Ignition Troubles

[Ryan Stanley]

I just bought my XS1100 about 2 weeks ago, and since then, the ignition has been giving me problems. It started out just not wanting to start every now and again, and now it refuses to start at least 75% of the time.

You can hear the starter working when I push the button, but no ignition. If I get it rolling and pop the clutch, it starts right up every time. I've run a series of tests with a voltage/ohm meter, per the instructions in the repair manual, but still am not finding any conclusive results about what the problem is.

There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason as to why it's doing this. It doesn't seem to matter if the bike is hot or cold. And then sometimes it just starts up no problem (but increasingly less often).

Can anybody help me out?

[Hawkins]

New battery or is it what came with the bike?

[prometheus578]

Hawkin's is on the right track for you.

It takes a certain amount of voltage for the ignition system to work.(10. something volts)
An old weak battery may have enough power to crank the engine, but not enough juice left to supply the 10 volts that the ignition needs.
Put a voltage meter across the battery terminals and crank it over. As it cranks, if the voltage drops below 10, that's why it isn't firing.

[Ryan Stanley]

It's the battery that was in it when I bought the bike about two weeks ago. That's the first thing I suspected, and I tried testing the voltage while starting it. It does seem to drop a bit low, but inconsistently.

The thing is, I had it tested at an auto shop, and they said it looks good, which made me start focusing on other things.

However, I bought a hydrometer today and tested it. It gave kinda low readings, so I put the battery on the charger for about 4 or 5 hours, and just now tested it again with the hydrometer. It's still only reading an average of about 1.185 or so.

Bad battery?

[blue giant]

It sounds like the battery is just on the edge of being no good. If the voltage test gave you inconsistent voltage readings I would check and clean the ground connections at the battery, battery to frame and frame to engine.

Good luck!

Paul

[Ryan Stanley]

Alright, I just tested the voltage again while starting it twice in a row. Both times the voltage dropped to about 9.88. Would that be my problem?

[AlanB]

Hi Ryan,

If the battery dips below around 10.5 volts when cranking, the TCi (ignition box) will not fire.

If the bike is fuelling properly, but not sparking, the plugs will be soaked in fuel, and will not be reliable again.

Try using jump leads from a car to start the bike; If it goes OK, you need a new battery....... and some plugs.

AlanB

[blue giant]

Alan, you beat me to it!

[AlanB]

Hi BG,

That is unusual; I have just graduated to using one finger on each hand to type....... used to be right index finger only!!

I am not a bad mechanic, but my typing is cr@p!

AlanB

[Ryan Stanley]

Alright, just jumped it, started right up. Needs a new battery I suppose. Will it need spark plugs for sure?

[prometheus578]

Jumping... with the car not running.
I've seen strange things happen to bike electronics when jumping from running cars.

[Ryan Stanley]

Whoops...

[AlanB]

Hi Ryan,

Good work!..... If it continues to start OK, plugs might be OK, But If I had just bought a thirty year old bike, I would be giving it a BIG service; new oils, filters....... and plugs.

I am in the UK, but I imported bikes to here from the USA for years. Judging by the carbs I worked on, gas is different on the two sides of the pond; If you were over here, I would say that flooded plugs were scrap, but you might be better to take advice from someone closer to you.............

AlanB

[AlanB]

Hi Prom,

I have also seen "issues" when jumping late vehicles, but how much electronics is there on an XS11?

(probably more on yours than on mine, since mySG is stripped of most things which are not absolutely essential!)

AlanB

[Ryan Stanley]

Yeah, I've been slowly working on the maintenance thing. So far, replaced the oil and filter, middle and final drive gear oil, gapped the plugs, ran some SeaFoam through it, rewired the headlights. Got air filters ordered.