Random Ticking...

[Canuck]

Hey Guys,

I was out running erronds yesterday, once i was done i hopped on the GZ and when i pulled the clutch in and pressed the ignition button it made a click sounds and nothing happened with the bike except the 'click'.

I tried to push start the bike failing to make the turnover... so just for kicks i decided to try to start it normally and bada bing..bada boom ! it fired up...
Is this a story of a problem to come..

I had a ford ranger a few years back and the starter would act up.. doing the same thing... click click click "COME ON!!! click click... VROOOM VROOM....

Should i look at getting a new starter motor?? Dont wanna be forced to leave my dead bike on the side of the highway stranded if it decides not to fire up or the battery dies trying to get lucky...

[frempath]

My first thought would be a low battery. You were at a point where you didn't have enough power to turn the engine until the electrolyte got shaken about a bit when the bike was moved. Check the electrolyte levels, battery condition, connections, and power generation status. Then move on to the more expensive possibilities if you have to.

frempath

[patrick_777]

Check the battery charge and terminals for any corrosion.

[Water Warrior 2]

What they said. Keep it simple because it probably is.

[Canuck]

So a temporary fix is to roll bike and employ the push start method but just so that it makes a generator type of sound and then hit ignition and it fires up... Why the click sound? what is causing it to click and not make the sound as if it is trying to turn over?
the clicking is coming from the box underneith the 2 fuses boxes..

[frempath]

The clicking is the starter solenoid. This is a relay that allows a lot of power to go to the starter in one blast. It always clicks when it engages, you just can't hear it over the engine when you have the power to turn the engine. You probably need to get a charger and put a charge on the battery regardless. The bike will be a lot happier without struggling with a low battery.

frempath

[Easy Rider]

So a temporary fix is to roll bike and employ the push start method but just so that it makes a generator type of sound and then hit ignition and it fires up...


No, I expect that is just luck, of sorts. You are probably turning the engine just enough that it is OFF the compression stroke and you are giving the starter and weak battery a "running start" and it is then able to get past the resistance of the compression.

Get your battery charged/tested/replaced.......like the newbie said.
Welcome. Sounds like we have another seasoned veteran in the club.

[Canuck]

Thanks fellas, Hopefully its nothing more then an undercharged battery...

Ill put the battery tender/charger on and if it keeps happening ill get it tested... and then start looking at the relay switch, solenoid etc..

Thanks All

[Canuck]

Update..

I charged the battery and whether it was a lucky try it fired up on the first go with choke on 3/4

however i came home... to grab something forgot and when i hit the ignition again.. Click click...then i roll it back in 1st to get that "generator" sound try to start it and it works...

so what needs replacing or checking? has anyone else ever had this problem ?

[mrlmd1]

You have identified your problem but have not taken the proper steps to solve it.

Get your battery fully charged and then get it load tested, it may not be any good. That is the first thing to get checked out, not anything more exotic, and that is the only way to tell if a battery is up to snuff.
And your battery tender may not be giving the battery a full charge depending on it's output and length of time you had it on. You may need a higher (2amp) charge for a longer time if it's totally dead.
If you do wind up buying a new battery, be warned - if you get an AGM battery, which most of them are for this bike, these MUST BE FULLY CHARGED UP BEFORE INITIAL USE or it will fail after only a few starts of the bike. Do not just take the battery from the dealer and install it onto the bike without putting it on a charger first, regardless of what the dealer says.

[Easy Rider]

so what needs replacing or checking? has anyone else ever had this problem ?

Yes. Classic symptoms of a battery on it's way OUT.

Good advice in the previous post. :tup:

[Water Warrior 2]

Do you know if that is the original battery ? If it is you are lucky to have it last so long.

[Canuck]

so i took my battery in for a quick test after it was fully charged...

they said it was fully charged... but its rated for 85 but was at 77 for the "reserve" in the battery... i'm no techie so im not sure what it all meant.... thought one of you fellas could figure it out:) 85 amps.. reserve charge?

hahha.

for now every time it "ticks" "clicks" or whatever i just put it in 1st..clutch in and then release after pushing the bike back or forward a foot or two...get that charging/generator sound for a second ....try the ignition button and boom off we go.

she said the battery is on its way out.. and the cold weather storage isnt helping it after being fully active for almost 2 years now...its not stock its a YUASA brand i use the bike almost daily and sometime several times per day.

[Water Warrior 2]

so i took my battery in for a quick test after it was fully charged...

they said it was fully charged... but its rated for 85 but was at 77 for the "reserve" in the battery... i'm no techie so im not sure what it all meant.... thought one of you fellas could figure it out:) 85 amps.. reserve charge?

hahha.

for now every time it "ticks" "clicks" or whatever i just put it in 1st..clutch in and then release after pushing the bike back or forward a foot or two...get that charging/generator sound for a second ....try the ignition button and boom off we go.

she said the battery is on its way out.. and the cold weather storage isnt helping it after being fully active for almost 2 years now...its not stock its a YUASA brand i use the bike almost daily and sometime several times per day.

Do you think the charging / generator sound could be the starter free wheeling for a moment ? A poor selenoid will power the starter but not enough to engage the starter drive to the engine. After the momentary free wheeling it loosens the drive enough to engage. Rolling the bike a bit may/will also cause the things to loosen up. The clutch plates drag enough to reposition some internal parts. So you might have bad starter connections or the selenoid is getting tired.

[bonehead]

Could also be a bad spot in the starter itself.

[mrlmd1]

Check and clean off the contacts to the starter and make sure the connection is good. It's out in the weather all the time and could be dirty and limiting current flow through there too.

[Easy Rider]

she said the battery is on its way out..

There's your answer. All the rest of the "symptoms" are pretty much meaningless until you get a new battery. Once they start to fail, the decline is usually rapid and irreversable and long periods on non-use just accelerates the process.

Have we mentioned that the new battery must be fully charged before installing ?? :cool:

[trykemike]

Hey guys . I just had a thought. Before buying a new battery a simple test can remove any doubt about other starting system components, Try jump-starting using a boost from another battery. If several attemps are all successful. The results are conclusive. Replace the battery. I had a similiar problem with the 3 wheeler. A boot test proved that the battery ( 1 yr old ) was faulty. After replacement no more starting problems.

[mrlmd1]

Don't be put off by the name Yuasa - that is an excellent battery and probably better than what came as stock. How old is that battery and has it been sitting for a prolonged time without use?
If you do jumpstart the bike from another 12v battery, like from a car, DO NOT have the car's engine running while you try and start the bike - you may fry all the bike's electrical components with the output of the car's alternator.