I have an ER-5, built 2004. It's been fine for a good few years, but has recently developed a problem starting.
What tends to happen is that when I switch it on in the morning, it will turn the starter a few times, but then the starter stops turning, and there's a pretty loud and quick "CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK" from the area of the starter/relay. If I keep trying to start, occasionally the starter might turn a couple times before clicking, but then the clicking starts again. After a minute of this, clicking is all I'll get, and I'll have to roll-start it.
Any advice on a possible cause greatly appreciated!
Got this answer from Dave Anderson off a kawasaki forumn (www.kawasakimotorcycle.org). I'll post it here for the benefit of others along with my own answer...
"Hiya Hlynur,
Yeah I did fix it in the end (or rather, my local authorised Kawi garage figured it out!).
It turned out that the regulator (think that's the thing) was broken, so that it wasn't probably regulating the amount of charge going to the battery while the engine was running. The end-result was that the battery was being slightly *over*-charged all the time, which apparently is lethal to the life of the battery. I.e. a new battery will work for a while, but the relentless overcharging will very quickly kill the battery, rendering it unable to hold charge. Hence my batteries always stopped working, and it also explained why taking a battery straight from an external charger to the bike would allow the bike to start - the battery would hold a charge just long enough to do that and start the bike, but in normal use, the ability of the battery to retain the charge was killed by the repeated overcharging. Regulator the culprit.
So the symptoms of this problem are accelerated death of multiple batteries that start out healthy. Solution is, change the regulator. You'd want to check the regulator to ensure it is broken before replacing though, because it was about ?100 for the part alone in Ireland where I am, it's not a super-cheap part. It is, however, cheaper than putting a new battery in every few weeks, and much less effort than trying to roll start your bike every time :)
Hope this helps point you in the right direction!
cheers,
Dave"Got this answer from Dave Anderson off a kawasaki forumn (www.kawasakimotorcycle.org). I'll post it here for the benefit of others along with my own answer...
"Hiya Hlynur,
Yeah I did fix it in the end (or rather, my local authorised Kawi garage figured it out!).
It turned out that the regulator (think that's the thing) was broken, so that it wasn't probably regulating the amount of charge going to the battery while the engine was running. The end-result was that the battery was being slightly *over*-charged all the time, which apparently is lethal to the life of the battery. I.e. a new battery will work for a while, but the relentless overcharging will very quickly kill the battery, rendering it unable to hold charge. Hence my batteries always stopped working, and it also explained why taking a battery straight from an external charger to the bike would allow the bike to start - the battery would hold a charge just long enough to do that and start the bike, but in normal use, the ability of the battery to retain the charge was killed by the repeated overcharging. Regulator the culprit.
So the symptoms of this problem are accelerated death of multiple batteries that start out healthy. Solution is, change the regulator. You'd want to check the regulator to ensure it is broken before replacing though, because it was about ?100 for the part alone in Ireland where I am, it's not a super-cheap part. It is, however, cheaper than putting a new battery in every few weeks, and much less effort than trying to roll start your bike every time :)
Hope this helps point you in the right direction!
cheers,
Dave"
I just started using my bike again after a long cold winter and the first few days I always ended up roll starting it, driving about 5 minutes (to work) and parking. The motor never got heated properly. Then after cruising for a bit one day, motor all nice and warm, I switched it off and immediatly turned it back on again and voila! It roared to a start. Did this a couple of times (to get the starter "used to" turning the motor over) and then left it to cool down till the next morning. Next morning came and everything still worked like a charm :)
Seems to me that after standing untouched for the whole winter the starter couldn't turn over the cold motor. Me abusing the ignition over and over (producing the click click click) didn't do the mechanism much good either so it got "used to" not being able to turn the motor over.
Starting on a warm motor seems to have given it it's memory back, so to speak, so now I've been starting without fail the last 6 times, even on a fairly cold motor. So, today I am a happy camper! Ta for the help everyone! cheers, Hlynur.Here's a follow up and how I "fixed" the problem.
