Startus spontaneous?

[Testarossa]

I changed the oil this morning, then hosed off the bugs and road grime collected over the past month. Put the T away in the garage.

A few minutes later Gail runs into the house saying "The Guzzi is trying to start!"  I ran out and found nothing amiss.

"You're hallucinating," I told her.

"No, really, it made that noise as if it's trying to start. I went toward it and it stopped. I walked away and it cranked again."

Well, either Gail is delusional, or some moisture got into the starter solenoid and shorted something, maybe. Has anyone experienced this?  No harm done -- of course the ignition was off.

I need to add that the new starter is a cheap Chinese unit installed after the flood. I haven't got around to cleaning the mud out of the "real" starter.

[oldbike54]

 Considering how far it is from Lafayette LA to Longmont CO , it probably isn't a hoodoo , so yeah probably water somewhere 

  Dusty

[lucian]

Wow, and most of us worry about startus interuptus. That will teach you to wash your bike.

[Yukonica]

Wow, and most of us worry about startus interuptus. That will teach you to wash your bike.

Did you post that or did your wife hijack your login?

[ITSec]

Considering how far it is from Lafayette LA to Longmont CO , it probably isn't a hoodoo , so yeah probably water somewhere 

  Dusty

They have hoodoos in Colorado - it's just that they're eroded formations of soft rock...

[Guido Valvole]

Girlfriend many years ago had a Yamaha 650, kinda ratty. She paid a friend to clean it up and detail it. I rode in the garage and saw the headlight on, thought she was going somewhere. Strange, no one around, engine's not running, no key, light's kinda bright��um, is that smoke coming out from under the tank?!? Ran inside, woke her up, and we pulled the battery ground asap. The guy who detailed the bike had apparently used a pressure washer, and water got into the main bundled-up part of the wiring harness. Major electrical repairs ensued.

Before heading to the 2008 National Rally in Malibu with a friend, he took a look at my V50 and said he didn't want to ride with someone with a dirty bike. And so we washed it, carefully. Not carefully enough, as it didn't start after that. Thought it was the starter solenoid, which needed a little persuasion by being poked with a stick. Got through the rally that way and later discovered that an electrical lead at the front of the engine had been knocked loose. back on it went, dielectric grease around that to keep moisture at bay, and started right up.

I keep hoses well away from my motorcycles! Electrons and water are a bad combination.
cr

[lucian]

I ride in the rain a lot and it never caused any problems. I washed my griso once with a hose, paying extra attention to the rear drive as it was very gritty. I did not want grit working it's way into the carc seals so I cleaned it up real nice. I'll be damned if the most important part of the bike  didn't stop working for three days, the speedometer.  I have since sealed the speedo sensor, but no more hose.

[SeanF]

I had that happen on my T. An interesting moment, to say the least.

It was the result of one of the harnesses going into the headlight shell having become loose & grounding against the bucket.

[Kiwi_Roy]

I keep hoses well away from my motorcycles! Electrons and water are a bad combination.

It's water and dirt combination that conducts electricity.
Clean water barely conducts, wet dirt does.
I pressure wash my bikes all the time and the car gets a a good HP wash under the hood, so far I have had no problem.

[oldbike54]

It's water and dirt combination that conducts electricity.
Clean water barely conducts, wet dirt does.
I pressure wash my bikes all the time and the car gets a a good HP wash under the hood, so far I have had no problem.

 So... Roy , are you saying that washing one's MC with muddy water is a bad idea  But yes , distilled water will barely conduct 'lectricity .

  Dusty

[Sasquatch Jim]

  Queer electrons blow fuses.

[lucian]

  Queer electrons blow fuses.

Damn, I peed my pants again.

[ITSec]

  Queer electrons blow fuses.

Jim, you're getting confused on your particle physics. Electrons are negative, and create a bad attitude.

Quarks, on the other hand, can be queer - or charmed, strange, top, bottom, up or down. Of course, this may be a one-dimensional perspective, in which case I'd be stringing you along... 

[oldbike54]

Jim, you're getting confused on your particle physics. Electrons are negative, and create a bad attitude.

Quarks, on the other hand, can be queer - or charmed, strange, top, bottom, up or down. Of course, this may be a one-dimensional perspective, in which case I'd be stringing you along... 

 Two neutrons walk into a bar , the bartender sighs and says ... well , you know 

 And then you have those 1/2 spin thingies 

  Dusty

[Testarossa]

"Shit, I lost an electron."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

[Farmer Dan]

  Queer electrons blow fuses.

Thanks Jim, I needed a good laugh.

[Testarossa]

The spontaneous cranking was the death rattle of the starter solenoid, which won't even click today. Will clean out the Bosch in the morning, and if I can't get it to work will order a Valeo from EME.

[atavar]

I have heard of two versions of startus spontaneous.  On one it is as you described and after washing the starter relay engages and the engine cranks.
 
On the other - which is scarier - with old cdi ignitions some bikes that hold compression have been known to start without the starter when you turn the ignition on or take off the kill switch.  Apparently the old electronic ignitions emitted a spurious spark when first engaged, and if you were lucky enough to have one piston just past tdc with a rich mix in the cylinder it goes bang and bobs yur uncle.  i always thought that could be a handy feature if a guy could perfect and patent it..

I actually had this happen a couple times on my old G5, so don't try and tell me it can't happen.

[Offcamber1]

real men push start their bikes!

[Testarossa]

I've bump-started the T often enough.

This time it's not the starter solenoid -- just the starter relay, probably in service 20 years. It clicked, but no continuity across the high-amp terminals. I'm guessing it arced itself to death.  50-cent replacement and we're back in business.