drop significantly when you try to start.

What's the voltage reading when you're trying to start?

[Hondaman]

It could be the battery but if you have connected a good car battery via jump leads that would be more than enough to start it.
The fact that you get a click indicates that the starter button is energising the relay & that part of the circuit is functioning OK, next,  check all connections are corrosion free & tight from battery to starter relay to starter motor if all these are good, it could be a duff relay or starter motor.
My money is on corrosion lurking somewhere.

[greywolf]

The OP has posted the same question at VSRI, Stromtrooper and here, become good answers and not replied anywhere. I'm half expecting to see it at ADVrider too. He apparently just joined at each site to ask the one question. Now I'm wondering if it may be some kind of test or check. Maybe we'll see an article comparing V-Strom sites in a magazine soon.  

[Hondaman]

The OP has posted the same question at VSRI, Stromtrooper and here, become good answers and not replied anywhere. I'm half expecting to see it at ADVrider too. He apparently just joined at each site to ask the one question. Now I'm wondering if it may be some kind of test or check. Maybe we'll see an article comparing V-Strom sites in a magazine soon.  

Hmm, really worthwile us trying to help & posting suggestions then!

[greywolf]

Maybe he just needed assurances from many sources he needs a new battery before spending the money. It would be nice to reply regarding results of suggested tests though. That would help determine whether it's the battery, a cable connection or the starter motor, the most likely causes in order of probability. I don't think I've ever seen a report of a bad relay. His inclusion of the fact there was no CHEC displayed indicates some knowledge on his part.

[spezzer]

Hello - thanks for the responses - this isn't a test!

Only posted yesterday eve and just got home from work so will take a closer look at the starter as soon as I've eaten!!

cheers

[spezzer]

great help!

Went through the checks and everything checks out. Although the ground to starter didn't register anything. So to add to the tests I put the tester across the starter connection and earth while my glamourous assistant hit the starter button (with the clutch in). It read 11.63v which is kind of low. So connected healthy car battery and took it up to ~12.5v. Not a sausage.

Think its safe to say the starter needs looking at? The bike has 34k on the clock and could be the original brushes so reckon this is the place to look? Understand this is a £10 kit. Are the brushes easy to get to?

Thanks so far blokes

(haha just seen the word substitutes in preview!!)

[greywolf]

Try starting with the car battery connected by jumper cables. Voltage readings mean nothing without a load present.

[Barbel Mick]

Although I think it sounds like the battery may be the problem I had very much the same thing on my VFR 800 last winter. Was struggling to turn over and had to put it on charge every night in order for it to start next morning, coming home from work was a lottery as to whether it would start or not, until the new battery arrived. The new battery seemed better for a few days but then it all started again (or didn't start).
Took the fairings off in the end and reached underneath to the starter and the cable came away with a handful of rust!!! HR conection, the post had corroded to nothing. Worth a look.

[spezzer]

Try starting with the car battery connected by jumper cables. Voltage readings mean nothing without a load present.

The 12.5v reading was across the starter connection to earth while connected to the car battery via jump leads and while hitting the bike start button. I'm a little reluctant to run the car as I read it could damage the bike electrics?

[spezzer]

I'm happy that the connections are in pretty good shape and intact - heres a pic of the starter

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5H8TZ ... sp=sharing

Also meant to add the starter was getting quite draggy a few days before it failed so for a few days I didn't know if it was going to start or not. I reckon there is enough  juice going to the starter a and would have thought that if was lack of juice the starter would attempt something - even if it just grunted or twitched! But there is nothing. Is there another check I can do before taking the socket set to it?

[Hondaman]

Have you actually unbolted all of the power leads from battery-relay-starter?
Do so before anything else, make sure they are perfect fresh metal, reassemble with vaseline/dielectric grease.

[spezzer]

Good call - I'll crack on with that before taking parts off.

[spezzer]

okay little bit confused now. had the bright idea of charging battery overnight and put it back in the bike. same old story - click - and nothing else. so figured maybe the starter is stuck and figured I would:-

ignition on
clutch in
first gear
starter button
little shove forward
clutch out

not easy but.....sure enough the starter just about turned over - very very slowly and spluttered into life.

so its not the starter - whew - was just about to have it in pieces.

back to the battery I guess? back on the tester the battery is reading 12.4v no load, 11.85v ignition on, 11.93 on starter button.

and apologies for ignoring all the battery suggestions  

now I'm also thinking about engine oil - I top it up every couple of months and get through a litre in 12 months. if the grade is wrong is that going top bog the starter down? I should know the grade but just binned an empty bottle. it was £10 worth of castrol from fowlers so pretty confident its okay.

[Fat Rat]

If a cell is going/gone then the battery could just be failing under load?

[spezzer]

checked out a few youtube vids and those battery readings sound like they're OK

I've taken a reading with the starter button pressed - that's under load yea? 11.93v sounds respectable. was going to check amp reading but couldn't find any hints so maybe not much use.