I just started using my bike again after a long cold winter and the first few days I always ended up roll starting it, driving about 5 minutes (to work) and parking. The motor never got heated properly. Then after cruising for a bit one day, motor all nice and warm, I switched it off and immediatly turned it back on again and voila! It roared to a start. Did this a couple of times (to get the starter "used to" turning the motor over) and then left it to cool down till the next morning. Next morning came and everything still worked like a charm :)
Seems to me that after standing untouched for the whole winter the starter couldn't turn over the cold motor. Me abusing the ignition over and over (producing the click click click) didn't do the mechanism much good either so it got "used to" not being able to turn the motor over.
Starting on a warm motor seems to have given it it's memory back, so to speak, so now I've been starting without fail the last 6 times, even on a fairly cold motor. So, today I am a happy camper!
Ta for the help everyone!
cheers,
Hlynur.
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Re: ER-5 2004 - starter problems - roll start works
Your battery needs replaced. the battery does not have enough cold cranking amps to turn over the cold motor. i recomend a yuasa battery which is the same as the factory one.
Testimonial: "Thank you Greg, good advice, however the problem "went away" by itself... see my own answer for details...
ta,
Hlynur."
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Rolling film on a metal reel can be very challenging and for years I avoided using these reels in favor of the plastic ones with the large lip for leading the negative around the reel. Over the last year or so I have been working on getting around this fear of not being able to roll the film.
The first and most important thing that you have to make sure is that when you cut off the "L" shaped piece make sure that you cut the film between the sprocket holes. Those first few holes are crucial for the ability to successfully loading the film on to the reel.
On the center post of the reel there are two very small hooks that you want the negative to hook on to using those sprocket holes. These hooks work to make sure that the film stays put while you roll and throughout the development process.
Once the film is hooked on you are going to slowly turn the reel around and around holding the unrolled film on the sides. Make sure to hold on the sides because you don't want your fingers to scratch the very sensitive negative.
If you practice in the light with dead rolls of film you can check if you rolled well by holding up the roll and looking though. If you can see between the rounds of film then you have done a good job. It is important that the film be rolled smoothly because if parts are touching then the chemicals can't get in and the film will not develop properly. Once you have mastered rolling this way in the light take some time to roll a dead roll of film in the dark before you get to the real stuff (no pun intended).
Not familiar with that unit but i was an i stall er for many years. Usually there is an external relay used and it is usually located near the wiring harness that is in the steering column. They are supposed to be wired in such a way so that if either the alarm or relay fail the starter will still work. Basically it only disrupts the starter when the alarm is triggered. There are a very few alarms where the relay is built into the module. Either way the factory starter wire has to be cut. So trace the starter wire from the ignition switch and you should find a break in the wire with wires spliced in. They may also have pulled 2 power leads from that harness as well. Make sure you follow the starter wire.
look for the starter(up top sitting over transmission) and have someone hit it (not too hard)with a hammer while key is held in the crank position,if car starts you will have to ck connections at starter ,if ok you need another starter,reman starters of any age are never as good as the originals,just not cost effective to buy brand new,too expensive!
i suggest removing the flywheel inspection cover, and rolling the engine over a little bit at a time, checking to make sure that there are no worn or broken teeth. also, make sure there is no lateral movement, which could indicate a broken flexplate. good luck.
get new battery even if it is good u nead new 1 by now an then u can really no its not that. if u get the car to run take off negitive from battery an if the car turns off it,s your alternator hope this helps u
Did you try jumper cables ON the battery itself ? Check your ground to frame and if it jump sarts it's time for a new batt...Good Luck to you friend....Tim
I'd like to ask first, what service did you have done?
My best suggestion to you would be to have a automotive place check your starter, it sounds like you are having a problem with the starter itself, not the battery, not the alternator. I recently had a similar issue a few years ago on a 1994 chevy cavalier. Starts just fine, but once in a while I'd turn the key, "click" and the engine would not even turn over, trying it a second time got it started. Eventually, it got so bad, it never started again. I took it to a auto parts store that offered a free electrical system diagnostic service. They told me that I had a "dead spot" in the starter that if the starter stopped spinning in just that spot, it would not work when I tried to start the car.
