2006 Nomad - No Spark - No Start

[tntmo]

I have posted in another forum but help has been slow and not really helpful, I know this is the place!

I picked up my Nomad a bit ago as a non running project. It initially wasn't spinning up the fuel pump and also no spark. I got the fuel pump fixed by replacing the main DFI relay and cleaning the contacts in the 15 amp fuse.

I got it to start by hooking up my battery charger on 40 amp boost. I figured the used battery in it was weak even though it seemed to crank the bike over ok, so I ordered a cheapo battery on Ebay. It didn't seem to crank it over much better at all, and wouldn't start the bike either without the boost.

I then ordered a larger Yuasa battery (YTX20), filled it and charged it as per manufacturers recommendation. Installed it this morning and once again the bike cranks and cranks but won't start. I put it on the booster for a minute and she starts right up.

The crazy part is, after it has started I can shut it off with the kill switch and shut off the charger and the bike will start a dozen times in a row. I even left it sitting with the lights on for ten minutes and it started up on the battery. Once I cycle the key off, it will not start again.

What. The. Hell?

I'm so confused by this. I cleaned the contacts on the starter solenoid. I took apart the ignition switch and cleaned the contacts inside that. I removed the ground cable from the engine and cleaned that. The big orange ground terminal thing doesn't appear burned, but I'm considering upgrading that with a terminal block like I have seen online.

Help?!

[tntmo]

Still nothing new, I have been doing checks on the fuse box and the ignition switch. My ignition switch is very sensitive, just barely touch it and you lose contact on it and the bike shuts off. I don't know if it's the problem or not, but it seems odd.

[DragonLady58]

Yea, Ign. switch is worn out....go get a Chucksters....mounts a Harley Switch up on the risers. You'll be glad you did....

[tntmo]

Originally Posted by DragonLady58

Yea, Ign. switch is worn out....got get a Chucksters....mounts a Harley Switch up on the risers. You'll be glad you did....

Do you think this is what is causing my no start without the booster? It really seems odd that it will re-start without the booster after it initially starts.

I did some more testing this morning, here's what I posted on another site:

I thought perhaps the resistor in the ignition switch was causing issues, Kawasaki has a 100 ohm resistor that reduces the signal to the ECU down to about 6VDC so that you can't just twist wires together to steal the bike. Sadly for me, but good for the bike...the resistor tests good and I have 6.15 VDC at the ECU with a solid battery.

Now, that being said it doesn't start off the battery. When I hook up the booster the signal at the ECU goes up to about 8VDC and it then starts. Aha, you say! Maybe the ECU is needing more voltage for some reason. Perhaps, but when I shut the booster off and kill the engine withe the kill switch (not the key) it will start numerous times with only 6 VDC. Even less if I let the bike sit for 5-10 minutes. Once I cycle the key off and on again, no start until the booster is once again applied.

It's a head scratcher.....

[recumbentbob]

Have you had the battery load tested?

[tntmo]

Originally Posted by recumbentbob

Have you had the battery load tested?

I haven't brought it in to a shop to have it load tested, but this is the third battery that acts the same way on the bike. First one was the battery I got with the bike, unknown age but it cranked over the bike fine. Second battery was a lithium that I have here in the garage, it's smaller dimensions but has more CCA than the stock battery. This battery is a newly purchased Yuasa that I filled and charged as per their recommendations. Here's the voltage I am reading from the current battery.


12.7 VDC without the key on
12.5 VDC with the key on
11.6 VDC while cranking

I would say the battery is solid. Also, don't forget that it starts the bike as many time as I want once I get the bike started with the booster. Even after leaving the bike sitting with the headlight on for 10 minute and the voltage drops to 11.9 it still starts instantly until I cycle the key off and on again, then it will not start until the booster is applied.

[recumbentbob]

Sounds like the battery is fine and your ignition switch is bad..

[tntmo]

Originally Posted by recumbentbob

Sounds like the battery is fine and your ignition switch is bad..

I think the ignition switch is not quite right, but it doesn't make sense to me that it could be the reason why the bike will start on the booster and then continually start after that off the booster until the key gets cycled off and on again.

Anyway, I'm going to take it apart one last time and see if I can get any better operation out of it.

[tntmo]

So I have used a second ignition switch that I had, I picked it, gutted the pins and reassembled it. No change in the bike. I tried some smaller resistors, down to 40 ohms to get a bit more voltage to the ECU, no change. I got a used tip over sensor for really cheap, no change. I spent hours looking over the wiring diagrams and troubleshooting trees, slowly reading voltage and resistance on wires to the ECU and to other components.

Finally I checked the DFI relay which I had changed initially to get the fuel pump operating. I guess because the pump was operating, I just decided not to look at this. Anyway, on the battery alone it was putting 12 VDC on the output leg. As soon as the start button was depressed, the voltage would drop off to nothing. It seems that the electromagnet in the relay wasn't holding the output circuit closed. With the booster, it was holding it closed and the bike would start.

I have ordered another relay, will see if that's the solution. Otherwise it's wiring in the system. Either way, the problem is close to be fixed.

[tntmo]

OEM relay came in the mail today, I plugged it in and the bike started 10 out of 10 times. I'm happy it's working well, sad that I let this become such a big issue. I mean....the relay was obviously working because you could hear the pump cycling so I overlooked it for so long.

I guess there's some sort of lesson in this, but I'm pretty stubborn so I'm not sure I will learn.

Thanks for all who helped out, I did learn a few things and obviously have more to learn. That's the sign of wisdom, knowing that you don't know it all. I think, anyway?

Ride on, amigos.

[billmac]

Great write up TNTTO. I appreciate you not only sharing your actions, but also sharing your thought processes. Glad you solved the issue. I hope reading about it won't create the same issue on my 06.

[tntmo]

Originally Posted by billmac

Great write up TNTTO. I appreciate you not only sharing your actions, but also sharing your thought processes. Glad you solved the issue. I hope reading about it won't create the same issue on my 06.

Well if I hadn't cheaped out with that alternate relay, probably wouldn't have had any of these issues. I'm still going to shop around, but I guess I'm also not going to trust everything is working just because it initially appears to be working.