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Bike cranks but wont turn over

23K views 67 replies 12 participants last post by  "Captain D" 
#1 ·
2 days ago, my bike worked perfect. Today I turned it on and drove half a mile down the road. Bike shuts off but now it wont turn back on. So I tired adjust choke, thought it may be cold weather, no go. So I pushed it back home. Checked a fuse, fuse is fine, gas still in tank. Now all it does is crank but doesn't turn over. Couple of putt putt's heard from carb but mostly just cranks.

I'm thinking it was the battery because now it is almost dead from trying to start it. Any suggestions?

Info: 2004 Honda Shadow 600 VLX Del.
 
#2 ·
What year? Is the shut-off ,off? Terminology...bike cranks..means it is "turning over" means electric starter is spinning the cranks shaft.
The VLX after I think 98 also had a vacuum shut off in the fuel line, it may be failing. Put a charger on the battery overnight at low charge. Check to make sure the fluid level in the battery is up where it should be. If not,use distilled water, never tap water, I don't know on that these days if you live in Flint MI you might be adding lead to your battery..ha.. put it between top and bottom lines. By the way can you hike some warm air up here??
 
#3 ·
Im in tampa fl, its not as cold as flint, but should be lows of 37 tonight. When I turn the key it makes the sound just before it actually turns over, but doesnt turn over, just makes the sound from pushing the start button. I don't really have a charger. Gonna go buy a new battery tomorrow and see if that works. I supposed I can put a heatero n the engine and see if that fixes it. Will report back
 
#8 · (Edited)
When I turn the key it makes the sound just before it actually turns over, but doesnt turn over, just makes the sound from pushing the start button.
What is "the sound?"

Do you mean clicking?
That indicates the battery does not have enough power to spin the starter. Could be many reasons why, most likely being that you drained it by trying to start the bike. Get it charged. Note the maximum voltage it holds when "fully charged" and see how much it drops as the battery cools. (Yes, charging heats lead-acid batteries.) Get it load tested if you need to take the battery off the bike for charging.

Do you mean a different (not clicking; more like a cough) sound?
That indicates that your start switch has dirty contacts requiring cleaning or replacing.

"Turn over" is a term that means different things to many of us so it is best to avoid using it. Being more descriptive is better than being less. Many of us define "turning over" as the engine spinning AND the spark plugs firing AND the engine running; to many others it just means the starter spins the engine. There are certainly other definitions in between.

"Crank" is another term that is imprecise. To some (most?) of us it means the engine spins but doesn't start. Others think it means that something happens when they push the start button but the engine doesn't spin. (Personally speaking, all these differences of opinion over the meaning of these words gets me cranky.)
 
#5 ·
Oooo I never thought of that, pep boys charging the battery. Yeah I changed the fuel valve to both sides and choked it from both valves. I think I have drained the battery so much that trying to turn it on is one big fail now. Will hit the pep boys tomorrow and if it is the battery, AutoZone has a wall of brand new batteries.
 
#12 ·
If you're pretty knowledgeable with how things work in most internal combustion engines and mechanically sound, then I would suggest the following but be extremely cautious!:

If you've checked all the stuff the other riders have suggested and also see if there's anything else easy to check like obvious switches, vacuum hoses out of place, etc (trust me, you'd rather have it be that). Then you can take a look at my suggestions as this is what I would do next given my experience with cars, but you must be careful.

Engines need the following to run: Intake, Compression, Power (fuel and spark), Exhaust so let's start ruling out what it's not getting.

I suspect that we're not getting one of the following two (fuel and spark): - Also please, please, please, be careful.

1. (Are we getting fuel?) Be cautious as to what you're about to do: Take a spray bottle and fill it up with gas, remove the intake housing or any way you can get exposure so that you can spray full in the engine without prohibiting any functions required for the engine to run. Spray the fuel in and try starting the bike like you normally do. If it runs, then it wasn't getting fuel or enough of it, then we can go from there.

