SuzukiSavage.com - Help please! Won't start and it's my only ride

savage_skulls_

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Help please! Won't start and it's my only ride
02/27/15 at 23:29:55

Ok guys this may have already been asked and I'm a bit of a noob... but here goes. I've got an 03 savage and just broke the 5000 mile marker yesterday. Rode it home fine from work then back to store. Tried going out to start it later and it won't start. Killed the battery trying. It's also hard to move it from neutral to first now. I noticed toward the end of the battery that my clutch cable is frayed. Could this be the culprit?

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1st2know

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Re: Help please! Won't start and it's my only ride
Reply #1 - 02/28/15 at 00:10:12

Does the headlight come on? Full bright?
How did it behave when you were trying to start it? (lights dim, starter cranks, grunting noise)

Check to make sure the clutch is disengaged, kickstand down, in neutral.

Charge the battery. You may have to take the battery out to charge it (or at least expose it from the right side). Do you have multi-meter?

The clutch cable is frayed? By the lever or on the engine? Does the clutch lever operate freely, normally?

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justin_o_guy2

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What happened?

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Re: Help please! Won't start and it's my only ride
Reply #2 - 02/28/15 at 00:22:35

5,000 miles and the clutch cable is messed up? Where? Can you see any reason for that?

Get the battery out,check water level, if low, fill with distilled, a good light behind the battery,to see the level, a fat syringe to fill it. If it's old, just get a new one,, Big Crank is a favorite among the Old Cranks who hang here.
How long have you had it and how many miles did you put on it?
It's 12 years old,, 5,000 miles... no telling how old the tires are,battery,
Where do you live? First bike?

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savage_skulls_

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Re: Help please! Won't start and it's my only ride
Reply #3 - 02/28/15 at 06:04:27

I live in Arkansas. Yes it's my 1st bike that I have had to maintain. I've ridden bikes since I was about 14 but always family members, friends, etc... I've put about 400 miles on it. It's frayed right at the lever. Just two or three wires look like they've come loose. I've got short arms and installed a driver backrest yesterday before going to the store and had my backpack on so couldn't really lean forward. I'm guessing the different angle I was pulling on the clutch lever attributed to the fraying. The headlights and everything were strong when I first started cranking it. I kept trying different things to start it though, with the way the weather has been. I've tried it with the choke all the way out, choke in, in neutral, in 1st. Noticed the fraying when I tried it in 1st and it was kind of hard to get it in 1st and it was trying to roll forward while I was trying it in 1st. I know I shouldn't have kept trying but I had to get to work and it's fired right up with no problems the last 4 months. After about 20 minutes is when my battery was starting to get weak. I've had to pull the clutch all the way in while starting it whether in 1st or neutral since having it and it seems it's not going all the way in now. Just put gas in it yesterday so I don't think it's out of gas. I wasn't able to open the cap though because it was too frozen for the key to go all the way in. It was 28 degrees and had been fairly humid with little spats of freezing rain and snow here and there but nothing sticking. Thing is though she fired right up that morning with the choke out at 23 degrees with the same conditions. So that's all I can think it could be. Just needing a more experienced opinion. Thank you guys for replying

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savage_skulls_

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Re: Help please! Won't start and it's my only ride
Reply #4 - 02/28/15 at 06:19:32

Just to add to that. I know the battery is dead now. But she's seemed to have a strong one this whole time. I'm going to have to charge it. Battery may be old though. She was an older mans' wife's bike and she didn't like riding which is why I got it at a good price for less than 5000 miles. He had changed the tires, oil, belt (just to be safe since she's been a garage queen), spark plugs, rear brakes, and spark plug. He was going to chop it but all he got done was put a short pipe on and boy is she LOUD! Thinking she needs to be rejetted still because she backfires a lot

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Serowbot

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Re: Help please! Won't start and it's my only ride
Reply #5 - 02/28/15 at 07:24:56

savage_skulls_ wrote on 02/28/15 at 06:04:27:

Just put gas in it yesterday so I don't think it's out of gas.

Replace the gas with fresh... You may have put in diesel... or just some bad gas...
Unlike modern cars, our filler hole will accept diesel or gas fuel nozzles...
It has happened here, more than once...

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28886 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Help please! Won't start and it's my only ride Reply #6 - 02/28/15 at 08:27:46 savage_skulls_ wrote on 02/27/15 at 23:29:55: It's also hard to move it from neutral to first now. I noticed toward the end of the battery that my clutch cable is frayed. Could this be the culprit? a frayed cable won't keep the bike from starting.
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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28886 L.A. California Gender:	Re: Help please! Won't start and it's my only ride Reply #7 - 02/28/15 at 08:42:32 savage_skulls_ wrote on 02/28/15 at 06:04:27: I've got short arms and installed a driver backrest yesterday before going to the store and had my backpack on so couldn't really lean forward. any chance you'll pulled something loose?
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verslagen1

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Re: Help please! Won't start and it's my only ride
Reply #8 - 02/28/15 at 08:46:15

savage_skulls_ wrote on 02/28/15 at 06:04:27:

Just put gas in it yesterday so I don't think it's out of gas. I wasn't able to open the cap though because it was too frozen for the key to go all the way in. It was 28 degrees and had been fairly humid with little spats of freezing rain and snow here and there but nothing sticking. Thing is though she fired right up that morning with the choke out at 23 degrees with the same conditions.

