Intermittent starting fault

[kennif]

Well she still goes - all seems normal. (SNAFU? )
So I have made a length of wire with a spade connector on one end and an alligator clip on the other and checked to make sure I know how to start the bike using the bypass from the +ve terminal of the battery to the back of the starter motor. It worked fine so that makes me a bit more confident.

[pdxrmccgs]

Back to the future....

Here is a link to a discussion where at least one person says get rid
of the Gel Cell's as they are to temperamental and retro to
the older (trouble free) wet lead acid batteries.

The hard ridden GS of course will have more "nap" times with the
potential for spillage...the posters say just deal with it. Interesting.

Motorcycle battery bad? Plenty of cold cranking amps but won't hold a charge.? - Yahoo! Answers

[kennif]

Thanks for that - an interesting discussion although ultimately inconclusive. I don't think the problem can be my battery - otherwise, why would it fire up so readily when we made a direct connect from the battery to the starter motor.

If it is a fault between the starter button and the starter motor, why are we getting current at the starter motor when I press the button.

Why won't the damn thing go?!!!!!
(That was a rhetorical question - I don't expect anyone on this forum to know the answer.)

[portablejohn]

I keep coming back to idea that it is the starter relay, or associated wiring.

The wiring diagrams are here (if you haven't found them already):
http://www.r1200gs.info/R1200GS-WD2.pdf

I'll print them out (it's hard for me to read them on a screen), and look through the service manual to see if there are any inspection instructions for the starting system (doubtful).

I'll keep checking in to see if you need help reading the diagrams or locating the relays. I'm sorry I don't know more about BMW. If it was a Concours, I could walk you through the whole process...


John

[Carlos M]

Hello,

I'm new here but had a similar problem today on 08 R1200GS. I connected a GS911 and confirmed that all switches and sensors are oprating (kill switch, starter switch, sidestand...) The BMS-K senses the starter switch but voltage won't show up at the solenoid spade terminal.

I can start the bike by directly feeding tge spade terminal of the solenoid with 12V. After looking at the wiring diagram I went searching for the starter relay under the tool tray but it's no longer there. Seems that from 08 onwards got relocated under the tank. As far as I can tell the relay isn't working. After replacing I'll update here.

Regarding the OP prob, I would bet on the relay also. How did the AA man concluded that you have 12 V at the starter when you press the starter button? 12 v are always at the solenoid power input (at the big upper threaded terminal) . What should be fed with 12 V when you press the button is the spade terminal just alongside.

[pdxrmccgs]

Forum discussions and I believe the owners manual point out that the
ECU has a nasty little bit of software that prohibits or defeats the start
process unless the ecu is satisfied that the engine as soon as it is started
has available to it from the battery enough voltage and current to
run and satisfy the eco/emmissions requirements imposed by the
various federal certifying agencies on start-up and before the alternator
starts producing. For starters (no pun intended) your battery should
show 12.6 to 12.9 volts plus load test to no less than @10 volts.

[Kemo Sabe]

Originally Posted by WoodButcher

I recently had a similar problem. The battery tested fine, but the tech said they'd seen a few like this where the starter was actually failing. So they put a new starter in and I've been problem free for more than a month. Apparently the starters don't handle heat well. Too much cranking and they fail. I didn't do a lot of cranking, but it has been very hot here this summer and that must have contributed.

Sorry, mine is a 2009 GS Adventure bought in 2010 so my situation was very similar to the OP.

I was at a rally once when this happened to a rider; his bike would not start,would not turn over, battery checked good. There was some fellow there who knew the bikes well, too, and said the magnets in the starter would get loose, and that caused the problems as stated by you with your bike. The magnets are epoxied on the case, if I understood right; or epoxied somewhere inside the case.

They found a used starter somewhere, put it on, and the bike ran fine.

I don't know, but ???????

Good luck.

[fampton]

Just purchased the 09 R1200GS in August of 2012. The bike has started first time every time in the nearly 4,000 miles I've ridden since. That is until yesterday after one of our stops it would not engage the starter, checks run fine with no faults on the dash when ignition turned on. Did all the obvious - flip kill switch back and forth, engage gear and return to neutral attempt starting with clutch pulled in all to no avail. Then it just started when I pushed the starter switch. At the next stop I was nervous about turning the bike off but since it looked like we would be waiting a while for one in the group to catch up I did. After about 15 minutes we were ready to ride but again my bike would not start. This time I put my ear near the tank and heard a faint click each time I pushed the starter (starter relay?) that I didn't hear with the kill switch turned on. Checking the battery connections found the ground lug slightly loose. Thightened but still no start then for no good reason it started. My battery was replaced in May 2011 with a Interstate YTX14 from records of previous owner. The voltage at rest is 13.15 and at idle 14.58 I made a jumper to "hot wire" the starter in case this happens again but started fine this morning. Is there a list of other things I should check if this problem returns?

[Comerdude]

Sort of on topic, is it wise to get the battery charged regularly and if so at what intervals...?

[flysrv10]

The battery should be checked under load. Battery showing 12+ without load is not a good test. Auto zone can check your battery under load.