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AT starts right up then dies

10K views 50 replies 14 participants last post by  Nomadic_n8 
#1 ·
Hey guys! I think I have a simple problem but can't figure it out.

My AT starts right up and runs great but will die suddenly after a few minutes and won't start again for an hour or so.

I cleared all breather tubes, checked air filters, and gas tank cap is open.

Any help is appreciated
 
#8 ·
Any thoughts regarding the health of your battery?

Last year I had a lead acid battery on a Honda 1100 fail in the heat of peak summer. The instruments would come alive, even the starter would turn, but no ignition. It just "died". A bump start was the only way and had to keep the engine revs elevated to help charge the battery until I replaced it.
 
#9 ·
I had put some thought into the battery seeing as it's 3+ years old and sat for a while before I purchased the bike. I'll be putting it on my charger tonight to see if there's any variance. I know a lot of bikes need the battery to function. Btw trying to bump start an Africa twin without a large downhill is super hard
 
#10 ·
RE bump start: Try the gearbox in maybe third gear (or higher) and try again. Don't "dump" the clutch, but apply as your listen to the engine (ignition switched on, of course) come alive. Certainly a twin by yourself can be hard, but gaining some speed on a slight decline "should" work.

A pushing assistant is optimal. :)
 
#12 ·
I've bump started on a hill but a large downhill in dirt even.

Anyway I hate taking my bike to a repair shop so I'll try the battery tonight. Hope It clears the issue
As @bdalameda suggested, do you hear the fuel pump prime upon powering up the ignition? That cycle should last maybe two to three seconds after you switch on the ignition switch.
 
#15 ·
Key on
All lights and instrument cluster seem normal
Fuel pump primes for 1-2 seconds
Bike starts no problem

Bike will die 5-10 minutes later as if I hit the kill switch. There is no warning or difference in running until it dies.
Attempt to start, turning, turning, turning starter. Doesn't want to start at all
 
#16 ·
Sorry, but do you mean to say also that while riding - that is - maintaining speed it can suddenly just die?

Side stand kill switch loose? Side stand cable harness buggered up?

I think some Forum members mentioned in the past the Kill Switch can get funky too. Consider reviewing those posts.
 
#17 ·
Yes it'll just die. Riding or on the kick stand. I'll have to check the kick stand wiring also.

Ok the kick stand running would seem weird to just die. Tested that out yesterday. Started the bike, was searching for something on the bench, had my back to the running bike, then died. Wouldn't start again. So weird..
 
#22 ·
I would buy the idea of a relay or similar component failing. Heat expansion may cause a fractured component to expand, and thus "open" (or even close if squeezed due to expansion) causing an electrical behaviour. Check connectors too.

I had this in a cage when the temperature dropped below -5C and a kill fuel pump security module would shrink causing an open in a circuit that would not allow the fuel pump to prime.
 
#23 ·
This is not the normal symptom of the normal kill switch issue on a 16/17 AT but since its a very easy thing to check I would try it first (normal symptom is it will start then stop 3-4 times before running). You want to pull apart the kill switch alongside the throttle and clean it. Its a simple matter of undoing the two screws that hold the switch cluster onto the handle bars. Then undo the two screws that hold the kill switch in place, there is a very small spring that will try and escape when you do this, make sure you look at it photo it then take it out dont leave it there while you clean, it will try and leap to its death. Once you have the switch free you can actually see into the contacts, spray a lot of brake clean in there while moving the switch on and off. Then spray in a dielectric spray like CRC226 move the switch on and off. Reassemble. This is an easy 15 min job.
 
#26 ·
Interesting but here in socal, it rarely rains. I've ridden in the rain but not recently.

I cleaned the start switch contacts yesterday. Started it up just now. Probably ran for about 3-4 minutes tops and died on the kickstand.

I took it for a hard ride a while ago to see if maybe the fuel pump couldn't keep up and it had tons of power so it's not like its clogged or lacking pressure.

My diagnosis continues...
 
#29 ·
Interesting but here in socal, it rarely rains. I've ridden in the rain but not recently.

I cleaned the start switch contacts yesterday. Started it up just now. Probably ran for about 3-4 minutes tops and died on the kickstand.

I took it for a hard ride a while ago to see if maybe the fuel pump couldn't keep up and it had tons of power so it's not like its clogged or lacking pressure.

My diagnosis continues...
Also smells suspiciously related to something heating up (expansion).
 
