Starting Problems. New Battery. Clicking Sound. Video Attached. HELP!

[riverotter]

I'm having trouble getting my Uly back on the road. It recently acquired some starting issues.
1) The battery is two months old and checks out at 100% at Interstate Battery (where I got it)
2) The bike will start up 2-3 times and run great before the draw on the battery becomes too much and it won't start - the starting effort turns into a repeated clicking sound (see video below)
3) Once it's running - absolutely no issues.
4) Fuel pump and lights come on with ignition as they should

VIDEO LINK HERE

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Dan

 

[ReadyXB]

Here are a few things to check. I noticed that after the starter relay was clicking, your instrument panel "reset" and did the needle sweep. That happens when power is applied (or reapplied via a voltage dip) to the panel.

The ignition switch and the key switch relay are both involved in getting power to the panel, along with good grounds of course, so a few things could cause power to "dip" that much when starting the bike:
1. poor battery ground or harness grounds (in the tail area). Don't overlook this.
2. faulty ignition switch - it supplies battery power to the instrument panel via the key switch relay
3. bad starter, which draws too much current and makes the battery voltage dip too low to keep the starter relay energized (ie, the clicking) and to have a minimum power threshold for the instrument panel.

These assume your battery is good, as you mentioned. Just some ideas to get you started.

 

[riverotter]

Thanks - I'll get to work and see what I can up with.
-Dan

 

[ReadyXB]

...and the key switch relay itself.

 

[user_deleted]

dan: ready always supplies great accurate info. as above. go to any auto parts place and pick up an a/c relay for 2005 ford focus. is 20 amp model and identical match to the 3 in your stock fuse box. then look on fuse box lid at diagram for your 3 relays.
double check both ends of your battery cables for pristine cleanliness and tightness.
start bike and with volt meter check across battery terminals. you should have 13.2-14.8 volts DC @ approx. 2500rmp. do you? good.
now go for a ride and take that spare relay along that you recently purchased. as soon as bike starts to act up pull over. remove seat, remove fuse box lid and touch the 3 relays. one particularly warm to the touch? that's the culprit. replace it, ride it and see what you have.

 

[riverotter]

This site never ceases to amaze me. So many helpful people. Thanks to lunaticfringe & ReadyXB for the tips. Hoping to dig in to this issue more tomorrow. I'll report back what I find.
-Dan

 

[vman858]

Mine did this last week was a relay under seat. I took seat off, held start button and tapped on relays. When its started I knew I found it. Good luck!

 

[ReadyXB]

Hi riverotter, any luck?

 

[riverotter]

No luck yet. I've only super-cleaned the terminals so far and swapped around some of the relays to see if it helped. So far, the same scenario plays out...Not sure where to find ALL of the grounds on my Uly at this point.

Is the only way to determine ignition switch or starter by actually replacing them? OR is there are a painless way to test?

-Dan

 

[ReadyXB]

Is the only way to determine ignition switch or starter by actually replacing them? OR is there are a painless way to test?

No, you can individually bypass the ignition key switch and any relay with jumper wires. Just eliminate them from the circuit until you isolate the failure.

The alternative (or parallel task) would be to purchase a service manual. It has methodical flowcharts for testing and isolating failures for the starter motor such as a current draw test and free running current test. Also, troubleshooting the starter interlock system including relays, voltage drops, and other bike issues that will come up in the future.

 

[vman858]

Don't think your ignition switch bad. Could be, but it sound like the started solenoid is pulling in. There are two ground just to the left of battery. May need to take out battery to get to them you need to clean them with sand paper or wire brush. There is another on the forks behind the headlight. The diagram shows a ground point by starter somewhere. I cleaned these three trying to track down my problem and my starter performs much better. You could pull the starter relay out and jumper a wire from the battery to pin 87 in the fuse block. This should energize the starter solenoid and turn starter over. If it still clicks the you got a bad ground or starter. If it still clicks you may not be getting enough voltage to the starter solenoid.

You also need to put a voltmeter on battery while your starting it and see what its doing.

Let me know what you fined.

I also sent you a message.

Vince

 

[riverotter]

So...after several hours and over several days of checking wires and general fiddling, not to mention several run-on sentences filled with four letter expletives, I've managed to identify the problem listed above. After two trips to Interstate Batteries to confirm that my battery is "fully charged and fit as a fiddle" (seriously, somewhat said that), I brought it to Batteries Plus as one last ditch effort to confirm that I'm not crazy. DEAD BATTERY. Went to Interstate again with the confirmation printout and they replaced it with a new unit. I came home and went for a nice long ride in 65 degree weather. Ahhhhhhhh. Time to blow the dust off of it, give it a wash, and prepare for a few more months (fingers crossed) of no snow riding in Minnesota.

Thanks to all who offered really good advice - it's all saved for later, just in case...

Best,
Dan

 

[vman858]

[up]

 

[MnBueller]

As an addendum to riverotter's experience with Interstate. I went there last week to buy a new battery before a 4 day trip. They load tested it and said mine was fine, so no new battery needed. I travel for the 4 days and the bike runs great (YAY!) but I do a have a few close calls with it starting due to what still seems like a bad battery. I go out this morning to ride to work and CLICK!... dead battery. I wonder if their staff are reeeaaally all battery experts???