SuzukiSavage.com - Print Page

SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl
General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Dead?
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1184602873

Message started by DQ2inCT on 07/16/07 at 09:21:13

Title: Dead?
Post by DQ2inCT on 07/16/07 at 09:21:13

Hi all, I've got a confusing problem with my '05 S40. Yesterday my husband and I went out for a ride and after a few miles he pulled me over to tell me that my brake light was flickering. I checked it and it was working so I made a mental note of the flicker and we continued on our ride. A little while later I noticed that my blinker indicator lights weren't working. While running these two problems through my head, the bike started backfiring and then stalled. I got it over to the side of the road and it restarted but it stalled as soon as I tried to pull away. I managed to coast off onto a side road and we both checked it over - full tank of gas, choke off, gas on, all systems go. My husband started it up and revved it with success. Then he tried pulling away and it died again but this time it was dead. No lights, no horn, nothing. So it was time to ride home on the back of his Triumph and get the trailer. Once the S40 got back in the garage I hooked up the battery charger. This morning the green light on the charger was on so I tried the bike again - still nothing, completely dead....but, when I put the key in the PS position, the lights came on. Does this sound like an ignition problem? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. ???

Title: Re: Dead?
Post by skatnbnc on 07/16/07 at 09:37:27

Sounds like the battery. If it is original to the bike, you may need to just go ahead and replace it. Recharging may get you enough to run the lights, but not the ignition system.

Keep us posted.

Title: Re: Dead?
Post by DrT on 07/16/07 at 10:02:13

It could also be the voltage regulator - if its malfunctioning or badly connected then the battery won't charge. Eventually the ignition drains enough from the battery to flatten it.

Title: Re: Dead?
Post by DQ2inCT on 07/16/07 at 10:11:22

The battery was replaced last fall so it is not that old. The battery charger is indicating that the battery is charged by the green light. The lights and horn do work when the key is in the PS (parking light) position. However, when the key is in the ON position, the bike is completely dead. Even if the battery is weak and needs to be replaced, shouldn't the lights work the same whether the key is in the PS or ON position? Something seems to be up with the ignition circuit. :-/

Title: Re: Dead?
Post by Max_Morley on 07/16/07 at 10:25:07

Check the battery connections at both the battery and where the ground wire attaches to the frame and the hot lead to the solenoid. Sounds like when the load goes up the circuit creates enough resistance it won't work. Max

Title: Re: Dead?
Post by mpescatori on 07/16/07 at 15:24:36

Voltage regulator.

OR

Diodes on the alternator struck out... (as in baseball )

Title: Re: Dead?
Post by Ed_L. on 07/16/07 at 16:55:48

Check under the front right side of the tank for a wire harness connector and see if it has worked loose. I had a loose one on my '02 and it acted the same as you are describing. There is also an engine ground on the lower right side of the engine that can cause problems.

Title: Re: Dead?
Post by tuxedo on 07/16/07 at 18:37:02

uhm. brake light leads shorting out? connector in the brake light popped free? i'd say start tracing that brake lights wiring.

Title: Re: Dead?
Post by azjay on 07/16/07 at 20:55:28

there is a fuse under the seat, i dont know how much it controls the electricals on the bike, but others have had it fail. if you find it blown, look for chaffed/pinched wires somewhere.

Title: Re: Dead?
Post by Rockin_John on 07/16/07 at 21:53:03

Just as with checking the fuses; any electrical problem with multiple symptoms begs to have the ground system checked. Starting with the battery ground terminal itself, and then others. Including, as someone mentioned before, the one from the engine to the frame.

Title: Re: Dead?
Post by Rockin_John on 07/16/07 at 22:09:28

mpescatori wrote:

Voltage regulator.

OR

Diodes on the alternator struck out... (as in baseball )

Unless I'm mistaken, the "voltage regulator" on the Savage is really a rectifier unit which would include the function of the diodes usually inside an automotive type alternator. I'd bet money that the Savage's "rectifier/regulator" has some nice size diodes built into it.

Also, something else I was reading struck me as strange... If I understood correctly, the alternator rotor and windings on the Savage, and lots of other Japanese bikes produce multi-phase AC (Alternating Current) instead of two-phase AC like most countries use for household current. This was news to me. I guess they do it that way because multi-phase AC lends itself to easy generation.

Title: Re: Dead?
Post by smokey02 on 07/17/07 at 07:58:20

Yes. multi-phase AC is very common on bikes, cars and trucks. Compared to the old style DC generators, AC alternators can start charging the battery at much lower rpms and they dont have those brushes and armatures that need to be serviced. Actually the windings are stationary (stator) and its the magnets that spin (rotor).

http://images.powersportsnetwork.com/fiche/images/Suzuki/2005/Motorcycles/7222_19.gif

Title: Re: Dead?
Post by necropsy on 07/18/07 at 07:02:30

The original battery in my 05 S40 died on me two weeks ago (lack of maintenace I'm sure). Exact same symptoms. I charged the battery up to 12.64 volts (multimeter reading), stuck it in the bike and still the same thing. when I checked it after removing it 10 minutes later, the voltage had dropped to 10.27 volts.
Repeat and same thing.
I bought a Deko (Big Crank) AGM battery and now the bike starts better than ever.