Battery charged by still no start...

**SVGirl** · 02-23-04, 01:55 PM

I charged the battery nice and trickled (teehee). I put it back in and it still wont start.

Why why why??? Help a poor girl get her SV started... it's 40 degrees out, good enough to ride...

Oh how I want to go out and feel the brrrr.....

~w

**VinceF2** · 02-23-04, 02:05 PM

what's it doing when you try and start it?

**benVFR** · 02-23-04, 02:06 PM

Is your battery just dead?

I killed the battery once on my SV, once I charged it up again it fired instantly. (I don't have an SV anymore I just never changed my screen name)

Lots of other things that could be wrong... someone else more knowledgeable will have to help you.

Spark plug? Try pulling a plug and see if you get a spark? (No idea if this is an OK thing to try on a bike. I've never done it on anything fancier than a lawn mower!)

Is the bike turning over but not firing? (Starter?)

Is the choke on, etc.. ? (I know, dumb question)

Did you put fuel stabilizer in it, etc.. when you put it away for the winter? (Carbs dirty?)

Ben

**SVGirl** · 02-23-04, 02:30 PM

The bike is 1/4 tank filled with gasoline.

I killed the bike the other week trying to start it but it didn't start. I just kept pushing the start button. Had the choke on too.

So I got a charger and called PinHead for proper connection procedure. Battery charged and I put it back in.

When I start the bike, it sounds normal. I feel as if it's not catching some sort of "spark/gas/or something"

The bike is practically brand new, 1400 miles on it.

I didn't know I had to use any sort of fuel stabilizer thingies. Can I get isopropyl based gas antifreeze? Will the ones for cars work? Or I need to get them at the bike shop? Or am I off the mark completely?

Thanx!

**VinceF2** · 02-23-04, 02:56 PM

Not being a jerk... but the kill switch isn't on right? Just have to ask...

Gas is on?

I don't think a few months of sitting would gum up a new bike to the point it won't start... IMO...

so if it has gas... and enough juice to turn it over.. then ya check for spark... I bought a cheap spark tester from autozone that goes in line w/ the spark plug wire etc... works well...

hmmm....

**SVGirl** · 02-23-04, 04:04 PM

oh god, Vince.... spark plug tester?!?!

wah.... I just learned how to take the battery out yesterday

And the kill switch is not on. I was told to make sure it's not on, turn the choke and "push" the ignite button, hehe.

Hm.... this sux!

Okay, if I have to bite the bullet and learn to check for the spark, how difficult is that? (wondering what I'm getting myself into.....)

**VinceF2** · 02-23-04, 04:10 PM

Not hard... you pull a plug wire... stick the tester in it.. and clamp the other end to ground... like the frame or something... then hit the starter button and look for spark in the tester window...

It would be odd though being so new to lose spark.... hmmmm

hmmmmm

**SVGirl** · 02-23-04, 04:15 PM

Could it be because I don't have enough fuel?

**VinceF2** · 02-23-04, 04:19 PM

well it "could" be that it isn't getting fuel... but if you have a 1/4 of a tank that would be plenty...

**Pearldog** · 02-23-04, 04:22 PM

Are you sure that the battery is fully charged? Remember also ..pull in the clutch. You may want to play with the kill switch a bit. I would open up the choke...crank it a few times..close the choke a bit and try again. Also you might roll on the throttle a bit while turning it over. Where are you in Boston? I have an SV and might be able to swing by Tuesday if you want another opinion.

Pearldog (Lyle)

**Honclfibr** · 02-23-04, 05:05 PM

Originally posted by SVGirl
I didn't know I had to use any sort of fuel stabilizer thingies. Can I get isopropyl based gas antifreeze? Will the ones for cars work? Or I need to get them at the bike shop? Or am I off the mark completely?

This is most likely your problem, I had the same problem on my EX500 when I left it sitting for three months.

Gas goes bad over time without fuel stabilizer, after a while it doesn't combust very well and can also evaporate into a gooey "varnish" which can clog your carburetors internal parts.

Isopropyl alcohol, "dry gas", won't help here unfortunately. Dry gas is used when your fuel tank gets water in it, not for bad gas. Dry gas combines with the water in the gas tank and allows it to be burned normally with the gas, but I can't see that it would work at all for bad gas. If you put enough of it in there it might combust, but your engine wasn't made to run on alcohol, which iirc tends to ignite under compression in gasoline engines, and could damage it.

You *could* fill your tank up the rest of the way, if the gas isn't too bad and your carbs aren't clogged you might start the bike. IF you don't though, you'll end up with more gasoline to dispose of.

Otherwise, drain the tank and replace it with fresh gas. If that doesn't solve the problem your carbs could be varnished, you should take them off the bike and clean them. Or spray carb cleaner into the throttle butterflies, but that's not really all that good for the internals and it didn't really help much in my case anyway. I had to disassemble the carbs and soak the non-rubber parts in carb cleaner.

