starting problem

[phat1478]

Last weekend i was riding all day, i stopped for about 2 hours and when i got back on to take off i turned on the key, the neutral light came on but when i hit the start button i heared a click, the light went off and nothing electrical worked. However i could start it by toucing a screwdriver to the positive and negative posts on the starter silenoid and it hasnt worked since except for once the next day. And when it was running the headlight worked but flickered. Any ideas on what it might be? Battery?

[Exrider434]

Blown Fuse. The headlight flickering was caused because the motor took away power from the headlight because there is on other power from the battery due to the blown fuse. I think that is it maybe, i had the same problem with mine something is shorting out in the headlight assembly.

[mittman]

Its a blown fuse i'm 90% sure it happend to my 02 a couple of weeks ago. make sure u keep some extra ones i wish i did

[REPOMAN]

blown fuse. 99.9% sure. happened to me a few times

[QuadManiac]

Also check for loose or corroded prongs on the fuse and fuse holder.

[Big - D Racing]

I don't think it is a fuse. If a fuse is blown then the positive connection no longer works at all, it wouldn't make your lights flicker. What would make your lights flicker is a short somewhere. Could be in an electrical line or it could even be within your stator which supplies the power to charge your battery and run your lights. If it was just your iginition it could be a fuse, but that wouldn't cause your lights to flicker. It would cause them not to come on at all. That's why I think it may be a stator issue. Get a volt meter and test the output of your stator. If you have a service manual it will explain exactly how to do it.

[QuadManiac]

Originally posted by Big - D Racing
I don't think it is a fuse. If a fuse is blown then the positive connection no longer works at all, it wouldn't make your lights flicker. What would make your lights flicker is a short somewhere. Could be in an electrical line or it could even be within your stator which supplies the power to charge your battery and run your lights. If it was just your iginition it could be a fuse, but that wouldn't cause your lights to flicker. It would cause them not to come on at all. That's why I think it may be a stator issue. Get a volt meter and test the output of your stator. If you have a service manual it will explain exactly how to do it.

Sorry, Big-D but this is incorrect. The fuse only isolates the battery from the rest of the system (except the starter circuit). The charging system is still connected and will happily run the quad all day.

And typically, shorts do not cause flicker... intermittent OPENS do. If the fuse connector is loose, causing intermittent connection to the battery, all is explained. If the fuse connection is intermittent, the cause of flicker is obvious (battery intermittently being connected to charging system), the loss of neutral light while attempting to start also explained. Sure it may be something else, like a corroded battery connection, but starting with the screwdriver short typically eliminates that suspect.

As an electrical engineer with 25 years experience, intermittent fuse connection is the first place I'd look.


And Big-D, I see we're in the same city... where do you ride? I'm always looking for something new. I spend most of my time doing day trips to Superstiton, Plaster City and Ocotillo Wells. Occasional trips to Glamis or Gordon's Well. Any place out there that is relatively close but fun to ride?