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Messages - ScooterWolf

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1
Downtown 300 / Re: Downtown battery being drained
« on: April 26, 2023, 04:35:26 PM »
Thanks everyone,

I hope to install the battery today and then wait another day before checking it out with the multi-meter. My gut tells me it may be a problem with the
alternator/stator. Not being a mechanic, or an electrician, I have no idea. Given the age and miles on the bike it could be anything at this point.

I hope to report back soon.

- Wolf

2
Downtown 300 / Downtown battery being drained
« on: April 24, 2023, 01:17:29 AM »
Hello,

My 2013 Downtown seems to have a problem with its battery. I just installed a new one, and after a week it lost its charge, low enough that it couldn’t start up the engine. I recharged the battery on my trickle tender, but I’m in no rush to reinstalling it if it will just get drained again, or at least until I can figure out what’s causing the power drain.

Anyone have a problem like this before, or have any idea of the cause?

- Wolf

3
Downtown 300 / Re: Downtown won't start
« on: March 26, 2022, 11:58:08 PM »
Good advice Stuo, and Ruffus. These will be the first points I will talk about when I take the bike in for her tune up.

- Wolf

4
Downtown 300 / Re: Downtown won't start
« on: March 26, 2022, 10:29:26 PM »
Got her started!

With all of my thoughts about possible water in the gas tank (among other crazy theories) It occurred to me that there could be a vapor lock problem with the tank. Over the past few weeks the weather in our area has been up and down with warm mid 70F days followed by low 40 to upper 30s. I’ve never had a vapor lock problem before, but there’s always a first time. So I went out to my garage, and unlocked the gas cap.

Sure enough I could feel a gout of air being released. I tried to start it up and it sounded like it was really close to turning over. Pusher out of my garage I pushed up and down the lane behind my house and tried to start her up again, and yes - she turned over!

Somethings are still odd. The back brake control doesn’t activate the brake lights, but the front one does. Also, I have to hold in the front brake control while hitting the starter button to turn her on. Before I could do this while holding the back brake control and hitting the starter switch. This allowed me to easily give it gas if needed to start the engine. I just completed a 25 minute ride to see how everything is running. The bike felt amazing, no different than it felt before it was too cold to ride last earl December.

With it being starting now I can take her in for my annual Spring tune up and see if the control systems may have defaulted to a factory settling, or if there is a faulty wire or contact somewhere.

Anyway, who knew the bike just needed a good fart to get her started. Regardless, thank you everyone for your kind suggestions and advice.

- Wolf

5
Downtown 300 / Re: Downtown won't start
« on: March 20, 2022, 01:48:53 AM »
Quote from: CROSSBOLT on March 20, 2022, 12:35:50 AM
Okay, so the starter DOES turn the engine over...

When you had the spark plug out, did you lay it on the engine with the plug wire on the plug and spin the engine with the starter and SEE a spark?

Thank you. I will try that next. The battery is still charging at the moment, so I’ll give it a shot in the morning.

- Wolf


6
Downtown 300 / Re: Downtown won't start
« on: March 19, 2022, 10:49:04 PM »
I just put it back on the trickle charger as it occurred to me that the battery may be low again from all of the staring attempts I've tried. The charger's giving a red light to indicate a low charge, so hopefully I'll know in a few hours.

- Wolf

7
Downtown 300 / Re: Downtown won't start
« on: March 19, 2022, 10:37:33 PM »
Quote from: CROSSBOLT on March 19, 2022, 09:15:21 PM
I need something cleared up, me being the OCD type: when you say the engine won't turn over that means to me when you push the start button all you get is silence, right?

The fact the brake light won't light tells me your brake switches are inoperative in both brake handles. They need to work or the starter won't spin. You can bypass them to prove whether this is the cause.

The spark plug would have nothing to do with this problem since assuming the starter won't spin the engine. I guess I was not the only one confused!

When I try to start the engine - ignition key turned to 'on' - dashboard lit up, no engine light coming on -I turn the kill switch on, hold in the brake and push the starter button. I hear the engine begin to rev up, but the engine does not fully turnover to be running. Just the sound of the engine trying to start up, but that's it.

Even if I give it a little gas it still won't fully come on.

* Battery seems to be fine.
* Fuse aren't blown

I last rode the bike about a month a go with no problems, but about two weeks after that I tried to start it again. When it failed I put it on a trickle charger. When the battery was fully charaged, despite that, it's been in the current state that I describe above.

