[Svensson]

Hi!

So I have this, possibly, serious electrical issue.

Last summer I drove on a trip from Sweden to Denmark. And when i Denmark we encountered a heavy rainfall, I mean really heavy.

At a red light my engine stalled, it just died. Then when i tried to start it the starter just made a buzzing noise, like if your battery is low. Also the oil light and some other light was on all the time - even when the ignition was off.

I ran with the bike in gear/clutch and release the clutch to start and it worked. The engine stalled a couple of times more and every time I had to run with the bike to get it started. I managed to drive all 400 km back to Sweden, the engine was running good all the time and the electronics worked except for sometimes the RPM gauge flickered and the needle jumped froim and to zero all the time.

I changed the battery, cause I figured it could be a broken cell or something - but the bike didn't start with the new battery - same thing - the starter just buzzed and the oil light and some other light was on (like 50% of the light it usually emits) no matter if the engine was turned on or off. The bike also drains the battery really quickly when it is plugged in.

PLEASE help me with suggestions, where to start looking for a fault, i'm guessing it has something to do with the rainfall. Shortage somewhere? Starter? Alternator? I have no idea (but i'm used to working with bike so I will try to fix it myself)

:ahhh:

 

[silentservice703]

Start with Donsy's website listed at the bottom of his signature in any thread in which he has posted (It is also in a thread that is pinned to the top of the maintenance threads).
On his website, he has all of the manuals for each bike for your electronic download.

Follow the troubleshooting guide for a bike not starting.

 

[Svensson]

Start with Donsy's website listed at the bottom of his signature in any thread in which he has posted (It is also in a thread that is pinned to the top of the maintenance threads).
On his website, he has all of the manuals for each bike for your electronic download.

Follow the troubleshooting guide for a bike not starting.

Thanks for your answer.

I've looked through that section of the manual but it's to generic, since my problems really don't apply to any of the topics there..

But i think I will start iwth removing the fairings, wash the bike with plenty of detergent and water, then I will part every conenction I can find and use deoxidizer in them.

But it must be a shortage of some sort is what I'm thinking, since some lights are on even if I switch the ignition off?

 

[vivere]

Do you have a multimeter?

Sounds to me like you have a poor connection somewhere on one of the high current leads?

Measure the voltage across the battery while you are trying to start to see if the actual battery voltage is the problem. I would think not.

Check the connections on the other ends of the 2 battery leads?

Measure the voltage on the starter while cranking?

 

[gotojoe]

I can send you a starter solenoid to try. You can test your starter easily with a multi meter
Joe

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[mitchy]

Check and clean all the earth points on the bike also.

 

[Svensson]

I can send you a starter solenoid to try. You can test your starter easily with a multi meter
Joe

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Thanks for all the answer, I love this forum..

Joe: That would be awesome! Although I decided to wait just a little until i strip the MV, I'm currently working on a Yamaha R1 racebike and it's shattered all over my garage, so i'll put that togeteher first so I don't mix up the parts I'll PM you later on, I'm still hoping for a easy fix though, like corroded power cable or something..

 

[theknurl]

Svensson;
it has nothing to do with your charging system/battery....
it got you the 400kms back to Sweden

the trouble shooting guide in the manual is where to start

short across the solenoid terminals....if it turns over..

its probably the hand switch gear, more than likely the right side

opcorn:

 

[Svensson]

Svensson;
it has nothing to do with your charging system/battery....
it got you the 400kms back to Sweden

the trouble shooting guide in the manual is where to start

short across the solenoid terminals....if it turns over..

its probably the hand switch gear, more than likely the right side

opcorn:

Ok i'll start with that, seems like a good idea.

What puzzles me though is the fact that the rest of the electronics are wierd as well when I turn the ignition on, the fuel-pump doesn't start like it usually does when i turn the ignition on, the headlight doesn't light up (only very very dim). Can it be a malfunctioning ignition perhaps? This is with a new, charged, battery.. so the battery is not the problem..

When you say hand switch gear, you mean the actual starter button?

 

[silentservice703]

Ok, here goes, the traditional question after a battery change-out: Are you positively certain that you did not reverse pole the electrical system by intalling the battery backwards?

Your Yuasa replacement battery should have been installed on its side with the negative terminal toward the front of the bike.

Start there.

