Bike loses all power

Smittie61984 · 09-08-2010, 12:38 PM

Had something weird happen to me today. I went for a ride and bike was running just perfect. I get home and stop to check my mail. I take the key out to check the mail and then when I put it back in and turn it on I get the red light low oil indicator (which it always does on start), green neutral and head light. I hit the start and the bike goes completely dead.

I ended up pushing bike to the my 3rd floor parking garage and the lights would comeon every now and then. But when I hit start it'd die again. I didn't get a chance to roll start it when the lights came back on.

Anyone have any clue what is going on?

smileyman · 09-08-2010, 12:46 PM

Ignition key short would guess.

Dnyce · 09-08-2010, 12:47 PM

shes about 15, thats when they really start disobeying, talking back, ignoring you, etc.

lol-sounds electrical
battery
fuses
kickstand switch
clutch switch
random short somewhere(ignition like mentioned, or the start button or run switch, etc)

not familiar with your bike or possible mods youve done(lighting?), but thats what id check first, in the order of easiest to hardest to get to/check.

Smittie61984 · 09-08-2010, 02:30 PM

Well I prayed to the Honda gods that it wouldn't come down to them butt raping me (aka order Honda OEM) and sacrificed a virgin (was going to use Digifox but apparently he isn't anymore). I took the oldest one I could find (at 10) and fed it to the Kraken.

In doing so the bike started up no problem. I did everything I could to replicate the problem but it kept fucking working. Glad it's working but upset that I may not be able to identify what went wrong. Well I'm sure I'll have my chance in the middle of fucking nowhere.

I just thought of this which is probably a bad thing to remember later but I think low oil will cut a motor off (I know it will on Honda small engines). However would it by chance shut down all electronics? I'm just taking wild guesses now

I have two electronic mods. One is the heat grips that I have set up with the fuse box but the fuses where fine. The other is a green neon that I set up for the tag (a lot of good that did since I got a tag obstruction in daytime from Ranger Rick) but that hasn't affected anything before.

Appreciate the info. Now going to find someone who knows how to use an ohmmeter and make them start touching shit.

OTB · 09-08-2010, 04:16 PM

First thing I'd do is load test the battery; a failing battery can drive you batshit crazy...sometimes they'll just slowly fade away and sometimes they'll do intermittent shut downs due to temp, ect. Next on my hit parade would be charging system...if the battery's not getting charged it'll act dead after a short shutdown, but then slowly gain a bit of charge after it's been sitting and cooling off....that's where I would look first.

derf · 09-08-2010, 06:27 PM

Battery sounds like the biggest culprit, take the body off and start looking at wires around the ignition too. Is the key loose in it? Are the contacts in good condition?

Smittie61984 · 09-08-2010, 07:43 PM

OTB you might just be right. I noticed the other night while driving home in the country (no city lights) my lights kind of flickered some. I kind of blew it off but I recognized it from either a bad battery or bad Rectifier/Regulator. I replaced a bad R/R a year ago with a used GSXR750/600 RR that a lot of other F3 owners have done.

How do you do a "load test"? Is that something Batteries Plus can take care of or Autozone?

Curb · 09-08-2010, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTB

First thing I'd do is load test the battery; a failing battery can drive you batshit crazy...sometimes they'll just slowly fade away and sometimes they'll do intermittent shut downs due to temp, ect. Next on my hit parade would be charging system...if the battery's not getting charged it'll act dead after a short shutdown, but then slowly gain a bit of charge after it's been sitting and cooling off....that's where I would look first.

This...

Check the charging system. Chances are that it is either your regulator or alternator...from what I read in the OP it sounds like the alternator. Usually if its the regulator the battery will be stone dead and nothing will come on. What you said it sounds like it might be the alternator. Good luck.

Smittie61984 · 09-09-2010, 12:09 PM

Well I took it to Batteries plus and the battery turned out perfect. 100% charge and 100% something else. He said my CCA is suppose to be 120 but performing at 180.

Now it did start up in the morning just fine and when I left batteries plus (and a fedex kinkos shortly before). But I drove about 10+ miles (in some traffic) to run to school and when I left there after being there for 10minutes it did it again. I got the light to come back on and I push started it off. I got back to my apartment and after I turned it off I tried to turn it on and it did it again. When I hit the ignition after it dies the neutral light comes on very faint while I have the ignition depressed.

Here is my original R/R compared to my new one...

and here it is wired up.

I'm going to find someone who knows how to use a ohmmeter because I have no clue how those bastards work. What should they check for when checking the R/R?

Appreciate the help guys

Kerry_129 · 09-10-2010, 05:55 PM

You know, I didn't even read your first post closely before replying about the charging system....

The immediate dead (not just turning over slowly) & occasionally coming back on definitely sounds like a flaky connection. Clean/scrape battery terminals & clean the frame ground (somewhere around where the main frame spars & subframe join). Also check the terminals/wires of the main fuse holder located on the starter relay holder. Good luck!

09-08-2010, 12:38 PM	#1
Smittie61984 I give Squids a bad name Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Fly Over State Moto: 1996 CBR600 F3 (AKA the Flying Turd) Posts: 4,742	Bike loses all power Had something weird happen to me today. I went for a ride and bike was running just perfect. I get home and stop to check my mail. I take the key out to check the mail and then when I put it back in and turn it on I get the red light low oil indicator (which it always does on start), green neutral and head light. I hit the start and the bike goes completely dead. I ended up pushing bike to the my 3rd floor parking garage and the lights would comeon every now and then. But when I hit start it'd die again. I didn't get a chance to roll start it when the lights came back on. Anyone have any clue what is going on? __________________ lifts - R.I.P.

