problem starting... battery, starter, solenoid???

[bschur13]

I have had this problem for a bit now and I decided I need to take care of it before it gets too cold and the bike starts sitting for longer periods of time.  And the push start has gotten very old. 

When the problem happens, it tries to start but just kind of makes a "ke chunk" "ke chunk" "ke chunk" sound for as long as I push the start button.  Imagine the sound you hear when you push the start button sans the lovely sound of the engine starting.  It is a combination of the open clutch trying to turn for a split second and the starter trying to crank.   Now, this has occurred after the bike has sat for a few days but not always after sitting for a few days.  Their are times when it sits for a few days and starts right up.  Then it has happened when I have been out for say an hour, stopped to get gas, then "ke chunk" "ke chunk" at the gas station.  Today for the first time I decided to play around a bit.  Here is what I did.  Bike started up on the first try after sitting for 48 hours.  I went for an hour ride.  When I got home I turned her on and off, waiting about a minute between starts.  On about the fifth time it happened, "ke chunk" "ke chunk".  So I tried again a sixth time but this time I kept holding a bit longer.  For the first time it "ke chunked" about four times and then actually fired up.  In the past, once it "ke chunked" on time it would never start w/o push starting her.  A seventh time and no "ke chunk", she started right up.   

I am sure I am going to get responses that require me to check voltages and stuff but just so you know, I dont have any tools for that or any knowledge on how to use stuff.  So hopefully I can get some educated guesses on here and avoid the more techie stuff on my end.  But in the end if I have to I will buy some tools and learn a bit about the bikes electrical system.   
 
I have had the bike for three years with the same battery.  I also dont know how old/new the battery was when I bought the bike.  Its a 2001/900.

Please weigh in with you educated guesses.

[Howie]

First, fully charge the battery and have it load tested.  Changing a 3+ year old battery as preventative maintenance is not a bad idea, but you will not know if that was the cause of your starting problems.  Then check all your connections are clean and tight, particularly the battery terminal connections and the ground by the crankcase breather valve.  Remove and clean, don't just look.  The connection at the starter may be dirty too, but save that one for last.  The tab on the starter motor is delicate and easy to break.  Then take some of the money you saved and buy a digital meter.

[RUFKM]

+1 on Howie's response except that a 3-year known + unknown years battery should just be changed.  Clean all of the connections as a part of install.  Spend the money - end the recession.

Replace the sparkplugs while your at it if you haven't checked them in the same period.

[bschur13]

I cleaned the connection to the starter last week.  That didnt fix anything.  It had lithium grease (at least it looked like it) inside the rubber housing.  Is that normal?  


Ill try the ground wire next and just pick up a new battery.

Does this sound at all like a problem that could be caused by a battery that is going south???

I was thrown off by the fact that it will start after 4-5 days of sitting around.  

[ducpainter]

Is the start/no start temp related?

[bschur13]

Does not seem to be temp related.

[ducpainter]

Does not seem to be temp related.

Usually a bad battery will have more trouble in the cold, and won't start a bike after 4 or 5 days of sitting.

Your problem is intermittent and sounds to me like a bad connection somewhere.

[Howie]

Time to get that battery load tested or replaced so you can rule it out, even though, as ducpainter said, the problem is more likely a bad connection.  Unless you want to keep taking things apart for no reason and want to continue bump start your bike at odd times, invest in a digital volt ohm meter.  A decent meter can be had for under $30.  The better ones are more durable and nicer to use, but a cheapie will do the job.  The meter will help you find the bad connection or component.

The problem will show up as voltage drop, the voltage used by the connection or component. You find this by hooking the meter in parallel with the connection or component.  The component can be a whole wire. 

                                                           
                                                                 component
                              connection                      ______
                                                                  l          l
          battery ------------><------------------l          l------------ ground
                                 + l       l  -            + l   l______l   l -
                                    l       l                  l                 l
                                    l       l                  l                 l
                                    meter                       meter

Poor drawing, but I'm sure you will find good on line tutorials if you google voltage drop testing.

Ducati has no published specs on this, but a good general spec is o.2 volts for a connection or 0.5 volts for voltage drop from battery to starter and starter to ground.  Ideal is 0 volts.  Don  Treat the solonoid as a connection.  To read voltage drop, you will need to operate the circuit, in other words, turn the key on and hit the starter button.

Once you know the battery , solenoid and starter circuit are good, you can now worry about the starter.  More on the starter later, you have enough to do now.

[bschur13]

turns out it was the battery.  
Replaced and the problem is solved.  

thanks for the advice