Might also check your plugs while you've got the bike apart, make sure they're not fouled from all the misstarting.

**Honclfibr** · 02-23-04, 05:18 PM

Originally posted by VinceF2
I don't think a few months of sitting would gum up a new bike to the point it won't start... IMO...

Hmm maybe I'm wrong then, I thought it was the problem with the EX but it could have been the gas was fine and there was some other carburetion problem that got fixed when I cleaned 'em.

How long does untreated gas last before it starts to varnish and lose volatility? I've never really gotten a straight answer to that one, just "put stabil in it and dont' worry"...

**elaineo** · 02-23-04, 05:23 PM

Originally posted by Honclfibr
This is most likely your problem, I had the same problem on my EX500 when I left it sitting for three months.

Gas goes bad over time without fuel stabilizer, after a while it doesn't combust very well and can also evaporate into a gooey "varnish" which can clog your carburetors internal parts.

yuuup i had that problem too when I'd left my fuel sitting in the tank for only 2 months. It made sorta coughing noises when it was cranking. the tank was about half full, and i topped it off with fresh gas and it started fine.

**elaineo** · 02-23-04, 05:30 PM

Originally posted by Honclfibr
Hmm maybe I'm wrong then, I thought it was the problem with the EX but it could have been the gas was fine and there was some other carburetion problem that got fixed when I cleaned 'em.

How long does untreated gas last before it starts to varnish and lose volatility? I've never really gotten a straight answer to that one, just "put stabil in it and dont' worry"...

The back of my stabil bottle says it starts to varnish in just 3 weeks!

but i think that leaving fuel sitting around for 3 months can definitely fuck things up to the point of not starting. I'd left fuel in my (other bike's) tank for only 2 months when I realized it had gone bad, and when I dumped it out, it was all brown and weird. It didn't even have the consistency of normal gasoline anymore.

**SVGirl** · 02-23-04, 06:58 PM

You guys are awesome!

I think it's the case of bad gas, heheheee

I'm going to get some new gas tomorrow and see. I put my poor battery on the charger again.... sigh....

The freak thing is this: I had tried to start the bike, it caughed a bit, than started for 2 seconds, died than I kept pushing the button and praying.... Died. Went upstairs to get the tools to take out the battery again to charge. Went back down stairs. Put the key in for one last try. It started for 10 - 15 seconds... died again.

I was so so sad.... such a nice day today too...

I hope the new gas is what I need. I will let you guys know. I'm pretty sure it's not any of the mechanics because the bike is practically new.

~w

**PinHead** · 02-23-04, 07:36 PM

Dont hold down the start button for too long either or you could be buying a new starter too

Starters get wayyy hot when they are getting used.

**double agent** · 02-23-04, 07:48 PM

Ill agree to that, put some fresh gas in. you'll be on the road in no time.

**SVGirl** · 02-23-04, 07:50 PM

ED! Why you no tell me that yesterday???!!!

(that's my Asian English, hehe)

**Honclfibr** · 02-23-04, 08:20 PM

If you ask elaine, she might help you dispose of the old gas

**elaineo** · 02-23-04, 10:20 PM

Originally posted by Honclfibr
If you ask elaine, she might help you dispose of the old gas

shhhhhh.....

**TLRMan** · 02-24-04, 12:53 PM

Pull the plugs and replace them, they are probably all fouled, and this will cause a no start condition too...

KB · 02-24-04, 01:03 PM

Did you make sure to take the summer air out of your tires and replace it with Winter air?

That must be the problem!!!

KB

**SVGirl** · 02-24-04, 06:51 PM

This is a sad ending...

I got my bike started... went out nice day, went over railroad track and crashed.

I'm okay but bike got a little banged up.

My Vortex clutch is dangling, dent in the tank, directional lite gone, break lever broken...

Sigh.... I decided to go through my insurance because I know the damage will be more than $500 (my deductable) The Vortex alone was $300 something.

This is not my year.... sux!

**Honclfibr** · 02-24-04, 07:23 PM

Sorry to hear about your crash, those train tracks can be slippery on a car, never mind a bike. Good to hear you're not hurt. So what did the bike need to run?

You might want to get an estimate before contacting insurance. If it's not much more than the clutch that needs replacing, you might be better off just eating the cost rather than dealing with the insurance hike. With a $500 deductible, even if the damage was $800 you might make that $300 back over time in insurance costs by not claiming it.

**SVGirl** · 02-24-04, 07:24 PM

Yah, I dunno what the hell I was thinking going over the tracks on a cold day... actually I had to on Huntington Ave....

My girlfriend is like you should sell the bike... you will kill yourself... I said NO WAY.

I will definitely try to make it to track day this season. No way I'm going to miss it!

Battery charged by still no start...

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