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Stranded with a V-Strom with no starter

5K views 19 replies 8 participants last post by  rjwinz 
#1 · (Edited)
Well, crap. My electrical issues persist and I'm now stranded in Firenza, Italy (I guess that part could be worse. ;))...

Loaded up my '05 Wee this morning to head to Amalfi, ignition on, lights good, hit the button...nada. Not even so much as a click from the starter.

- No error code on the clock LCD.
- Battery is fine. Checked with multimeter and it is reading 12+ volts.
- The kickstand kill-switch is fine and is fully pushed-in with the kickstand up. Same results with the kickstand up and in N.
- The little harness under the switch that is notorious for coming loose is fully attached and I checked it for continuity with a multimeter.

All other electricals are working (lights, horns, blinkers, hazards) and I verified that the headlights actually turn off when the ignition button is pushed which makes me think that the ignition switch itself is okay. I had that switch apart once a couple of months ago troubleshooting previous issues and, man, I don't want to tear into that thing again as it is HARD to get back together. Maybe I'm going to have to. :\

Barring the ignition switch, by poking around on the Internet a bit I think that leaves the starter relay or the starter itself. I dropped a 12mm wrench across the leads thus bypassing the relay (and making a huge spark) and the starter motor kicked on for a second. I pulled the relay but I don't have enough spare wiring and clips to wire it directly to the battery to make sure it will fire with 12V applied directly. I did get continuity across the leads though as per the service manual.

Anyone have any ideas? Well, ideas other than "Why don't you have enough wiring kit to test this, doofus!" and "Go tear into the ignition switch." which I guess I'm about to go do since the Suzuki shop is closed now and I've tried everything else.
 
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#2 ·
The starter switch has normally closed contacts for the lights and normally open contacts for the starter motor. The normally closed contacts working has little to do with the condition of the normally open contacts. The starter button switch is still the usual suspect after the clutch switch. No error code at the clock and no clicking means the clutch switch, the starter switch or the starter relay is the problem. See if the relay is getting power when the starter button is pressed.
 
#5 ·
He said the wiring was in place and the clutch switch tested properly. I would double check though as it is, by far, the usual problem in a no crank situation with a proper clock display.
 
#9 ·
I didn't see that you mentioned if you checked the ignition kill switch. Sometimes a rider can inadvertently turn that off. If they do not use it regularly, (like me), when that happens, it can be totally baffling as to what is wrong with the bike. (Ask me, I know.......)
 
#10 ·
The kill switch or side stand switch will display a CHEC at the clock position.
 
#12 ·
Since I don't have the OEM instrument cluster on my bike any more, I worry much less about warning lights now. In fact I have totally forgotten about them! I just ride!
 
#13 ·
Had a similar problem. Remove the cluch lever and clean the switch and make sure the lever is engaged with the switch when reassembling.
Failing this unplug the green connector on top of the RHS of radiator, the terminals can arc and cause a bad connection of the kill switch, same symptons. Bad news is that you've got to remove most of the plastic to get to it.
 
#14 ·
Hey, everyone. Thanks so much for all of the help! Especially the long-timers who have posted on similar issues in the past. I dug through a lot of old posts before I bothered to create my own thread. And I'm not at all electrically-inclinded so I'm learning as I go. I spent yesterday evening after all of the moto shops closed reading up on how to actually use the multimeter that I bought after the first round of electrical problems. ;)

Some updates:

1) Yes, I checked/reset/rechecked the following:
* reset the drop sensor just in case.
* checked the kickstand safety sensor and have been attempting to start the bike in N as extra measure.
* checked that the clutch safety switch is fully plugged in.
* disassembled, inspected, cleaned, reassembled the ignition switch yet again.

2) There is no way I could bump this thing where I'm parked. I'd have to push it a half mile first.

I was able to scrounge some wire and jumped the clutch safety switch and now the relay is firing and the starter motor is engaging so that suggests that indeed there is some sort of problem with the CSS. Of course, I'm getting an F1 on the LED console but, according to the manual, that is because the ECM is unhappy about the jump.

The problem now is that the engine simple will not fire. I had really hoped to avoid having to do this

1) as a matter of pride. I should be able to fix my own damn bike :\
2) to save money as my intent is to be on the road for a LONG time

but I have a local Suzuki shop coming with a van and I'm going to send this bike into the shop for service.

I'll let everyone know what the shop says. Keep in mind that this is, uh, the third time this bike has been in the shop for electrical problems so I'm not hopeful of a permanent fix. My follow-up plan is currently as follows:

1) The bike was named "Vittoria" which is Italian for "victorious". I'm re-naming it after my ex-wife for obvious reasons.
2) As soon as I can get it started again I'm driving it into the river and then claiming it was stolen. ;)
3) I'm going to buy a buddy's 1974 Norton Commando because it has fewer electrical problems. ;)

Thx again. I'll let you know what the verdict is this time around.
 
#17 ·
1) The bike was named "Vittoria" which is Italian for "victorious". I'm re-naming it after my ex-wife for obvious reasons.
2) As soon as I can get it started again I'm driving it into the river and then claiming it was stolen. ;)
3) I'm going to buy a buddy's 1974 Norton Commando because it has fewer electrical problems. ;)

Thx again. I'll let you know what the verdict is this time around.
Nice that you have retained your sense of humor. Humbling to know that even the vaunted DL650 can have a problem now and then.

There is a similar thread going on over at the VSRI forum. Guy had to replace his starter switch.

Starter switch problem

Good luck.
 
#18 ·
The clutch switch will not throw an FI if it is jumpered. Something else is doing that. See FAQ: Dealer Mode & FI Error Codes on how to read error codes and what the codes mean.

There is still a problem with the clutch switch or its connections if the starter will crank when the connections are jumpered but not when the clutch lever is pulled.
 
#19 ·
Ok, quick status update...

Let's just start with the fact that the guys at Emporio del Motociclo in Firenze are completely kick ass.

After I hoofed it down to the service center, Gianluca and I hopped on his scooter and we made a run to the campsite. A little onsite troubleshooting made it clear that there was a larger problem than just the CSS. Gianluca scootered it back to the service center while I remove all of the cases and bags and crap from the bike and Allesdandro came with a van to pick me up. He didn't have his ramp so that two of us had to lift the bike into the van. A bit of grunting and laughing and the final assessment was "Eh, non c'e male!"

As it turns out, I had the misfortune to have two issues at the same time. First the CSS was bad and the US version is different than the EU version so rather than wait until next week when an order could arrive we just let the "bad" one soak in contact cleaner while we removed the tank and checked the plugs. The plugs LOOKED fine but we swapped them, reinstalled the CSS, and the big piece of junk fired right up. Somewhere along the way we lost one of the tubes that attaches to the fuel tank so we "improvised" and I'm going to have to order and wait on a replacement but in the meantime I'm heading for Siena for a couple of days. The replacement should arrive Tues or Wed of this coming week.

All of that and they only charged me for the plugs. They were so floored to see a California license plate that I got off easy. Some of the staff from the parts desk even came and took pictures of the license plate.

Ha ha.

Sometime I'll tell you guys the story about getting chased down by a scooter on the autostrada outside of Rimini to be greeted with cheers of "USA USA USA!"

Thanks for your help everyone! Man, do I hope this is it for electrical problems for a while. I guess the good news is that I'm getting to know the electrical system on this bike a lot better than I ever thought I would.
 
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