09-08-2010, 12:46 PM	#2
smileyman White Trash Hero Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: NW Arkansas Moto: Buell 1125R Porco Rosso Edition Posts: 4,895	Ignition key short would guess. __________________ Arkriders.com To be the best you must first be willing to risk the worst!

09-08-2010, 12:47 PM	#3
Dnyce flyin high Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: cali Moto: 10speed huffy w/cards in the spokes Posts: 2,318	shes about 15, thats when they really start disobeying, talking back, ignoring you, etc. lol-sounds electrical battery fuses kickstand switch clutch switch random short somewhere(ignition like mentioned, or the start button or run switch, etc) not familiar with your bike or possible mods youve done(lighting?), but thats what id check first, in the order of easiest to hardest to get to/check. __________________ "Racing Is Life, Everything Before and After is Just Waiting" Steve McQueen Last edited by Dnyce; 09-08-2010 at 12:50 PM..

09-08-2010, 02:30 PM	#4
Smittie61984 I give Squids a bad name Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Fly Over State Moto: 1996 CBR600 F3 (AKA the Flying Turd) Posts: 4,742	Well I prayed to the Honda gods that it wouldn't come down to them butt raping me (aka order Honda OEM) and sacrificed a virgin (was going to use Digifox but apparently he isn't anymore). I took the oldest one I could find (at 10) and fed it to the Kraken. In doing so the bike started up no problem. I did everything I could to replicate the problem but it kept fucking working. Glad it's working but upset that I may not be able to identify what went wrong. Well I'm sure I'll have my chance in the middle of fucking nowhere. I just thought of this which is probably a bad thing to remember later but I think low oil will cut a motor off (I know it will on Honda small engines). However would it by chance shut down all electronics? I'm just taking wild guesses now I have two electronic mods. One is the heat grips that I have set up with the fuse box but the fuses where fine. The other is a green neon that I set up for the tag (a lot of good that did since I got a tag obstruction in daytime from Ranger Rick) but that hasn't affected anything before. Appreciate the info. Now going to find someone who knows how to use an ohmmeter and make them start touching shit. __________________ lifts - R.I.P.

09-08-2010, 04:16 PM	#5
OTB The Man Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: CrabTown USA Moto: 00 Bimota DB4 Posts: 823	First thing I'd do is load test the battery; a failing battery can drive you batshit crazy...sometimes they'll just slowly fade away and sometimes they'll do intermittent shut downs due to temp, ect. Next on my hit parade would be charging system...if the battery's not getting charged it'll act dead after a short shutdown, but then slowly gain a bit of charge after it's been sitting and cooling off....that's where I would look first. __________________ http://www.decreasingradius.net/

09-08-2010, 06:27 PM	#6
derf token jewboy Join Date: Nov 2008 Moto: CBR 900, KLR ugly ass duckling, Gas Man Posts: 10,799	Battery sounds like the biggest culprit, take the body off and start looking at wires around the ignition too. Is the key loose in it? Are the contacts in good condition? __________________

09-08-2010, 07:43 PM	#7
Smittie61984 I give Squids a bad name Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Fly Over State Moto: 1996 CBR600 F3 (AKA the Flying Turd) Posts: 4,742	OTB you might just be right. I noticed the other night while driving home in the country (no city lights) my lights kind of flickered some. I kind of blew it off but I recognized it from either a bad battery or bad Rectifier/Regulator. I replaced a bad R/R a year ago with a used GSXR750/600 RR that a lot of other F3 owners have done. How do you do a "load test"? Is that something Batteries Plus can take care of or Autozone? __________________ lifts - R.I.P.

09-09-2010, 12:09 PM	#9
Smittie61984 I give Squids a bad name Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Fly Over State Moto: 1996 CBR600 F3 (AKA the Flying Turd) Posts: 4,742	Well I took it to Batteries plus and the battery turned out perfect. 100% charge and 100% something else. He said my CCA is suppose to be 120 but performing at 180. Now it did start up in the morning just fine and when I left batteries plus (and a fedex kinkos shortly before). But I drove about 10+ miles (in some traffic) to run to school and when I left there after being there for 10minutes it did it again. I got the light to come back on and I push started it off. I got back to my apartment and after I turned it off I tried to turn it on and it did it again. When I hit the ignition after it dies the neutral light comes on very faint while I have the ignition depressed. Here is my original R/R compared to my new one... and here it is wired up. I'm going to find someone who knows how to use a ohmmeter because I have no clue how those bastards work. What should they check for when checking the R/R? Appreciate the help guys __________________ lifts - R.I.P.

09-10-2010, 05:55 PM	#10
Kerry_129 Semi-reformed Squid Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 531	You know, I didn't even read your first post closely before replying about the charging system.... The immediate dead (not just turning over slowly) & occasionally coming back on definitely sounds like a flaky connection. Clean/scrape battery terminals & clean the frame ground (somewhere around where the main frame spars & subframe join). Also check the terminals/wires of the main fuse holder located on the starter relay holder. Good luck!