Hitchcocks Forum

Help !(Please).My EFI has been doing this on and off this year and last.When you push the starter button nothing happens.No noises whatsoever.I bought a new (uprated) battery from our hosts last year as I thought the original was overdue for replacement.Haven't yet checked the charging system.The 3 fuses under the l/h side panel are all intact and the battery connections are tight.Could it be the solenoid?

1: you have a weak thumb?


joke...


2: poor contact inside switch; spray in some Electra clean...


3: dodgy solenoid, but they normally at least go 'click' ?

More info needed... Does the fuel pump prime? Do the lights work? Is it just the leccy start which doesn't work - can you kick start it? IE can the engine run when this problem occurs?

Yes the kick start works and the bike runs fine and yes the lights work....

Great, the relays and fuses are fine then. Your problem lies in the electric start circuit solely. Open the switch and clean it (two or three screws underneath). Check and test the solenoid - might be sticky. Check all connections to solenoid and starter to make sure they are clean and good. Test for high resistance with multimeter, test for continuity and test for voltage across switches when open (12v) and when closed (0v). I strongly suspect a dodgy (ie rusty) switch. Might be worth checking clutch, neutral and front brake switches too... The clutch and neutral switches impact on leccy start... The front brake switch, if rusty, can cause your right hand switchgear to lack the voltage to trigger the solenoid (indeed other relays too) hence impede starting.

Thanks for the info both...i'll do some investigation and report back......

At the risk of hijacking someone else's thread I have a slightly different leccy start problem. Washed bike (a rare event) it started ran for a few minutes but then ticked over slower and slower until it stopped. All the electrics work but the starter is dead. The MIL light doesn't come on, none of the usual whirring noises and it doesn't start on the kick either. Any suggestions of what to prod or poke to make it come back to life would be much appreciated. PS all fuses are OK and side stand switch.

Jack... Disconnect the side stand switch - just cos it looks ok doesn't mean it is. The symptoms you have could easily point to a fault there. Otherwise, check continuity of fuses - not just by eye but with a meter. These glass fuses can break invisibly. Also check for 12v at your relays - there are 3 on an Electra EFI. Two in the glasses case sized side pod on the left, and one attached to the frame just above the positive battery terminal. If you are hearing no clocking, whirring or whining then your relays aren't switching - meaning either a faulty relay or supply to the relay is damaged. Check the wiring behind the headlight too... And check your ignition (key) switch is actually switching with a voltmeter.

Sorry, Michael, but I've got to disagree with you there. The one thing the side stand switch does NOT affect is the starter circuit.



The sidestand switch stops the engine from running, but doesn't stop it from cranking (a truly stupid design, in my view).



There is one fuse in the circuit which actuates the starter solenoid, plus:



the ignition switch

the emergency stop switch

the electric start switch

the solenoid itself

the clutch switch

the neutral switch



The clutch and neutral switch are arranged such that if the bike is in gear, the clutch must be held in to complete the solenoid circuit.

Thanks for the replies guys. The engine doesn't normally turn over with the side stand down, so the symptoms are the same as if it is down. The neutral light is coming on with the ignition but the red MIL light which should come on and then go out when the whirring stops and the engine is ready to start is not coming on and there is no whirring. I disconnected the sidestand switch (at the connector) and it made no difference. I assume if it was an ECU problem the MIL light would come on and stay on. I will check the fuses again more carefully, and the relays. I also wondered if it might be a blocked fuel pump? That is what the owners manual suggests to check if the engine starts then stops. But I would have thought if that was the case it would still go through the motions, but just not start. Does one of the relays control the fuel pump perhaps?