Starting issues - Opinions?

[Hot_Stu]

friends

What are you thoughts on this,

My XJR is laid up for winter on a battery conditioner (started every weekend, ridden round block if dry)

I rode it last on Friday and all was fine, now it won't start, even though battery is fully charged and tested on two separate conditioners (in case of faulty charger)

Symptoms are:

Slow Cranking and a very fast, loud and irratic clicking noice from under the seat

(I am thinking starter solanoid?)

The bike is only 2 years old and less than 3000 miles so components should be good

Any ideas/ hints / suggestions before I start tracing down through the circuit?

Cheers

Stuart

p.s. winter Bandit works perfectly, just goes to prove that bikes need to be ridden !!

[Guest akey]

Its defo a voltage / current problem matey.

the clicking is the solonoid but not enought omph to hold it open.

Check all your earths, including the one on the batt, check connections and fuses for corrosion / loose.

If all else fails take the battery to a workshop and ask them to voltage drop test it - the conditioner may keep the voltage up but it may not be able to provide the massive voltage and current drop that is required to crank the engine.

overall though mate defo a power problem, the conditioners are great but the connect direct to the battery so if there is an underlying supply fault from batt to solonoid or starter then it wont do anyting.

can you borrow a spare battery from someone to make sure its not a batt problem, I have had a batt that the optimate thought was ok but couldnt hold the charge to start the bike.

[Stu]

try a differnt battery on the bike

or if you cant get a battery and have a car and jump leads try jumping it from the car

but do not start the car the alternator will kill your bike it will be fine doing it without the car running

i reacon the battery is kaput i would go buy the battery conditioner mine said my battery was ok

oh check battery connections too

[Voodoo]

I'd have said the clicking was something to do with the petrol pump, but hey, I'm no mechanic. What I do know is all my bikes over 600cc and all my mates bikes click when the ignition is on but the engine is not started.

As for the battery, its probably goosed. I've got one of them all singing all dancing chargers too (it's an Optimate) and it knackered my new battery in no time at all. Since then, never use the charger unless my bike wouldn't start due to a low battery and I now get years out of my batteries instead of 10-12months.

Edited January 29, 2008 by Voodoo

[Guest]

Battery conditioners like the Optimate very rarely go wrong,my XJR is 6 year old still the same battery,its laid up every winter for around 3 months at a time soon as its good weather the bike starts no problem

now then have you got an alarm on the bike if so that will drain the battery when not in use,like Stu says jump the bike from another battery if it starts then you know its the bike battery thats goosed

remember dont start the car

[Hot_Stu]

The answer is ..............

The battery is knackered, even though both optimate and halfords conditioners show good, when tested under load, the battery shorts, dies.

Oh well, at least it is an easy swop ... now wheres my credit card?

Thanks for all advice

[Guest akey]

Nice one mate, at least its easy enough to sort.