Help! Bike won't start after Leo Vince install?

[Hal Incandenza]

Finally got around to installing new Leo Vince evoII pipes on my '08 today.. when I was finished I put the battery back in, turned it on, everything lights up okay and all the lights and signals work, the battery is fully charged.. but when I try to start it, the engine warning light blinks and nothing happens with the starter.

As far as I can tell all the wires that I went anywhere near are all back in place and connected.. if it was the battery the lights wouldn't work, right? (just to be sure, borrowed a friend's meter and double-checked it's fully charged). Kickstand is up, plenty of gas, bike's in neutral. Does anyone have any suggestions??

I was thinking it might have something to do with the ECU, although I'm not really sure what that is or how to check it. Am no mechanic, don't really know much about this stuff.. kinda hoping it's something obvious that I might've missed..

Thanks for any ideas on what it might be or what to try next, if anyone has any!

 

[ChevyFazer]

Why was the battery out to begin with? Also try to push start it so you can find out if it will run or not...

 

[red_rock_beetle]

im not sure about this bike exactly but it sounds like a wire is crossed somewhere

 

[phranK2k11]

Had this happen after changing a SV650s exhaust and rear shock. Turned out to be the "tip over" sensor, we put it on its mount upside down :spank: it was not marked top/bottom and would fit either way, actually pretty easy to screw up if not careful.

hope you get it sorted out quickly!

 

[Hal Incandenza]

Thanks.. I guess it's possible a crossed wire could affect the starter but not everything else? hmm.. never done a push start before but guess i'll have to give that a try..

The battery was out to begin with cuz I'm up in Canada and had been storing for the winter, although as it turns out it's been a relatively warm one.. but i've been periodically trickle charging it..

 

[greg]

Obvious question, is the kill switch on? Also any chance you've touched the side stand switch? Does it start in neutral?

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Finally got around to installing new Leo Vince evoII pipes on my '08 today.. when I was finished I put the battery back in, turned it on, everything lights up okay and all the lights and signals work, the battery is fully charged.. but when I try to start it, the engine warning light blinks and nothing happens with the starter.

As far as I can tell all the wires that I went anywhere near are all back in place and connected.. if it was the battery the lights wouldn't work, right? (just to be sure, borrowed a friend's meter and double-checked it's fully charged). Kickstand is up, plenty of gas, bike's in neutral. Does anyone have any suggestions??

I was thinking it might have something to do with the ECU, although I'm not really sure what that is or how to check it. Am no mechanic, don't really know much about this stuff.. kinda hoping it's something obvious that I might've missed..

Thanks for any ideas on what it might be or what to try next, if anyone has any!

Besides disconnecting the battery for maintainance, what wires/ electrical plugs did you have to to disconnect/move, etc?

You can unplug the ECU and look for any corrosion. There should be some tabs that hold the main harness to the ECU. Gently pull those away and pull the harness off by the PLASTIC. You want to look for any green corrosion, etc.
If found, disconnect the battery then clean the terminals. They are very small and fragile. A tooth brush with WD40 or some other similar product will work. Once cleaned, put some dilectric grease in the connector before re-assembling. It'll keep moisture out/future corrosion..

 

[ChevyFazer]

Ok so the battery was removed for winter storage, did you start the bike before you did anything else or is this the first time trying to start it since storing. Also the proper way to test a battery is with a load tester, just because it has the volts it might not have the amps which matters most. How did you store the battery? Im inclined to think it is your battery if it started easily before storage. Try and push start it, I it starts take it for a little 30min ride, and try to start it. If still nothing then A) the bikes charging system is not doing its job B) the battery will no longer hold a charge C) something on the starter circuit is disconnected or malfunctioning

Isn't there 2 + leads on the battery? One of them being for the starter? If that is the case did you hook that up as well?

 

[Hal Incandenza]

Thanks I was wondering about that.. the second connector on top of the battery seemed hard to reconnect, the plastic casing didn't seem to want to slide in smoothly. Wasn't sure if that was the one that connects to the starter..

If it's not fully connected I guess that would do it... won't get a chance to give it a try till tomorrow.. hope i get it working!

Isn't there 2 + leads on the battery? One of them being for the starter? If that is the case did you hook that up as well?

 

[red_rock_beetle]

Ok so the battery was removed for winter storage, did you start the bike before you did anything else or is this the first time trying to start it since storing. Also the proper way to test a battery is with a load tester, just because it has the volts it might not have the amps which matters most. How did you store the battery? Im inclined to think it is your battery if it started easily before storage. Try and push start it, I it starts take it for a little 30min ride, and try to start it. If still nothing then A) the bikes charging system is not doing its job B) the battery will no longer hold a charge C) something on the starter circuit is disconnected or malfunctioning

Isn't there 2 + leads on the battery? One of them being for the starter? If that is the case did you hook that up as well?

if possible put a volt meter on the battery and try to start it at the same time, if your voltage immediately drops to below 10 volts and jumps back as soon as you release the starter button, you have a bad battery. that's how i test without a load tester, let the motor be your load

 

[ChevyFazer]

That still isn't measuring the cranking amps of the battery, which is what matters the most, that more or less is measuring the draw of the starter and anything else on at the time

 

[ChevyFazer]

Thanks I was wondering about that.. the second connector on top of the battery seemed hard to reconnect, the plastic casing didn't seem to want to slide in smoothly. Wasn't sure if that was the one that connects to the starter..

