Hello i've been having intermitent starting problems for a while with the bike sometimes starting every time and sometimes refusing to start. at the moment it won't start the engine turns over but there is no spark at all i've had a look round with the multimeter and have found the starter relay still has 12.4v with the ingition turned off which seems wrong to me & it is only delivering 8-10v to the starter instead of the usual 12v. im charging the battery and will then jump the relay to see if it starts. can anyone confirm the relay should have no power with ignition off? or is it normal
The starter relay (solenoid) has two big thick wires, one direct to the battery and the other to the starter motor. The one from the battery obviously has 12V permanently. The other wire will have 12V when the solenoid is engaged but this will depend on the load of the starter and the condition of the battery so it could drop to the figures you are seeing with a dodgy battery. The solenoid will also have a connector with 2 thin wires, these are used to activate the solenoid when the starter button is pressed. If the starter turns when you bridge the terminals with the thick wires (beware of the sparks) then the solenoid could be faulty. My son cured starting problems with his 1098 by fitting a new solenoid which was dropping the voltage. Remind us what bike you have?
Dean, which bike? However it is normal for the big capacity cable leading to the solenoid (relay) to be directly connected to the battery. When you press the start button you apply 12v via a much smaller connection which energizes a coil within the solenoid which closes a high capacity switch allowing power out the other side of the solenoid to the started motor. On my 748 12.4v at the solenoid would indicate either a drained battery or a battery on its last legs. Edit Derek beat me to it
multistrada 1000 the starter turns over perfectly but there is no spark at the engine, im thinking the starter relay may be robbing the bike of enough volts to stop the ignition from sparking, i've bump started it 4 times with 2 successful starts 2 fails the bike cut out at idle the second time
It's not unusual for the battery to deliver insufficient power for both starting circuit and ignition circuit. It's often the case that the barely adequate starter circuit cables fitted by Ducati build up more and more resistance over time. Add an iffy battery to the mix and you get really reluctant starting. This in turn places extra strain on the sprag clutch, which then neeeds to be replaced. Cure is a new AGM battery, for maximum cold cranking amps and an uprated starting circuit cable kit from Exige. If you do this and still find you have problems, you won't lose anything because you will have still optimised your starting system.
The multi uses the ECU to control the starter solenoid. This is done by switching the earth, not positive, so you will have 12v at the main lead from the battery as mentioned and also 12v on one of the switching wires. Not sure if this switching feed remains live at key off as I don't have the wiring to hand. It may be fed of a relay maybe a permanent feed? However... I've had a few Multis where they've refused to start due to the starter motor drawing too much power and shutting down the coils or injectors. Usual telltale test is to pull a plug cap and using a spare plug check for a spark whilst cranking over. If there's no spark, try the same test but with a plug removed from each cylinder, hence removing the load from the starter. Try cranking it over again and check for spark. If ones appeared, then you more than likely have a faulty starter.
Might be the starter then defiantly no spark at any plugs & multimeter reads 0 at plugs will check starter tomorrow but its only getting 8-10 v from the relay and starts intermittently
Have you a car battery and some jump leads , even though it sounds good cranking over put the jump leads on it and try and let's see what some extra cranking amps does for it , like already said the starter could be taking all the power to turn it and there is little residual voltage left to run the ignition and injection system . If it still cranks over good but no fire with the car battery being used it may be something else causing the no spark issue .
have checked the voltage to the starter motor with the cable disconnected and its 12.2v with the cable fitted and starter turning it is reading 8-10v so far to low tryed jumping from a car battery but still did not start also tried jumping direct to starter motor also didnt work. so seems like may be the starter dumping power. any ideas ? recently replaced the clutch pressure plate bearing any way the clutch could be out of line causing problems? bike will bump start but trys to run on 1 cylinder then cuts out once it starts warming up even when holding 3k revs
For the sake of a few quid, try s new ignition relay. Up by the battery. System drop and poor contacts in the relay could compound your problems
have replaced the relay and swaped it with the relay for the lights both ok, since the bike cuts out (as if turned off by a switch)at tickover (when it starts) when the engine warms up is there anything that would cut engine due to heat? i have tryed my spare ecu but this didnt work the bike has cut out when it the temp guage starts reading oc 3 times now. still not starting most of the time but randomly starts on the button
These symptoms are really weird and one thing that comes up on here that can cause weird symptoms is the ecu earth. Worth checking it's tight and you have good continuity??
Do you mean the small earth wire bolted to the ecu ? Iran another wire from it to the engine earth but didnt seem to help, any advise on improving this earth?
Ran a jumper cable from ecu earth to earth bike started but cut out again when it reached temp , unrelated butb now the starter is spinning freely but not engaging so guess sprag clutch may have gone
Lol yeh running a ducati as my only transport for 4 years ( and winters) is no longer paying off , lots of earth problems in the last few weeks, tempted to break it for spares now although I cant help but think that being a duke it will only appreciate in value the longer I keep it
