Click click click with orange blinking light

stormgrey111

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So, when I press on the starter, it's going click click click.
Battery is about 2 years old showing 12.9 volt
There is an error code 12 which I believe is the crankshaft position error which can also be caused by not enough voltage to the ECU.
Upon reading post after post it looks like it could be a faulty kill switch, a bad ECU, a bad starter relay ,some corrode wires somewhere under the tank, a bad flex capacitor, etc
I am not that mechanically declined to take all that apart. What would be the best way to troubleshoot here ? Start with load testing the battery ?

thanks
 

stormgrey111

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So I took the battery to Autozone and had it tested. They tested it and told me that it registers as a "good" battery.
Any chance that it is a good battery but still not good enough for a start ?

I did not run my bike for a while but charged the battery every once in a while.

Is there a way to test this with a voltmeter myself ?

thanks
 

Motogiro

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You could test the battery with the key off. It should show 12.6 to 12.8 vdc. The motor turning over quickly when you engage the starter should allow the bike to start. If it does not start there is another issue. Could be stale or contaminated fuel or lack of spark. There are more events that need to occur beside the starter just spinning the motor.
When was the last time the bike was running. Was it prepped with fuel stabilizer if it was stored?
 

stormgrey111

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The battery is good, the bike does not even start. I can hear the fuel pump come on when I turn on the switch but when I hit the start button the orange light comes on and it goes : click click click !
 

trepetti

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The battery is good, the bike does not even start. I can hear the fuel pump come on when I turn on the switch but when I hit the start button the orange light comes on and it goes : click click click !
This might be helpful. I just finished up a similar (but not exact) problem. My bike was starting fine until just recently after waxing it, it would no longer crank. Key on I got all the right sounds, fuel pump primed and everything. When I hit the starter button, I got 1 click coming from the starter relay on top of the battery. Battery voltage was normal but dropped less than 1 volt when I hit the button. I tested for voltage at the starter cable at the starter relay and at the starter itself and got the same voltage drop, so all the wiring was good. Lastly, I took a heavy gauge wire and jumped from the battery plus terminal directly to the connection on the starter and ....nothing. I was waxing it with F11, but I don't think that had anything to do with it :)

I ended up removing, disassembling and cleaning the starter's internals and now everything works perfectly.

I had only one good, loud click when I hit the starter button. That's how I was fairly certain it was not a voltage problem. I am not convinced that this is your issue, bur until we know what it is, we don't know what its NOT.

What does your battery drop to when you hit the starter?
 

Motogiro

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If your hearing multiple clicking while holding the starter button it sounds like your battery has very little depth of charge. This could also be a condition of a great voltage drop do to high resistance in wire that provides current from the battery. If the battery has a defective internal supply to one of the battery terminals. I like the load testers that use a resistor pile. Pile type load testers put an actual serious load on the battery. I don't know if the new electronic type put a serious load and therefore may give an incomplete picture of the battery health.
 

stormgrey111

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Fully charged battery
Showed 12.99 volts

Hooked up battery to bike
Turned key
Orange light came on, display shows fault 12
Turned start switch on, heard fuel pump humming
Pressed start switch, orange light starting blinking
Voltage went down to 12.80

Where do I start ?

IMG_5911.jpgIMG_5912.jpg
 

stormgrey111

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Thank you !

It did not help though.
As soon as I turn the key, the orange light stays on and the display has the error code12
When I press the start button it clicks and the orange light starts blinking !
 

Motogiro

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As I was saying before. It sounds like you have a serious voltage drop. e
Error code 12 is is the error for the crankshaft position sensor (CPS). If there is a serious voltage drop, the computer ECU can throw a false code. The fact that you're hearing clicking indicates that when the starter engages the starter relay coil drops in voltage and the voltage then returns and the relay closes. It does this back and forth hence the click click click..... If there is a dead short in the starter this could be the culprit.
Error code 12 would not cause the clicking...
 

Gary in NJ

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Hmm, I’ve had luck on a few classic bikes getting off the dead spot on the starter. It takes two people. Here is the procedure;

- Remove the spark plugs
- Put the bike on the center stand
- Put the bike in 6th gear
- Person 1 engages the starter
- Person 2 spins the rear wheel by hand (pulling towards you from the bottom).
 

stormgrey111

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This might be helpful. I just finished up a similar (but not exact) problem. My bike was starting fine until just recently after waxing it, it would no longer crank. Key on I got all the right sounds, fuel pump primed and everything. When I hit the starter button, I got 1 click coming from the starter relay on top of the battery. Battery voltage was normal but dropped less than 1 volt when I hit the button. I tested for voltage at the starter cable at the starter relay and at the starter itself and got the same voltage drop, so all the wiring was good. Lastly, I took a heavy gauge wire and jumped from the battery plus terminal directly to the connection on the starter and ....nothing. I was waxing it with F11, but I don't think that had anything to do with it :)

I ended up removing, disassembling and cleaning the starter's internals and now everything works perfectly.

I had only one good, loud click when I hit the starter button. That's how I was fairly certain it was not a voltage problem. I am not convinced that this is your issue, bur until we know what it is, we don't know what its NOT.

What does your battery drop to when you hit the starter?
Thank you, I think I will start with removing, disassembling and cleaning the starter's internals like you did. Are there any instructions anywhere as to how do this that you know of ?

thanks
 

trepetti

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Motogiro

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Thank you, I think I will start with removing, disassembling and cleaning the starter's internals like you did. Are there any instructions anywhere as to how do this that you know of ?

thanks
Obviously disconnect the battery when servicing the starter even though it should not have voltage present.
When you hit the starter button do you hear only one click or do you hear many repeated clicks when you depress the starter button.
 

stormgrey111

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Obviously disconnect the battery when servicing the starter even though it should not have voltage present.
When you hit the starter button do you hear only one click or do you hear many repeated clicks when you depress the starter button.
When you mentioned this, I thought I follow the click a bit more closely. Sure enough, there now was only one click when depressing the button and the click clearly came from the starter relay. So I ordered one for $9 from ebay and replaced it. Oh what a joy when the bike started right up.

It is crazy how the Errorcode 12 can lead you going down in all different directions, thanks to this forum I was able to get the bike running !

I guess I should replace the gas in the tank, it's about 8 months old ?
 

Motogiro

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Good work! The error code 12 was likely the ECU throwing a flag on the field because it put out the starter signal but didn't see the CPS (crankshaft position sensor). In other words the ECU sees the starter logic was positive but thinks the motor is not turning. The only way it senses the motor turning is from the CPS so it's logic is there is a sensor problem.
Multiple clicking as in chattering would in most cases indicate a voltage drop. Ex: Bad battery or not enough current. Single click is a different situation.
 
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