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Barely Starting.

Toadride

Toadride

Cruisin' Guzzisti
Joined
Apr 2, 2012
Messages
272
Location
Nelson
Just got the bike back from the dealer. First thing I noticed right in front of the dealer, it barely started. Single crank. then a pause then another but it did start. Battery showed 12.5 but he said just ride it and it will charge right up. I rode it back to PCB and this morning I tried again and same thing. Pulled out the meter and got 13.2 off the battery and 14+ running. Dealer said he didn't touch the grounds at the starter but had the battery out. Both terminal connections are solid and even now painted with some anti corrosion stuff. The only thing that has really changed is the weather since I took it in. It was 50 something yesterday and this morn it was 32. Now about 37. Is it the weather? :?:
 
How old is the battery? If it is at the two year mark, replace it. It will wreak havoc on you until you do.
 
Just because the connections are solid, it doesn't mean they are conducting well. Remove the connections, clean them well, then re-install. There may be some of that "paint" where it shouldn't be. BTW, the 6 year old battery in my 1100 Breva, and the 10 year old battery in a friend's Stone are both still working fine.
 
john zibell said:
BTW, the 6 year old battery in my 1100 Breva, and the 10 year old battery in a friend's Stone are both still working fine.
Click to expand...
John, I have been educated by newer battery manufacturers that state that each year, the allowable lead content required to make the batteries is rapidly diminishing, so older lead batteries will always be MUCH better then new. If you have a battery made within the last 4-5 years, life expectancy is ~4 years max, if made within the last few years, it's ~2-3. My '09 Stelvio battery expired exactly two years from when I bought the bike new in '10. Only a load test divulged it was borderline, but the battery simply would not turn the bike over, offering the typical thud when the starter was commanded, followed with a blank dash screen, then warning light including "ECU" shown unplugged on the dash. A new battery was required, and all was back to normal again. This is why Lith-I batteries are the new direction; Lighter, more CCA's with the only downside right now being expense, and they will expire completely if over-charged or taken below 11V.
 
GT-Rx said:
I have been educated by newer battery manufacturers that state that each year, the allowable lead content required to make the batteries is rapidly diminishing, so older lead batteries will always be MUCH better then new.
Click to expand...

I'd never given that a thought but it's a good point. Mines just over two year old and seems to be OK as it's spent it's life on an optimiser, however at the first sign of trouble it's history !
 
GT-Rx said:
john zibell said:
BTW, the 6 year old battery in my 1100 Breva, and the 10 year old battery in a friend's Stone are both still working fine.
Click to expand...
John, I have been educated by newer battery manufacturers that state that each year, the allowable lead content required to make the batteries is rapidly diminishing, so older lead batteries will always be MUCH better then new. If you have a battery made within the last 4-5 years, life expectancy is ~4 years max, if made within the last few years, it's ~2-3. My '09 Stelvio battery expired exactly two years from when I bought the bike new in '10. Only a load test divulged it was borderline, but the battery simply would not turn the bike over, offering the typical thud when the starter was commanded, followed with a blank dash screen, then warning light including "ECU" shown unplugged on the dash. A new battery was required, and all was back to normal again. This is why Lith-I batteries are the new direction; Lighter, more CCA's with the only downside right now being expense, and they will expire completely if over-charged or taken below 11V.
Click to expand...

Interesting. EPA strikes us again. So which is better for the environment, fewer batteries with a higher lead content each, or many more batteries that have less lead each and with about the same amount of acid in either type battery? If you look at the Stone for an example, one battery that so far has lasted 10 years, if a new production, it would take 5 batteries for that time period so all that lead and all that acid. Really makes you wonder about these people at EPA.
 
Toad, I recommend taking another look at the ground connection below your starter. While you have the starter cover off you can also double check the positive connection from battery to starter. Be careful with the latter because it will be all too easy to short out between that starter lug and the frame. In the category of 'can't hurt and might help' Michael Heath at MotoLectric (http://www.motolectric.com/products/hicap.detail.html ) can make up a much better ground cable. His HiCap cables are at least 50% larger diameter wire. The HiCap is very flexible multi strand with superior lugs at each end. I got him to make up a much shorter one for my bike and then attached it to an engine case on the right side of the bike. This made the ground connection at least 10" shorter to reduce resistance even more.

