free website stats program Starting Problem | Harley Davidson Forums

Starting Problem

S

suenami

New Member
I've got an '03 Dyna T-Sport - 5600 miles. Got home after a month away and bike won't start. It sounds like the starter is trying, but the engine won't turn over. Battery is fully charged. With the engine in gear, and clutch disengaged, I can't roll the bike at all - obviously not normal. With the bike in neutral, it rolls with no problem. Any ideas what to check first?
 
suenami said:
I've got an '03 Dyna T-Sport - 5600 miles. Got home after a month away and bike won't start. It sounds like the starter is trying, but the engine won't turn over. Battery is fully charged. With the engine in gear, and clutch disengaged, I can't roll the bike at all - obviously not normal. With the bike in neutral, it rolls with no problem. Any ideas what to check first?
Click to expand...

Is it a full normal crank but no start?

Also the situation with rolling in gear and neutral, it's more than likely the clutch plates are a bit stuck together from not running. It should work OK when you get it started.
As far as the rest, load test the battery and check the connections by removing and cleaning them, neg off first and on last.
 
No, it's mostly just a strong "click". A couple times it's been a multiple clicking sound, kind of like teeth hitting but not engaging - does that make any sense?
 
Lots of sense :newsmile040:

Do the battery terminal thing mentioned in the last post. It sounds like it may be the problem if the battery has a full charge but don't assume that the battery is good. It may not have the power to crank the engine even thou the voltage is up.

Is it like a chatter?
 
suenami said:
I've got an '03 Dyna T-Sport - 5600 miles. Got home after a month away and bike won't start. It sounds like the starter is trying, but the engine won't turn over. Battery is fully charged. With the engine in gear, and clutch disengaged, I can't roll the bike at all - obviously not normal. With the bike in neutral, it rolls with no problem. Any ideas what to check first?
Click to expand...

Not being able to move in gear with clutch pulled in is not a problem. The oil is sticky between the plates. They will release as soon as the engine is running and you put it in gear, it will probably jerk a little. If you feel you must get them loose, rock back and forth, they will break free after a while.
Check the battery terminals to make sure the cables are tight.
Trace the negative (black) cable to frame and make sure that bolt is tight.
Good idea to wire brush or wiggle cable attach points.
Even if the battery is showing 12+ volts, it may have a weak/bad cell and won't pull a load. Especially suspect if battery is a few years old. If you have a volt meter, see what voltage drops to when button is pushed. There is a good article on load checking in the self help tips.
 
I want to see if major electrical is OK. Take the bike out of gear, put in neutral. See if it will crank and start. If it does, it eliminates a lot of possibilities.
 
Thanks to everyone who replied to this. The battery was hooped - put the voltmeter on it and found only 10 volts, less than 8 with the ignition on. Bought a new battery and started right up. Everything should be so easy to fix! Special thanks to Glider, I put on braided lines and control cables, and used several of your tips. My favourite for bleeding brakes, tie the lever to the grip and take the rest of the day off - worked like magic - how good is that.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top