ER-5 no start?

[superjackal]

Occasionally when pushing the start button on my ER-5 nothing happens. Push again and it starts.

Then, yesterday, I went to start it and nothing happened. Checked everything but it wouldn't start. The lights came on but no fire. It's not alarmed or immobilised. Wondering if I have a faulty starter switch, or perhaps the battery's going? I left it for about a hour came back and it fired up straight away. And this morning, no problem at all.

Scratching head.........????

[kinger]

Unelss you have a meter or a test lamp, you'll be chasing your tail.
You need to fault find what is essentially a very simple circuit.
An intermittent fault would imply a dirty or corroded contact, so clean your switch contacts and battery/earth cable terminals.

[Ender EnZed]

Does it have clutch in to start and/or side stand kill switches?

[BuzzardNZ]

I have a similar issue with my bike. When it occasionally happens, I just give it another go 2 and it fires up.

No idea what the problem is ( apart from obviously electrical ).

A minor irritation, but one I can live with.

[superjackal]

Does it have clutch in to start and/or side stand kill switches?

Yep, side stand down = no go. Tried all that...

[superjackal]

Unelss you have a meter or a test lamp, you'll be chasing your tail.
You need to fault find what is essentially a very simple circuit.
An intermittent fault would imply a dirty or corroded contact, so clean your switch contacts and battery/earth cable terminals.

Got worse today as it won't fire at all this (very hot) afternoon. I noticed it's been feeling hot around my legs but there's plenty of coolant and I seem to have good power. I have the points and contacts cleaned and the battery on top-up at the moment.

I can push-start the bike. I'm still suspecting the battery.... looks like the original one from 2006!?

Off to buy a voltmeter for the first time in my life.... electrics has always been "voodoo" to me, but fuck that - I need to learn.

[bogan]

Good onya for getting a voltmeter, makes testing heaps easier once you get the hang of it. Sound to intermittent to be a bettery, usually you'd notice poor starting, or lights dimming/solenoid clicking if it is a worn out battery problem.

Could be starter brushes, put the multimeter across the starter motor next time it happens and see if the terminals get voltage.

[Akzle]

connection.

pull the harness to the go button, spray with crc66. retry.

else take a flying hot lead to the back of the starter, if it goes, it's the switch/connection.

buy a multimeter, i'm not even sure if anyone sells just voltmeters anymore, but you want to multi your metering.


"f you can't fix it with a hammer, it's an electrical problem"
have you tried a hammer?

[superjackal]

connection.
pull the harness to the go button, spray with crc66. retry.
else take a flying hot lead to the back of the starter, if it goes, it's the switch/connection.
buy a multimeter, i'm not even sure if anyone sells just voltmeters anymore, but you want to multi your metering.
"f you can't fix it with a hammer, it's an electrical problem"
have you tried a hammer?

I took the harness off and cleaned everything I could, checked and sprayed all the connections. Tried it and it still wouldn't start. Tried push-starting, still wouldn't start. Got a sweat up then realised I'd hit the engine kill switch at some stage during the cleaning. D'oh. Hit the start button and it fired right up.

So, not sure if the cleaning worked, there was a loose connection, it had cooled sufficiently or what....

No probs this morning...

I'm still going to buy a multi-meter.

[Akzle]

i win