Merry Christmas!

Peter Y.
 
Uh, ya, sorry. In a rush to get on the road yesterday and didn't lay down much info. The bike and stock battery are six months old. As I said the battery is reading 12.5. After a 300 mile ride it is starting alright again. So I guess I am back to the original question about cold starts on this beast. Is it known to be a hard crank at freezing? What about the 10-60 oil? Does that make it a hard crank? And, Peter Y. I immediately thought of you when it happened. Knowing you had replaced your grounds with a heavier cable I had thought there must be something to this cranking problem or else why would someone be manufacturing a sellable cable?
 
Mine has 3000 miles and gets left outside when I spend the night at my gf's house. I've had a dozen or so nights in the 20's with no starting issues at all. Both my Ducati and my Aprilia used to hate the cold but so far the stelvio has been a whole new Italian for me.

James
 
Same here....

Starts fine in the cold although I am now in the habit of giving it an 1/8 turn of the throttle when I start each time. Starts on first shot every time. No issues....

Tight valves can lead to hard starting in the cold also.

When you say hard to start, do you mean it is not turning over fast enough (by sound), or it just wont start on the first push. If it is the latter, try giving it a little throttle as you start it.
 
Hmmm... Well Pete. Have you got a couple of hours? I guess to see the whole picture you could see my RR on ADVRider. 'Toad on the Road. But I did outline it in yesterdays latest.
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=809995
Very warm here this morning and the bike starts right up. I am definitely going to switch out the cables when I get to Arizona. :D
 
It sounds like you are saying it is cranking over slowly, like a weak battery.
If so, double check the battery cable connections and verify that they are tight on BOTH ends, the hot and ground.
My Stelvio has had no issues in 4 years now, even when below freezing temperatures.
EXCEPT for the time the spark plug caps were damaged. If they adjusted the valves, and maybe damaged the spark plug caps, then it can be really hard to start.
 
Lemme see.. I had had several services done on my trip. Each tech said the TB sync was out and pretty well blamed the guy before him for doing it wrong. I got to Virginia and having a Mistral can, decided to have Redline do their ECU flash. I had asked to have the O2 sensors pulled and bunged as they had done with Pyoungbl's but for some reason they left them in there and said the flash was actually working in conjunction with the sensors. They also said my rotors were warped and forks were worn out. Plus they said I had an exhaust leak from someone taking the exhaust apart and not putting it back together right. They decided not to let me know about it until I was riding off and never suggested repair. I know for a fact that no one on this side of the pond has touched the pipes besides me and I just popped the can off and threw on the Mystral. Anyhoo, I rode down to the Keys with a fairly happy bike besides the two times it died due to someone not tightening up the ground on the ECU and someone having knocked ff the pronged connection to the solenoid. Somehow I was able to find these fuckups and carry on. The running became worse and worse in the Keys and then the exhaust gasket blew right out. One side of the y was completely blown and the other side was lwaking badly. I got it to Miami where they didn't have the parts but used exhaust wrap to jerry rig it. It still leaked and of course continued to run like shyte, pretty well stalling at stop signs. I got to Tallahassee and Danny at Fasttraxx did a bit off a repair and applied of numerous warranty fixes. Six weeks later he finally got fork parts and exhaust gaskets and did the work. Guzzi refused to warranty the rotors, the out of whack windshield and the exhaust work. When I left Talahassee it almost didn't start and this was the case for each sucessive 32 degree F. morning, as previously described. The temp has warmed to the mid 40s and starting is no problem now. Also when I left it immediately stalled aat the first on ramp but I got it going and carried on. Oddly enough the stalling and near stalling gradually lessened and now is practically non existent. As if the computer is learning. Could it be? :lol:
As I head for Arizona my days are now consisting of 90 mph runs on the interstate and Big Gal seems to be loving it. Go figure. :D
There. A brief summation. :laugh:
When I left Talahassee it was s
 
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