Need help, Won't start when it's hot

[katman05]

Today when I took my bike to work she started up no problem, after driving for 15kms or so I stopped at a store to buy a drink. When I came out to start it I hit the starter button and nothing, not a noise at all. So I had to push start it and off I went to work. About 2 hours later I decided to make sure the battery connections were tight and after tightening them, though they did'nt seem loose I tried starting the bike and she fired up no problem. I thought to myself that one of the battery cables had to of been a little loose and now everything was fine. 8 hours later when I left work she fired up again with no problem. When I got home, after about 15 minutes of riding I thought I would turn the bike off and try starting it again but when I pushed the starter button....nothing no click at all the lights on the dash would just dim. Obviously the bike won't start when it's hot. Has anybody else had this problem and what was the solution? Battery, battery cable, starter relay or starter solenoid, any help would be appreciated on where to start checking. Thanks in advance.

[suzukisportrider2004]

not even a click? maybe your battery??

[katman05]

not even a click? maybe your battery??

Not even a click when she's hot, but she'll fire right up when she's cold?

[TheCandyman]

Erm...Well then thats a bit strange. Maybe Mojoe or Cyber will come along and be able to give you some advice but that is one of the strangest things i have ever seen.

[Court93kat]

If the lights on your dash and the headlight are dimming, power is going somewhere. It usually takes a good power draw to dim your lights like that.

Check for voltage at the starter when the bike is hot. That will tell you if it is the starter itself, or something between the button and the starter.

[The CyberPoet]

I'd start by disassembling the right-hand control pod and cleaning out the starter button, then start following the wiring back.

The other major possibility:
Charging system is bad, but battery is still OK. As you ride, the bike is generating just enough power between itself and the battery to keep everything running (say 10 watts less than what's needed), so the battery keeps running down. When you park for a while, the battery does some of it's chemical magic internally and generates enough charge to start it -- an hour or so later. If this is the case, your battery, while not bad yet, will be bad in short order as well.
To test for this: check the voltage between the battery terminals with the engine off (key out) -- should be 12.7V or higher; with the engine at idle -- should be 13.2 - 14.7V; and again with the engine at 5k RPM in neutral (should be 13.2-14.9V).
Voltage under 12.7V (engine off), battery is discharged, possibly bad. Charge and retest without it connected to the bike (charged, it shouldn't change voltage over a 12 hour period outside the bike).
Voltage under 13.2V (engine running@idle), alternator or rectifier (voltage regulator) bad. Voltage over 14.7V at idle, voltage regulator bad.
Voltage over 14.9V or under 13.2V at 5k RPM, voltage regulator toast.

Good Luck!
=-= The CyberPoet

[katman05]

I'll start by checking the battery as Cyber says and I'll get back with the results. When I say the dash lights dim it isn't alot, probably the same as when you start your bike and they dim momentarily until it starts.

[md86]

Could the selenoid being warm and not clicking be an inidiaction that it's on the way out ? I mean , if it don't even CLICK , then juice ain't getting to the selenoid for some reason .... I've heard of other components not working when they're hot if they're on the way out .

[katman05]

Here are my findings so far, checked voltage
engine off = 12.55v
at idle = 14.00v
at 5000 rpm =14.20v
It was raining today so I could'nt or didn't want to ride her till she was hot so I let her idle for about 40 mins and turned her off and she fired up like a champ over and over. I even let her sit hot with the engine off for 10 to 15 mins and tried starting her again and she started right up. I took the battery out and put it on charge, I'll take a voltage reading after the charge and then let it sit for 12 hours and see if the voltage drops at all.

[Mojoe]

if it was me, I would change the battery first. The charging system might be fine, but the battery is not holding the charge......so when you run it for a while, it has nothing to do with being hot, but wont start cuz the lights drain the battery.....so when you let it set for a bit, it is like CP says...and the same thing I toild you last night.....the chemical maigic reaction brings it up enough to start the bike. I know it sounds strange what I am saying....that it won't hold a charge, but yet will come up enough to start it after it sets a while, but it can happen.
I have had too many problems in the past that turned out just to be a bad battery to ignore the possibility.

[krider]

My bike did the same thing. I took it to the shop and found out I had a bad cell on the battary.

Hope this help

[katman05]

Thanks for the info krider, I let the battery sit after charging it, 12 hours later it went from 12.55v to 12.06v so maybe I have the same problem.

[The CyberPoet]

Thanks for the info krider, I let the battery sit after charging it, 12 hours later it went from 12.55v to 12.06v so maybe I have the same problem.

Your battery is definitely bad.
A battery sitting, fully charged, should be voltage-stable for well over 12 hours, and really needs to read higher than 12.65 (effectively 12.7) volts at minimum.

Replace the battery.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[Mojoe]

see chris....I told ya :P

here I take the time to listen to your problem.....while I have a cute chick sitting on the sofa beside me with her hand in my lap....and tell ya your battery is screwed.......and you have to come on here to hear the same answer. And I had her all worked up too.....and then she cooled back down again cuz I left her hanging to be on the phone with you. It took me 90 minutes to get her worked back up. But that was mostly my fault. I forgot that she asked me to do something on sunday, but I didn't want to see her on sunday......so I said I had a family thing. Then she heard me talk about riding with you on sunday. so I had to spread it on again....and play the "lack of memory" game....and said, "shit, that's right! I have to cancel with Chris".

so go buy that battery. and if we do go riding on sunday, it never happened....ok?

[katman05]

Well Mike, thanks for the info on the battery but I gotta say....what the hells wrong with you? If I had a cute girl sitting on the sofa beside me with her hand in my lap and she was all worked up, and you called me,........sorry buddy but I ain't answering that phone. Thats why they invented call display, I'd call you later after she went home. Hope you were able to work your magic on her again and if we ride this weekend your secret is safe with me.