Electrical problem-almost impossible to start

[speedy400]

hey
I've been having this problem for awhile, I thought it was just because it's so cold around here(8 degrees latly) and I thought since everyone says during the winter the turning power of electricity goes down. Well my dad's new LE raptor has no problem starting. So then I though since I have the wrong weight oil in it(the same Mobile1 red cap that I use in the summer) maybe its turning harder and also my higher comp. piston(10.8 to 1) may factor into it. So after a 15 min ride(warmed the motor up) I charged the battery up to 100 % today(battery only maybe 3 months old) and went to start it and it turned over 1-2 times then made that bzzting sound as if the battery was low...:grr: ... Would this have to do with CDI, stator? starter? it's been getting worse I think lately. any ideas would be greatly appretiated!!!thanks-darren

[speedy400]

bump-darren

[Aceman]

Have you cleaned all your battery connections? Make sure none of your cables are frayed or corroded. Check you grounds also. You can check your stator to see if it's charging by purchasing a $5 dollar multimeter at an auto parts store and touching it to your battery terminals when your engine is running. It should register up around 14+ volts. If everything checks out alright to this point, I would get a new starter. I would assume since your running a high comp piston your putting more of a load on your starter every time you engage it. When starters begin wearing out they start pulling more amps and turn over a lot slower than they should.

Sounds like a bad ground.. Have you had any powdercoating done on the frame or subframe??

[speedy400]

Originally posted by Rico
Sounds like a bad ground.. Have you had any powdercoating done on the frame or subframe??
yeah I have a red PC, about 6 months ago I had to reground the frame to the subframe because it wouldnt work at all. I'll try working on those grounds tonight and that multimeter thing. I'm sure the connections are good. That was the 1st thing I checked.... from reading the 1st guy's post, I think my starter maybe going out. thanks-darren any other ideas?

[speedy400]

OK tonight I was working on it, I reground the subframe to the frame. Then I charged the battery to 100%, left for about 2 hours, came back the battery was now at 40% ...:confused: :huh . So then dad also needed a multimeter tonight for the snowmobile he's working on and I used that to check my volts, it said 12.6 . I think that should be plenty to turn over the motor, I tried to start it, it'd turn a few times but not nearly enough to start. So I jump started it(I never have a problem jumping it)So then when it was running I checked the volts and it said 14.5 volts. So there motor is creating energy, but this dosnt explain why the battery goes dead for no reason and why it wont turn over. So whats the next step? ah I love this site.-darren

thanks everyone

[2004TRX450R]

Sounds like you got yourself a bad battery. A bad starter wont make the relay click like that. when you charged it up to 100% then let it sit was it hooked up to the bike or was it just sitting on the bench? Sounds like it just isn't holding a charge. The batter will get a surface charge and will show high enough voltage but when you put a load on it it will drop way down. If you had the battery hooked up in the bike when it was sitting then showed 40% take the battery out of the bike and try it again. If it still does the same thing replace the battery. If it stays charged you may have a key off battery draw. Hook the battery positive cable up but not the negitive cable. Hook your volt meter one side to the negitive battery post and the other side to the negitive battery cable. There should be no voltage reading with the key off. If there is you have a draw. If you have an Amp setting on your meter you can also check for an Amp draw wich is actually the better way. JUST BE SURE NOT TO TRY TO START IT WITH YOUR METER HOOKED UP! You will fry your meter or if your meter has one you will blow the fuse. I'd just put money on that you have a bad battery though. How long as the bike sat with the new battery in it with out being ridden?

[jerry-89-250R]

you know your charging system is working now, put you meter on your battery and push the starter button too see how low the voltage drops, when a starter is getting bad they will drain a battery trying too start, you can take it off and have a starter/altenator shop check it

[speedy400]

Originally posted by 2004TRX450R
Sounds like you got yourself a bad battery. A bad starter wont make the relay click like that. when you charged it up to 100% then let it sit was it hooked up to the bike or was it just sitting on the bench? Sounds like it just isn't holding a charge. The batter will get a surface charge and will show high enough voltage but when you put a load on it it will drop way down. If you had the battery hooked up in the bike when it was sitting then showed 40% take the battery out of the bike and try it again. If it still does the same thing replace the battery. If it stays charged you may have a key off battery draw. Hook the battery positive cable up but not the negitive cable. Hook your volt meter one side to the negitive battery post and the other side to the negitive battery cable. There should be no voltage reading with the key off. If there is you have a draw. If you have an Amp setting on your meter you can also check for an Amp draw wich is actually the better way. JUST BE SURE NOT TO TRY TO START IT WITH YOUR METER HOOKED UP! You will fry your meter or if your meter has one you will blow the fuse. I'd just put money on that you have a bad battery though. How long as the bike sat with the new battery in it with out being ridden?
genius! I took off the cables and once again charged it to 100%, in less than 3 min it dropped to 70%, this is my 3rd battery I've had gone bad in the last year and 4 months, 1 fell out of the old battery holder that the guy before me had made on a 40 foot table, 1 I think we charged wrong and screwed it up, and the other one I think drained too low so it wouldnt take a charge. Now this. Hopefully I can get my money back on this one:( those things are spendy!!thanks for helpin me out guys, I would have gotten nowhere with my knowlage of that kinda stuff.-darren

[honduh440]

u have a bad battery dude i bought a new battery cuz i broke my voltage regulator and after recharging the battery 8000 times it got bad and did the exact thing ur going threw now so i finally hooked up my friends batter to mine and it worked 100% fine never lost juice

[2004TRX450R]

One of the hardest things on a battery is to let the unit sit without rideing it then the battery gets low and that is really bad. I have seen SEVERAL batteries come back with customers complaining they are bad after less than a year especially on stuff like water craft and snomobiles that sit for long periods. Bottom line they weren't properly maintained. If it sits at all for long periods get a battery tender and plug it in every time you put your bike away. This will keep the battery at a fully charged state and will make it last the longest possible. You probably could have bought a couple of battery tenders for the amount you have spent on batterys already and it probably would have saved the last couple you went through.