If you are not hearing a "click" but you are hearing the starter "whirrr" then it's a problem with the starter solenoid. This part pushes a gear into the flywheel of the engine to start turning the engine over. So (because it's hard to type sounds) the correct sounds you should hear when you turn the key are..."click"(followed immediatly by) "rrrr...rrrr...rrr...rrr" and of course "vrooooommm". If you hear...(no click), "whirrrrrrr"(sounds like an electrical motor spinning) then nothing else. That is a problem with the starter. If you hear, "click" then nothing else, it is a problem with the starter it self or the wiring to the starter.
Please, excuse the very descriptive "sounds" as it is the best way to
describe what you SHOULD be hearing every time you start the car.
Some less common problems include the voltage regulator, starter relay, and corroded or loose wiring to and from the battery and/or the starter. Checking wires and any electrical repairs can be dangerous if you do not know what you are doing and I have to ask you to talk to your local shop if you have any questions about fixing the problem. If you want to do the work yourself, I'd recommend buying (autoparts store) or borrowing (some libraries) a Chilton or Haynes Manual for your specific make, model, and year car. They've saved me thousands in repairs so far b/c I like woking on my own vehicles.
I hope that I could help you narrow down your problem so you can look up the repair and parts online. Or if you do take your car to the shop, let them check these parts first for the most likely source of the problem. Good luck, and if you still have questions, please write a comment and I will try to respond with a more specific suggestion. Don't forget to rate my solution! Thank you.
I had the same problem with my 93 Passat diesel, good lights and glow plugs but no effort to turn over. I could hear the relay kicking in the dash (by the drivers window.) I decided to cross the starter terminals and then discovered that the wire was corroded under the solenoid and into the body of the starter. I got a replacement starter and it rolls over fine. Now if I could get ti to pick up fuel... hahahaha
Got this answer from Dave Anderson off a kawasaki forumn (www.kawasakimotorcycle.org). I'll post it here for the benefit of others along with my own answer...
"Hiya Hlynur,
Yeah I did fix it in the end (or rather, my local authorised Kawi garage figured it out!).
It turned out that the regulator (think that's the thing) was broken, so that it wasn't probably regulating the amount of charge going to the battery while the engine was running. The end-result was that the battery was being slightly *over*-charged all the time, which apparently is lethal to the life of the battery. I.e. a new battery will work for a while, but the relentless overcharging will very quickly kill the battery, rendering it unable to hold charge. Hence my batteries always stopped working, and it also explained why taking a battery straight from an external charger to the bike would allow the bike to start - the battery would hold a charge just long enough to do that and start the bike, but in normal use, the ability of the battery to retain the charge was killed by the repeated overcharging. Regulator the culprit.
So the symptoms of this problem are accelerated death of multiple batteries that start out healthy. Solution is, change the regulator. You'd want to check the regulator to ensure it is broken before replacing though, because it was about ?100 for the part alone in Ireland where I am, it's not a super-cheap part. It is, however, cheaper than putting a new battery in every few weeks, and much less effort than trying to roll start your bike every time :)
Hope this helps point you in the right direction!
cheers,
Dave"
Here's a follow up and how I "fixed" the problem.
I just started using my bike again after a long cold winter and the first few days I always ended up roll starting it, driving about 5 minutes (to work) and parking. The motor never got heated properly. Then after cruising for a bit one day, motor all nice and warm, I switched it off and immediatly turned it back on again and voila! It roared to a start. Did this a couple of times (to get the starter "used to" turning the motor over) and then left it to cool down till the next morning. Next morning came and everything still worked like a charm :)
Seems to me that after standing untouched for the whole winter the starter couldn't turn over the cold motor. Me abusing the ignition over and over (producing the click click click) didn't do the mechanism much good either so it got "used to" not being able to turn the motor over.
Starting on a warm motor seems to have given it it's memory back, so to speak, so now I've been starting without fail the last 6 times, even on a fairly cold motor. So, today I am a happy camper!
Ta for the help everyone!
cheers,
Hlynur.
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