Starting Issues

[DirtMonkey]

I try to start the wheeler and it will turn the engine over about five times until it sounds like the battery is drained but then I stop and let it set for about 2 minutes and it does the same thing. It sounds like the starter is dragging for some reason. It all started after my sparks key install but I took the key back out and put it to stock and it still does the same thing. Once it i running it runs like a champ. My battery is brand new. Now i have gas leaking out of my screw on the float bowl. Any advice would be great.

[shok47]

check the solenoid with a multimeter. See if its passing the right amount of current. Did you mess any wires up when taking off the side case?

[Tommy Warren]

And then check your brushes in the starter hit it with a hammer or something.

[shok47]

use a rubber mallet for that. Dont want to break anything

[DirtMonkey]

Ill go try to hit it with a rubber mallet, I didn't mess with any wires when i took the cover off, I just set it to the side when I did the key. I dont have a multimeter.

[F-16Guy]

Check the ground wire from the battery to the subframe. I just put a battery in my quad and found the ground wire corroded almost completely through. It's probably the reason my battery crapped out in the first place. I would definitely check all connections and wires first.

[shok47]

Its a good investment for $20.

when I PC'ed my frame I kinda had the same problem. It starts fine and everything worked, but after idling for awhile, the lights would start to flicker and dim with the throttle. when turned off, I had to wait around 4min. until all the power came back. Turns out the engine was grounded to the frame by the engine mounts. I ran a ground wire from engine to frame and fixed it.

[DirtMonkey]

I broke my neutral light wire off at the engine, would that matter?

[shok47]

no

[puTTs]

Try hooking up your bike up to a car/truck to jump start it and see if that works. If it's still the same that would rule out the battery. Also if you just got a new battery I'd assume you had to add the acid into it? If so did you put it on a trickle charger for the recommended 8 hours?

[DirtMonkey]

My battery is good, its brand new. I am going to check the wires that go through the engine cover and see if one of them might be grounded out

[puTTs]

Any chance you could hook up a set of jumper cables just to check. These AGM batteries have paper thin lead plates...I've seen tons of "new" batteries that are bad of the shelf. A simple jump start with a good battery will rule this out.

[DirtMonkey]

I have a battery charger with a 50 amp start, will that work? I also installed a kill switch and hooked he long wire to the black wire with the white stripe on my big gun cdi, could that be a problem? Like i said when It starts it runs like a scalded dog.

[puTTs]

Your battery charger should work. It's something to try atleast. Your starting circut is a loop from the battery positive to solinoid to starter. Then the start button on your handle bars kicks the field on to make the connection. There's really nothing to go wrong other then bad wires, connections or battery. The solinoid will either work or not work. DC starting motors won't lose power when they're bad, they form dead spots on the comutator, that's why tapping with a hammer usuall bumps them back or forth to a good spot.

[DirtMonkey]

Thanks for all the info, now to go apply it.

[DirtMonkey]

So I did everything and checked the wires front to back and found nothing grounded or even bare. I guess I have to buy a new starter since that is the only thing it could be, right?

[rob_990]

id try and pull start it first if i were you

[shok47]

What was the status on the jump start?
Dont go buying parts yet.

[puTTs]

I wasn't sure what all you had to do to put in the sparks key. I seen a how to on here. If it sounds like the starter is the problem pull the cover off it, the one you had to take off to put the key in. There looks like there some spacers and bearing and gears under the cover. I'd make sure all that is in the right way by looking at the pics. Maybe it only gets a few turns of the starting gears before something binds up?

[puTTs]

Any chance you could use your cell phone or video cam to make a movie or sound clip?

[DirtMonkey]

Yeah but I dont know how to post a video on here. The starter gears and spacer are on the right way, I made sure of that when I did it. Good idea though:)

[bigd's ex]

Originally posted by DirtMonkey
I also installed a kill switch and hooked he long wire to the black wire with the white stripe on my big gun cdi, could that be a problem?

Have you tried unhooking the kill switch ?

[DirtMonkey]

Yeah I tried, no luck.

[puTTs]

What does the big gun cdi do? If it advances the timing, plus advancing with the key it could be kicking back? Does it sound like the engine cranks over a few times fine, then sput, then cranks slow? I'm out of ideas with out a sound clip or video.

[DirtMonkey]

Yeah the cdi advances the timing and I figured that out after I put the Sparks in so I took it out and put the original key back in and it still does it. It still starts but isnt as smooth as it was originaly, and how you explained it above is exactly what it s still doing. I appreciate all the help with this. I ordered a starter so if evrything ive done or going to do does not work then the starter is my last hope!

[puTTs]

Any chance you got a video or sound clip? If you have a camara cell phone you can send a video text to puTTs@neo.rr.com I could host it so everyone could see.

[DirtMonkey]

Yeah Ill do that tomorrow first thing, thanks.