#34 ·
Just read your post.
There are 4 plugs on the AT. 2 plugs are readily visible on each side but there are two more that you can only access with the radiators out of the way.
 
#31 ·
I have exactly the same bike as you 2017, manual standard model.

About a year after buying it, a problem developed, the bike would start, but as soon as I let go of the starter button, it would die.
It was an intermittent problem but getting worse.
I took it to my mech and he declared almost immediately that this is a manufacturing fault in the starter/kill switch and he replaced it straight away.
Never had a problem since.

I think this is a known problem with the starter on the 17 model.

Ring your Honda garage and ask about this.

All depends on the temperament of the garage owner I guess. Tip never buy a bike from an a-hole shop.
 
#37 · (Edited)
Based on all the discourse on this channel, I suspect there may be an issue with the switch housings from a waterproofing perspective.I just had a repeat of the high-beam switch problem last night. The bike has been garaged in my Daytona Beach home with a couple of rides of 40 miles or less in daylight, all on low beam. Last night I had a chance to check the Denalis. It took 4 or 5 toggles to get the "contacts" to operate correctly. The Pass blipper worked fine out of the box. The high beam took several toggles to start working. Without dissecting the left-hand switch housing, I suspect its ability to shed H2O.

Any other thoughts?
 
#32 ·
Ok so I tore the bike down to adjust the valves and try to diagnose the intermittent spark issue. Valves were tight btw.

Anyway, I still have the issue. Starts right up but will die within a few minutes. So I pulled the spark plug right away. NO SPARK.

Any idea where to start in on the ignition?
 
#33 · (Edited)
Ok so I tore the bike down to adjust the valves and try to diagnose the intermittent spark issue. Valves were tight btw.

Anyway, I still have the issue. Starts right up but will die within a few minutes. So I pulled the spark plug right away. NO SPARK.

Any idea where to start in on the ignition?
So if you went in and did a valve check you would have had to remove the coil tray with the 4 ignition coils (2 plugs per cylinder). So that says that you have at least unplugged and repluged in the main connector for the coil tray. You would have been right by the main ECU connector and all of the throttle position sensors etc. If all of those came out and back in fine when you did that we are assuming you dont have a loose connector. If you have a running bike and you have cleaned the kill switch there are not that many other items that will turn off a running bike (side stand switch and clutch switch are two that can do this along with the bank angle sensor) I think you are going to be either looking for error codes on a sensor (that may have failed and bike turn's off after warm up when it cant find the sensor) or go through the switches in the diagram attached. There are several pages of troubleshooting in the manual.
Looking to see what happens to that F1 relay will tell you if its the ECU shutting it down or a switch connector in the ignition On cct. That will point you in the correct direction.
So if the F1 Relay stays in thats saying the key switch, engine stop etc are all good. Its saying for some other reason the ECU has decided its time to stop.
 

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#43 ·
I haven't had any issues with mine yet but really surprising to hear that in this day and age, after years of making these things, that they need maintenance like this so soon. I have old bikes in my garage, one is 48 years old, and the switchgear is still working perfectly. Must be a difference in materials or something. I recently took the 48 year old one apart to clean it because I was going to paint them, everything inside was dirty and there was old grease in there but still working perfectly.

Agree with Skip, I don't believe these are supposed to be waterproof.
 
#45 ·
I haven't had any issues with mine yet but really surprising to hear that in this day and age, after years of making these things, that they need maintenance like this so soon. I have old bikes in my garage, one is 48 years old, and the switchgear is still working perfectly. Must be a difference in materials or something. I recently took the 48 year old one apart to clean it because I was going to paint them, everything inside was dirty and there was old grease in there but still working perfectly.

Agree with Skip, I don't believe these are supposed to be waterproof.
I think a lot of the switches now are a coated base metal (original might just have been copper contacts certainly on the 48 year old) so they might be more likely to build up some resistivity with dirt and water in there. The current draw is likely a lot less as well so the actual contact area in the switch could be quite small (because they are using relays to do the heavy switching). When I blast the Braklean in there all sorts of crap comes out but the whole bike is like that, this is an air filter with 6k km on it.
 

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#44 ·
Maybe membranes in the past have been known to create and keep condensation and that would be a problem too.

But as @HerrDeacon expresses, I too have opened ancient switch gear only to find abandoned spider nests. Otherwise, the gear worked fine even after soaking in rain down pours all day and over the years.
 
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