 

[Svensson]

Ok, here goes, the traditional question after a battery change-out: Are you positively certain that you did not reverse pole the electrical system by intalling the battery backwards?

Your Yuasa replacement battery should have been installed on its side with the negative terminal toward the front of the bike.

Start there.

The problems started before the batterychange, and I didn't reverse the new battery, wish it was that easy..

 

[Donsy]

Have a look at the wiring harness just behind the fuse box on the R/Hand side of the bike. On the 1000S bikes there was a spot where water get's in to loom and there's a few common connections which get corroded pretty badly, I think CAG and a few other guys found this.

 

[Svensson]

Have a look at the wiring harness just behind the fuse box on the R/Hand side of the bike. On the 1000S bikes there was a spot where water get's in to loom and there's a few common connections which get corroded pretty badly, I think CAG and a few other guys found this.

That sounds like something which would explain the behavior, will check this too.. thanks

 

[Svensson]

I just posted a video of the bike so you people can have a look/listen yourselves:

http://v8.tinypic.com/player.swf?file=2yosl02&s=8

Sometimes it's hard to describe the symptoms in words..

Any suggestions are welcome, next thing is to bridge the contact on the solenoid but I want to make sure I do it correctly first, so I will have a look on how exactly to do it so I don't set the thing on fire =)

 

[CAG]

Yes, I did find that Dons. I worked on one bike that had been left out in the elements for over a year. With Chuck's help, we discovered a second little known diode. It is located in the harness on the left side of the bike near the starter solenoid. It's not the one that fries when the battery polarity is reversed. One day the bike was running, the next day it was not. That diode was at fault. One of the guys with a wiring schematic will be able to tell you exactly where it is. Or, PM Spartakus. It was his bike.

 

[theknurl]

When you say hand switch gear, you mean the actual starter button?

no, the entire assembly and it's connection to the harness

did you check the starter?

key off bridge the 2 large terminals on the solenoid with an old open end wrench or pair of pliers.....if the starter is good it will crank (if the engine ground is good too, see below)

are all fuses showing battery voltage with the key on? most blade fuses have small holes in the top so you can check them

check the battery/engine ground at the brake reservoir

let use know what you find

opcorn:

 

[silentservice703]

Svensson, what I see, and hear, in that video is poor electrical current supply. Look at the size of your "jumper wires" from the donor battery to the system. The gage of those wires is too small to provide sufficient current to engage the starter. Some would say that the original battery cables are actually too small also.

Trickle charge you battery over a period of days. Install that battery properly and recheck starter engagement. What type of battery are you using? (Brand, composition?)

The fact that the dash does not respond as it should leads us down the path of wiring tracing and fuse checks.

I'll see if I can find the thread where we checked Sparakus' bike and see if there are similarities.....

 

[Svensson]

Svensson, what I see, and hear, in that video is poor electrical current supply. Look at the size of your "jumper wires" from the donor battery to the system. The gage of those wires is too small to provide sufficient current to engage the starter. Some would say that the original battery cables are actually too small also.

Trickle charge you battery over a period of days. Install that battery properly and recheck starter engagement. What type of battery are you using? (Brand, composition?)

The fact that the dash does not respond as it should leads us down the path of wiring tracing and fuse checks.

I'll see if I can find the thread where we checked Sparakus' bike and see if there are similarities.....

Regarding the battery, I knew that someone would reakt to that, I just did it like this in the video - i've had the battery mounted properly and it behaves exactly the same. It's a GEL 14 a battery, brand new and freshly loaded, 14.4V i think it was.

I also bought a 12 cell ballisitc lifepo4 battery and mounted, exactly the same as above.. So i'm sorry for the small jumper cables in the video, I know that they are to small!

I will look for the tread you are referring to!

Thanks for all your input, I will do the suggestions and get back to you with my results..

 

[silentservice703]

Here's the thread: http://www.mvagusta.net/forum/showthread.php?t=67185 ...FWIW, I don't think it's your problem as your fuse doesn't blow.

 

[silentservice703]

Oh, and just a point about indicated battery voltage: Correct voltage doesn't mean that the system will have enough chemical energy to deliver enough current to handle the loads attached...it simply means that the battery at rest has the "potential". (That's a battery joke son! I kill myself!:crazyeyes)