If it's not fully connected I guess that would do it... won't get a chance to give it a try till tomorrow.. hope i get it working!

Once you get a chance to double check it, also make sure the wire terminals are good and clean as well, and if the plastic insulator is in the way it won't hurt to trim it back a bit as long as you don't trim too much off, that's if it's just the wires insulation, and also if that is for the starter which I think it is. And yes if that is the starters hot lead and it does not have a good connection then that would be your problem. When you get the time to look back into it could you take a picture?

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

I suspect the red plastic cover is pinched inbetween the terminal and the cable. There's just enough current for the lights but not enough amperage for the starter.

There's only one ground wire to the battery and one hot line to the battery...

 

[Hal Incandenza]

Took another go at this today, still no luck.. double-checked the battery connections and made sure everything's in place. Was hoping it was the connector with the white plastic end on top of the battery cover, but doesn't seem to be..ends seem clean, pushed it in all the way, and when i push the starter button the engine light blinks (which wouldn't happen if there was no connection, no?)

Tried push starting it w/ no luck.. but don't know if that's really definitive cuz I've never pushed started a bike before, maybe i was doing it wrong? Put it in second, pushed it w/ clutch in to about 10-15 km/h and quickly dropped it in and out, felt a tiny jolt but no start.. but I'm not sure if maybe i should've left the clutch out a little longer? was worried about accidentally losing control of it..

I was also wondering about spark plugs.. had been planning to change them anyways, i'm at about 20k km (which i guess is about 12k miles).. but the bike was starting easily when i put it in storage back in late November.. would the spark plugs die just sitting there? wouldn't they burn out as the bike's being run?

Tried taking a few iphone pics as requested.. threw in one of my new LV pipes, they look great.. can't wait to hear what they sound like!

 

[ChevyFazer]

Well the way your describing everything I'm leaning toward the side stand switch or maybe a tip over switch

 

[Hal Incandenza]

Thanks!! was just reading a description of what happens when the tip over switch isn't working and it sounds way familiar.. apparently it's located on the left under the passenger seat.. which is right next to where I would've been working when i took off the rear fairing cover for the exhaust install.. maybe a wire came loose or something? will take a look!

Well the way your describing everything I'm leaning toward the side stand switch or maybe a tip over switch

 

[DeusEx]

There is a slight possibility that the immobilizer got de-programmed. I've heart of such a case here in Greece. I'm not sure how they solved it, put it has something to do with the red key and re-programming the black key.
I don't know how it works, but if everything else fails, you might want to look into it.

 

[agf]

I am gonna venture that there is a fuse for the starter circuit, I may be quite wrong, but it may be that simple. With all the fuses under the rh pod, mabe during the pipes install one got shorted out???
I just had my batt. Out last week, I cant remember but is there a fuse in that white plug that attaches to the batery cover?
Hope this has ben more help than hinderance
Sent from the phone: sorry 'bout my spileng, fat fingers...you know!

 

[TownsendsFJR1300]

Took another go at this today, still no luck.. double-checked the battery connections and made sure everything's in place. Was hoping it was the connector with the white plastic end on top of the battery cover, but doesn't seem to be..ends seem clean, pushed it in all the way, and when i push the starter button the engine light blinks (which wouldn't happen if there was no connection, no?)

Tried push starting it w/ no luck.. but don't know if that's really definitive cuz I've never pushed started a bike before, maybe i was doing it wrong? Put it in second, pushed it w/ clutch in to about 10-15 km/h and quickly dropped it in and out, felt a tiny jolt but no start.. but I'm not sure if maybe i should've left the clutch out a little longer? was worried about accidentally losing control of it..

I was also wondering about spark plugs.. had been planning to change them anyways, i'm at about 20k km (which i guess is about 12k miles).. but the bike was starting easily when i put it in storage back in late November.. would the spark plugs die just sitting there? wouldn't they burn out as the bike's being run?

Tried taking a few iphone pics as requested.. threw in one of my new LV pipes, they look great.. can't wait to hear what they sound like!

On your second picture, the wire harness, is there a 4th wire on the lower left(hard to tell)? If there is, it appears to have backed out of the harness..

+1 on checking the main fuse (30 amp) as well. Its above the battery cover and plugs into the starter relay itself. there's a multi wire harness coming out of it. I believe theres a spare next to it.. It may have come loose when you pulled the battery or possibly have some corrosion.

Spark plugs, out of the blue, won't cause the conditions your experiancing (engine light-no fire at all)..

 

[ChevyFazer]

If it was the starter fuse it should have been able to push start