- Wolf

8
Downtown 300 / Re: Downtown won't start
« on: March 19, 2022, 08:41:18 PM »
Inspected the spark plug. It didn't look bad, but just to be sure I replaced it. Engine still won't turn over. I did inspect the fuses, and none of them were blown. However, my brake lights weren't coming on, nor were any of my lights flashing when I turned the hazard light switch on, so that's cause for concern.

My tank is about 2/3's filled, but the bike has been sitting for about a month since the last time I rode it. With the odd weather we've been having - warm days followed by freezing to below freezing ones, any chance there could be condensation/water in my tank?

I'll try get footage of string up the bike, hopefully by Tuesday

- Wolf

9
Downtown 300 / Re: Downtown won't start
« on: March 15, 2022, 09:58:35 PM »
Quote from: CROSSBOLT on March 15, 2022, 08:32:39 PM
You can get at that spark plug two ways:
1. Put bike on center stand, lay on your back on the floor and go in from the bottom.
2. Remove seat and tub and go in from the top.

You need to go in from the top if you are going to verify you are getting spark.
You need either a 5/8ths deep well plug socket or a 5/8ths/16 mm deep well socket.

Thanks, and good to know. I’ll go in from the top as I already have the seat and tube removed. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

- Wolf

10
Downtown 300 / Re: Downtown won't start
« on: March 15, 2022, 07:17:52 PM »
My DT is a 2013 model. Getting to the spark plug is more difficult than it should be unless I'm missing something. Finding and spotting it was pretty hard, and none of my ratchet sockets were successful in removing it, making me believe that a specific kind of tool is needed to do so.

Or am I missing something?

-Wolf

11
Downtown 300 / Re: Downtown won't start
« on: March 11, 2022, 09:39:26 PM »
Quote from: Stig / Major Tom on March 11, 2022, 11:44:15 AM
Can't see that these 2 have been checked out:

1) key on, brake pulled ....IS THE BRAKE LIGHT LIT WHEN PULLING THE BRAKE LEVER?
2) RED Kill Switch....on or off?

Seems his starter IS turning over the engine...but it is not starting.

Stig


Yep, all of that is covered. I've been riding for 12 years so starting the bike is second nature. I've had this problem before and it's pretty much come down to a bad battery. This doesn't seem to be the case now. With time and weather permitting I'll check the spark plug and fuses this weekend.

- Wolf

12
Downtown 300 / Re: Downtown won't start
« on: March 11, 2022, 02:46:05 AM »
Quote from: CROSSBOLT on March 10, 2022, 06:39:31 PM
I am completely confused....

Sorry. I’m probably not doing a good job of describing the problem. The bike is getting power from the battery, but the engine won’t fully start up. If the battery has a good charge based on the reading from my multimeter, then something else seems to be preventing it from fully starting up, and preventing the engine from running.

I’m far from a mechanic, so I can only guess as to what the problem may be. Could this be related to a bad spark plug, or something else?

- Wolf

13
Downtown 300 / Re: Downtown won't start
« on: March 10, 2022, 05:55:40 PM »
Quote from: Stig / Major Tom on March 09, 2022, 06:02:22 PM
I think he said it tries to start =  cranking?...but is not starting, "not turning over"  he calls not starting.
I think.....
IS the starter spinning the engine  but not starting and running the engine?
Stig

Yes, that's exactly. what's happening. I hold the brake, press the start button, and hear the engine, but it doesn't fully start or turn over. That's what led me to think it was a battery problem. Checking it with a multimeters shows the battery has a good charge.

My other thoughts are the spark plug, or the starter itself could be bad.

- Wolf




14
Downtown 300 / Re: Downtown won't start
« on: March 09, 2022, 01:49:43 PM »
Quote from: CROSSBOLT on March 08, 2022, 08:37:20 PM
Not yet. Please clear up the voltage puzzle first....

I checked the voltage for the battery when I tried to start it up. Though the engine didn’t turnover, the voltage read from 10.99 -11.95. I think you said that meant the battery is good. I can check the spark plug next, but if there are other voltage test that may be done I’m open to trying them too.

I have a feeling it may come down to a bad starter, but that’s just my gut feeling.

- Wolf

15
Downtown 300 / Re: Downtown won't start
« on: March 08, 2022, 07:53:49 PM »
I’ve heard checking for a bad spark plug may just require a visual inspection of the plug. If so, what are the signs of a bad one  - soot, or blackened corrosion? Or are there other methods for testing it?

-Wolf

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