MadOx Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 It's an intermittent problem which makes it harder to fix but here it is. Seems to happen mostly when it hot, if the bike cools it's OK. I turn on the key switch and when I hit the starter it sounds like an almost dead battery as the starter barely turns over. At the same time the odometer goes from mileage to 0 and the clock changes to another very different time. It's like the electrical system shuts down for 1 second and them comes back up. I have to bump it off to get started. Thought at first it was the battery going dead but after it cools it starts up great. Any ideas? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockmeupto125 Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 The symptoms are that of low current. When a battery is hot or cold (as in winter), its performance decreases. So your problem could be the battery itself. It could be failing and is now at a marginal point in its output, or the charging system is not keeping it fully charged. The problem may also be corrosion on your battery leads and grounds. Cleaning them may help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warp11XX Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 May or may not help, but can't hurt....clean and exercise the handlebar cut-off switch. If that isn't the culprit, check/clean/tighten the grounds and all battery/solenoid connections. I really HATE electrical problems... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon haney Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Definitely sounds like a connection problem. Most likely a ground. The one just to the left of the gas tank bolts is the first one I'd check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HANKSXXX Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Check all connections at the starter relay also... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhawkxx Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I have had car batteries do this same thing. Start up fine, drive in traffic in the heat. Stop to get gas or something and it wouldn't start. Leave hood up to cool off for a while and it would start. If the battery is old, I wouldn't even mess with it, replace it. And check the things the other guys said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hooplehead Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 fully charge then test the battery (load testing). now you can eliminate it from the equation. After that, I'd strip the plastic off her, clean her well, and check ALL your ground points for rust of any kind of corrosion. After eliminating that, I'd probably get into the starter power circuit and start testing at starter and work my way back towards the handlebars. Pretty much everything people have already said. Always start with a good battery (tested). Anyhow, sounds like a shorted battery cell or ground issue, since it is affecting the instrument cluster and is intermittant. Last I checked, fuses and fusible links STAY blown. Bad wiring, or even a grounding issue within the starter can be intermit tho. Dont fret, theres not much wiring on bikes, and its all fairly connect-the-dot type shit. Break out the schematics and begin to ponder........ :icon_think: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobicus Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 fully charge then test the battery (load testing). now you can eliminate it from the equation. After that, I'd strip the plastic off her, clean her well, and check ALL your ground points for rust of any kind of corrosion. After eliminating that, I'd probably get into the starter power circuit and start testing at starter and work my way back towards the handlebars. Pretty much everything people have already said. Always start with a good battery (tested). Anyhow, sounds like a shorted battery cell or ground issue, since it is affecting the instrument cluster and is intermittant. Last I checked, fuses and fusible links STAY blown. Bad wiring, or even a grounding issue within the starter can be intermit tho. Dont fret, theres not much wiring on bikes, and its all fairly connect-the-dot type shit. Break out the schematics and begin to ponder........ :icon_think: Lack of paragraphs aside .... He's right. First and foremost is to eliminate the possibility of a weak battery. Any charging system diagnostic, etc... is worthless unless you're doing it with a fully charged, serviceable battery. Pull it out, take it up to your local batteries plus and have them test it. 90% of the time this kind of stuff is related exactly that that, a weak battery, a bad cell, etc. Here's a writeup I did on testing your charging system and replacing your stator: http://www.cbr1100xx.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=53455 If the battery tests OK, then check the grounding (black) wires first (there's a thin one that connects to the frame under the tank, and a thicker black one that connects to the frame, make sure they're connected solid. Then follow the big fat red wires from the battery, through the starter relay, and down to the starter under the tank. If it's all connected and solid too, come back and we'll talk about everything else it might be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadOx Posted June 10, 2011 Author Share Posted June 10, 2011 That's what I'm talkin about. Thanks to you all. The battery is 7 years old so I'll go get another and check the stuff you guys mentioned. The Bird has always been so trouble free it's a next stage of life to realize that it's time to look into things I have not needed to before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearXX Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 That's what I'm talkin about. Thanks to you all. The battery is 7 years old so I'll go get another and check the stuff you guys mentioned. The Bird has always been so trouble free it's a next stage of life to realize that it's time to look into things I have not needed to before. CHANGE IT !!!!!! And I wouldn't bother checking the rest so much If it's charging about 14V when idle it's ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.