[House O' Pain]

Some background on the bike:

This is my weekly rider, so it hasn't sat. I keep the battery on a trickle charger, but the battery is about 5 yrs. old. Over the past few weeks I've noticed the bike taking more effort to start. It typically takes 2 tries, (hasn't started on the first try in years) but it's taken 3 of late. Last week it would crank, but after 6 attempts, the battery was drained and even the display lights went out.

Since the above:

• I purchased a new Yuasa High Performance (AGM) battery, hooked it up and after 2 tries the bike started.
• Next day, it cranked with no start five attempts, and then wouldn't crank. I put the battery back on the charger over night.
• Today battery cranked the bike over 4-5 attempts and then wouldn't crank, and ended with a rattling click sound.
• Lights work, horn honks, signals flash.
• Pulled air filter, it's clean.
• Pulled spark plug it's a little rich but still clean.
• I can visually see fuel spray into the carb when I twist the throttle.
• Checked wires in boot left side of bike for signs of short, none found.
• Hooked battery up to charger for 30 min. & checked charge with multimeter; Shows 13 amps.
• Used multimeter to check for parasitic draw; Shows .006-7 mA. Manual spec is less than 2 ma (2 milliamps or .002 amp).

So, what next? Past threads on this advise all manner of amp checks with a voltage meter, but honestly I have little confidence in my ability to this device, or even specifically how to check each item (e.g., regulator.....where/how is it checked?). I'm thinking I may have to just get the bike towed to a shop and pay whatever (electrical = $erious butt hurt).

Any advice before I slit my wrists?

Replace the regulator/rectifier (not that expensive) and see what happens? Need a new stator? Something I think I can do myself.

HELP!

 

[Alirio]

“Today battery cranked the bike over 4-5 attempts and then wouldn't crank, and ended with a rattling click sound”

To me it sounds like the battery does not produce enough ‘juice’ . This can mean that either the new battery is no good or you have a charging problem. First thing I would do is to check the charging voltage. If that’s ok, you have a new but almost dead battery .

 

[Hans&Feet]

Do you have spark at the plug gap???
Does the Ignition coil have +12v (battery voltage) on Black/White wire??
The ICM wires have a habit of breaking at the ICM connector.
There is a drawing of the ICM in the How to Step by Step 1300 section.
IPG Green wire #1 on breaking.
Black wire +12v for ICM is #2 for breaking.
There have been two other wires breaking that never broke before.
One 1300 still out of commission due to lack of +5v for the TPS sensor.
I believe the 2003 1300 VTX electric fuel pump is killing that one.
You can test voltages or resistance from the ICM connector using a needle to
get some voltage. Sometimes a voltage is required.

 

[House O' Pain]

Thanks all for the responses.

Hans:

New battery is back on the charger. When it's charged I'll test the battery with the multimeter to see what it reads and will report back.

It was on my '2 Do' list to check the plug for spark. I'm such a 'noob' with working on bike electronics I had to look up how to do this. Will report what I find.

I'll check the ignition coil, once I figure out how to check it (what reading and where to put the mm leads.

I looked at the notorious ICM 'green' wire and it wasn't broken, but will look closer and at the black wire as well. I will strain relief while I'm at it (just discovered this tip). I'm curious— will my bike behave as described with broken ICM green & black wires????

BTW, I fairly recently disassembled and cleaned the starter switch/button.

Thanks!

 

[Hans&Feet]

+12v from Kill Switch to Bl/W wire Ignition coils.
MM--buy a tool learn how to use it.
Looking for voltage, Red probe to positive, Black probe generally to Ground.
+12v Bl/W to IGN coil, with continuity you can measure the +12v on the ICM (with
connector removed) the Blue/Yel and the Yel/Blue wires.

The IGN coil driver transistor is OPEN until turned ON which Grounds the Blue/Y and Yel/Blue as needed.

Did you break the Bl/W wire at the Kill Switch while working on Starter switch???

 

[House O' Pain]

Thanks for the tips.....will not have time to look at the bike until the weekend. Will report whatever I find.

 

[Blast]

HOP, try eliminating the starter mag switch from the circuit by jumping it with heavy wire or a pair of screwdrivers. Make sure key switch is on kill sw. is off, and and bike is in neutral. That mag switch is barely up to the job. If it's badly pitted it will prevent proper batt. flow to starter.

 

[House O' Pain]

HOP, try eliminating the starter mag switch from the circuit by jumping it with heavy wire or a pair of screwdrivers. Make sure key switch is on kill sw. is off, and and bike is in neutral. That mag switch is barely up to the job. If it's badly pitted it will prevent proper batt. flow to starter.

If the bike starts using this method, what do you suggest? Not familiar with what a mag switch even is, but I'll look it up. It seems to be implied that if the bikes starts by jumping it, it is bad and needs to be replaced, correct?