2. (Are we getting a spark) Again be cautious with this one as it can be a bit more dangerous. Take off one of the plug wires off from the spark plug and find a decent size (any head will do) screw driver. Carefully put the screw driver in the the housing where the spark plug would normally go. DONT shove it in there, all we need is for the metals (theres a metal clip in the wire that snaps onto the plug) to touch each other, the slightest contact will be all we need. Next find an area within reach that we know can be considered ground (usually and metal part). Aim the flat blade so that its parallel to that surface while still having the plug wire "connected", hover it over that area but don't have the two (metal and screw driver TOUCH, again don't let them touch) Now I recommend wearing rubber gloves for safety and using your right hand only (farthest from your heart). While holding the plastics/wood part end of the screw driver while its next the place you found believing it to be a spot for ground, try and crank the motor while watching to see if there's a spark. If we see a spark then we know that a spark is being generated, if not then we can go from there.

If we're getting fuel and we're seeing a spark then I'm not sure where else to go right now, we can have the plugs tested/replaced but I haven't really ever seen all plugs go bad at once.
 
#13 ·
Yes it Could very well be faulty ignition as well as Fuel delivery problem...
Being as it has that vacuum operated fuel shut off, I suspect that moreso than spark/ignition...


Bring it over,
D


Don`t push it to my house ;)
 
#16 ·
I listened to your vid.. In terms it is cranking fine but not starting. Two things could be the problem. 1: not getting any fuel to the carbs, or 2: you are not getting any spark. Take the spark plug out, connect the plug wire to it and hold it against the engine to make good contact with metal, use good insulted pliers hold it so you don't break the plug but tight against metal to metal. Turn the engine over and see if a spark occurs across the electrodes. If it does probably a fuel problem. We'll go from there.

Same as 2010shadowphanton with checking spark different flavor.
 
#17 ·
Starter cranks the engine but it doesn't fire to life.

Cold is NOT your issue. Even without choke the engine would be trying harder. Yours doesn't seem to be trying at all.

A weak battery *could* do this. Not applicable if yours is fully charged and delivers more than about 8.5 volts during cranking.

My suspicion is a fuel delivery problem. Too much fuel is unlikely but pull a spark plug to see if it's wet. If so, pull one from another cylinder and let the flooded engine dry out -- OR -- crank the bike with the throttle held wide open. If it starts with WOT it will run rough for a while then smooth out. But fuel starvation seems more likely than flooding.
 
#20 ·
I did the spark plug test, did not see an arc, so maybe ignition system problem?
Maybe. A sudden ignition coil failure could definitely have you pushing the bike home. As could several other things.

Spark plugs on our bikes won't fire if voltage drops too low. I don't have an exact voltage but the threshold somewhere down around 8.5. Cranking the starter will drain even a new battery but as long as the engine is still turning you won't be doing permanent damage.

Probably best to be using a car battery and jumper cables while trying to start the bike. Lots more reserve in the bigger battery.
 
#21 ·
Do you smell any fuel when trying to start the bike? Are you sure your kill switch isn't tripped? Have you added any accessories lately? It really sounds like you have no spark but you could try spraying a little starting fluid in the intake just before try and start it to see if it fires at all.
 
#23 ·
Did some more digging around.

Removed the fuel tank, fuel is in fact coming from the hose, so no blockage there. Tried to check fuel filter, but bike doesnt have one. Checked for a screen on the tank, didnt have one there either. Removed the air filter, had some wet oil in there. Not sure if that helps, have access to the carb right now
 
#26 ·
So I learned how to spray gas into the carb and it fired up instantly. Was so happy to see this side after 2 days. My dad told me to disassemble the carb and we will have to rebuild it this weekend to see whats clogging it.
 
#27 ·
I believe that vacuum shut off will be the culprit...
I Apologize for the southern accent, I grew up in Sebring, FL :)

Dad is from KY and Mom from Detroit so I got a southern/northern mix up :D




Carb throat = the opening you see through the breather when element is removed...
 
#28 ·
Clicked submit too soon ;)
Try a fuel line straight from the tank to the inlet of the carb...


inlet = where the hose from the tank hooks up to supply fuel to carb...


:D
 
#30 ·
Try a fuel line straight from the tank to the inlet of the carb...


inlet = where the hose from the tank hooks up to supply fuel to carb...


Do this before you take the carb off the bike. Your bike has a vacuum shut off valve. If the engine is not running there is no vacuum to open that valve up so the fuel can flow to the carb.
 
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