I'm thinking you picked up some water in the gas and it's sitting in the carb.
drain the carb, charge the bat and give 'er a go.

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Oldfeller--FSO

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Re: Help please! Won't start and it's my only ride
Reply #9 - 02/28/15 at 09:28:12

savage_skulls_ wrote on 02/28/15 at 06:19:32:

Just to add to that. I know the battery is dead now. But she's seemed to have a strong one this whole time. I'm going to have to charge it. Battery may be old though. She was an older mans' wife's bike and she didn't like riding which is why I got it at a good price for less than 5000 miles. He had changed the tires, oil, belt (just to be safe since she's been a garage queen), spark plugs, rear brakes, and spark plug. He was going to chop it but all he got done was put a short pipe on and boy is she LOUD! Thinking she needs to be rejetted still because she backfires a lot

Odd thing about our ignition module is it WILL NOT PRODUCE A SPARK if the battery isn't fully charged.

Your first step is to FULLY CHARGE THE BATTERY then keep a volt ohm meter on the battery terminals while you crank the bike and tell us what voltage it drops down to.

If it gets below 11 volts when cranking the starter motor -- then you may possibly get zero spark out of the black box to the spark plug to ignite the fuel.

A good battery, well charged, maintains over 12 volts when you hit the starter button, and everything works like it is supposed to.

This low cranking voltage thing has driven a lot of guys nuts over the years .....

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Re: Help please! Won't start and it's my only ride
Reply #10 - 02/28/15 at 09:52:52

Quote:

I've tried it ... in 1st. ... it was kind of hard to get it in 1st and it was trying to roll forward while I was trying it in 1st.

Just leave it in neutral when you try to crank it. Trying to start it in gear isn't going to help, especially when it's cold and the clutch is dragging because the oil isn't warm.

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cafecarl

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Re: Help please! Won't start and it's my only ride
Reply #11 - 02/28/15 at 10:55:01

This low cranking voltage thing has driven a lot of guys nuts over the years ..... [/quote]

Me... more times then I want to admit.
Weak battery=weak or no spark.
Add in the cold weather. Cold is when you want everything working for you. Cold mornings are when the lines form at the battery stores around here.

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savage_skulls_

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Re: Help please! Won't start and it's my only ride
Reply #12 - 02/28/15 at 12:15:11

Thanks a lot for the help everyone. I'll give these suggestions a go and let you know what I find out. I've had to pull the clutch in to start every time which is what made me think that may have been what caused the issue here. Either way I'll need it replaced. I definitely didn't put any diesel in. I'm sure to only select premium gas and just treated it with an ounce of gas treatment for ethanol after reading it will gunk up the carbs. There aren't many "ethanol free" gas stations around here so I've gotta take what I can get. I hope to read more and post more as I get to know my bike better!

Just gotta get brave enough to trust myself with my own mechanical skills.lol I usually do well when I break down and give her a go but always second guess myself thinking I'm about to screw something up. Anything I should stay away from and just leave up to the pros?

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Re: Help please! Won't start and it's my only ride
Reply #13 - 02/28/15 at 12:21:38

Hey, how 'bout you charge up that battery good and tell us what sort of cranking volts you are getting when you try to fire it up. You do own a volt ohm meter and a battery charger, right?

This will tell us if the battery itself is any good (nice to know, don't you think?).

People can "guess" all they want to and run you around the maypole all they want to, but until you start posting back THAT YOU HAVE REMOVED THE MAJOR KNOWN CAUSES you are just talking to be talking.

And we are all just talking back just to be talking ..... and we should know better.

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Re: Help please! Won't start and it's my only ride
Reply #14 - 02/28/15 at 13:33:48

Haha. I hear you there old feller. I sure don't Undecided

. That's definitely an investment I'm gonna need to make! Like I said earlier I'm a bit of a noob. Don't seem to know my a** from a hole in the ground when it comes to maintaining my own ride. I've ridden all my adult life. 1st thing I learned how to drive was a bike. But, that doesn't help me when I get down to the nuts and bolts. I'm sure I'll pick it up quick as I know my way around a car engine. These are definitely a different kind of beast though. A buddy of mine is coming by with one later on and my roommate has a charger I'll be able to use while I wait for him. I'll let you guys know how it turns out and I'm sure I'll be asking for more input later on. May even start another thread on some mod ideas later on today while I'm twiddling my thumbs with no ride.lol

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