 

[Lou_VTX]

I assume Blast meant the starter relay under the right side cover.
I agree that the starting circuit should not be overlooked. If you have enough battery power, lights are on etc but pressing the start button only causes rattling sounds, I would definitely look closer at the starting circuit.

You can jump the black starter relay with a screwdriver (careful, it will be hot afterwards).
Don't try to start, just try to crank. If it cranks nicely, the problem is at the relay or upstream, likely the start button on the right handlebar.
If it does not crank and only rattles, the problem seems downstream, possibly the starter motor itself or its connector.

Please let us know what you find.
Curious about the root cause.

 

[Hans&Feet]

Battery + cable and the Starter Motor cable.
Easy to shunt with a screwdriver.

https://www.vtxoa.com/attachments/1300-starter-relay-ground-block-jpg.129990/

 

[Shredder]

If it cranks, why suspect the battery? If the battery is still cranks after 6 attempts, you got a good battery.

 

[House O' Pain]

UPDATE: It was insufferable hot this weekend in the garage, but I did get a chance to check a few things. With the battery on the tender for days and showing charged (green light):

• Pulled rear spark plug wire off the plug, put a new plug into it, grounded it, and pushed the starter. Engine cranks but NO SPARK shows in a low light garage.
• Pulled front spark plug same as above, NO SPARK.
• Very carefully checked the wires on the ECM for breaks, especially the green and black. Pulled back and cut off some of the electrical tape to see more. No wire splits or concerns. Replaced with new tape and zip-tied the wires against the side of the ECM to keep them more secure (strain relief).
• I tried to start the bike by the suggested jump of the starter relay using a screwdriver. The biked cranked just as if I were pressing the starter switch, but no start (with no spark at the plugs no wonder).

At this point the battery would no longer crank the engine over. I was going to volt test the Ignition coils, but this involves pulling the tank, and I was in that hot garage as long as I could stand it. Next weekend...

My main question now is what would likely cause a no spark at the plugs, with engine turning over??? ❓

 

[Hans&Feet]

Lack of +12v to Ign coil.
ICM has to have +12v and Ground to work,, +5v and Ground for the TPS(Timing advance).
One of two status lines are required to have a ground to allow ignition> (Neutral/kickstand UP).
Try cranking with KS up and clutch lever pulled.

Other than that what voltage at Ign coil Bl/W wire.
Did you break the Bl/W wire at the Kill Switch while working on Starter switch ???
Did you open the 9 pin Red connector, it has all the right handle bar switch wires.

https://www.vtxoa.com/attachments/1300-ign-diagramwith-additional-info-jpg.129992/

Starter circuit---some of the IGN circuit is also on the Starter .

You can push a needle into the wires to read voltage.

 

[House O' Pain]

Thanks Hans, I'll try those things and report back. Thanks for your patience and being the resident expert. 🏆

If the bike will not jumping of the starter relay, doesn't that rule out the starter switch being the problem?

BTW, what is a BI/W wire?

Thanks again....

 

[Hans&Feet]

W/Bl is the hot wire on the kill switch side to the 9 pin Red connector to BLACK
wire to the Ign/Starter fuse.
Bl/W is a Black/White stripe wire. It provides +12v to the IGN coil.
Bl/W also goes to the Starter switch.
A splice is made in that area or on the kill switch.

https://www.vtxoa.com/attachments/1300-right-hb-switches-png.203666/

You can check for +12v at the IGN coil Bl/W or at the 9 pin Red conn.
Best place to check the Bl/W wire in the HL bucket.
There is also a rear IGN coil in the area under the seat.
BUT the 2 pin connector is right at the inside of right side tube.
Very difficult to get to rear IGN coil.

 

[Q_Ball]

I had thus issue before. I had to clean my start switch. Once I did that I had no problems

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

 

[House O' Pain]

Update:
I took the starter switch apart and and it appeared still clean from the last time I did the starter switch clean/maintenance. Made sure the springs were still doing their jobs, everything was clean, and no corrosion that would impede a contact. Put it all together with the battery having been on the tender for days and it made ZERO difference. Bike cranked just as before with no start until it wouldn't crank anymore (about 3 tries).

Next is to volt test the Ignition coils.

 

[dud-57]

I don’t understand how a healthy battery only has enough stored energy to give three extended starting attempts. Does that seem like a symptom of a different electrical issue to anyone else?

 

[Hans&Feet]

You took the Starter Switch apart and the KILL switch is right there and you
could have checked the Bl/W wire.....

Charge the battery..
IGN OFF--What is the battery voltage across the posts, across the wire terminals?
IGN ON--what is the battery voltage?
IGN ON---Cranking, what is the battery voltage?

 

[House O' Pain]

You took the Starter Switch apart and the KILL switch is right there and you
could have checked the Bl/W wire.....

Charge the battery..
IGN OFF--What is the battery voltage across the posts, across the wire terminals?
IGN ON--what is the battery voltage?
IGN ON---Cranking, what is the battery voltage?

Sorry, I'm such an incompetent noob at this. I'll go back in and try again.