Starting Problem - GS250

[ChicagS25o]

Hello fellow riders

I was riding my gs250t the other day and out of no where it revved and then stalled. I was unable to get it started again, it looked as though the battery had died on me- i was able to hit the start button and hear the starter motor going, but it wasnt turn over. The instrument display was very dim, only lighthing up when i tried starting.

I came home and gave the battery a full charge over 2 days, put it back in the bike, and the same thing as above happened.
Now, when i turn the key to ignition, I cannot even get the lights to turn on, turn signals, etc - let alone get the bike to turn over/start.

Im not experienced enough in that I could even begin to determine a starting point for trouble shooting- BUT last fall I did the charging system tests and successfully replaced my stator, so id be comfortable enough with the hands on once I got some direction.

If anyone has any ideas or recommendations as to where I could start, that would be greatly appreciated!

[almarconi]

How old is the battery? Sounds like time for a new one.

[ChicagS25o]

How old is the battery? Sounds like time for a new one.

I've owned the bike for about a year now, and of course the person i bought it from claimed it was a "new" battery, we all know how that goes...so at the very least over a year.

I tested it last fall when I did my stator replacement, and it seemed fine. But if these are symptoms of a dead batt. i guess i can start there.....

The starter sounds very strong when i try to start it, its just that ive got nothing to the instrument panel and other electrical doesnt get any juice. ( I did also check the fuse and its fine).
The battery, according to the charger, was fully charged.

[BassCliff]

Hi,

I would start by checking out the wiring harness, cleaning connections and grounds, looking for burnt insulation/shorts, etc. Will the bike push start? Have you tested the starter? What is the battery voltage at rest? What is the battery voltage when you hit the starter button?


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[donimo]

sounds like you may have a short somewhere in the harness? If the starter sounds fine, but won't start and the pane lights are dim, that "could" be the issue. Had something similar on a car once...

[ChicagS25o]

sounds like you may have a short somewhere in the harness? If the starter sounds fine, but won't start and the pane lights are dim, that "could" be the issue. Had something similar on a car once...

This is what I was thinking, because when it initally happened, the bike was running like a champ for weeks, and it seemed like when it revved up high before dying that I had overloaded a component or shorted something out.

Ill be taking things apart this afternoon and running thru the connections and checking voltage; and ill report back here.

Basscliff is there a link or any description about testing the starter?

[Gimpdiggity]

Pull the fuse block off of the bike and look at the back of it.

I had a similar issue with an old Yamaha I had a few years ago. After checking everything and finding nothing, I finally pulled the fuse block and the back of it was nothing but rusty metal. Parts were literally falling off of it.

I made my own fuse cluster and hooked it all back up and it started right up!

[ChicagS25o]

I would start by checking out the wiring harness, cleaning connections and grounds, looking for burnt insulation/shorts, etc. Will the bike push start? Have you tested the starter? What is the battery voltage at rest? What is the battery voltage when you hit the starter button?

- Just took the battery off the charger reading "full"- the voltage at rest was 12.86V. Seems a little low, but still reasonable, no?

- Hit the starter button, and the voltage was going down to 10.92-11.02v.

- after 3 test doing so the voltage at rest was 12.64.

- I checked my fuze box, its in very good condition actually, its only a 250 so its pretty small anyway.

- Initially, glancing at the connections at the main harness, things seem okay, Ill go back to checking the rest of the system over once i post here.

Could anyone tell me how i could go about testing my starter?

[ChicagS25o]

Figured it all out.

Found a wire running to the starter relay that looked like it was hanging on by a thread and then had finally snapped.

Replaced the wire and it fired right up, time to enjoy one of the best days weve had all spring.

As always, thanks for your input. Glad it was something simple.