Bike dropped on side, doesnt start

[pidro_el_pirata]

Hey everyone! So a friend of mine has a scooter (yes, its a scooter, but it's got two wheels and a motor so don't discriminate ;) ) that was tragically dropped on its right side in the driveway while pushing it out of the garage.

Now it won't start/turn over/anything.

Instead of letting her sell it away I insisted on checking it out and fixing it up because it's a really nice scooter. So, any ideas?

The fall smashed up some of the handlebar, electrical, and switches. I just saw it today and started taking off the plastics to figure out why it won't start. I haven't taken it apart yet but any ideas what's wrong? The plastic starter and ignition switches are slightly cracked but still connected to the wiring so I think they work. I'm going to get ahold of a voltmeter to check the battery. I'm also planning on taking out the spark plug to check that. What else should I test?

Thanks a bunch!

 

[Patman]

I'd check the stuff that looks damaged first (switches) then work from there. I'd almost guess that it is shorting out or I guess there is a VERY remote chance it has a fail safe switch that shuts of the ignition in the event of a crash and maybe it needs reset? Can't really imagine it does but it's a scooter so who knows.

 

[pidro_el_pirata]

Hmm how do I fix a short? I've never done that before. Does a short circuit cause permanent damage? Or can I just unhook it and put it back together?

Another friend mentioned that I should try bridging the switches to see if the contacts got messed up, I'm thinking of doing that.

 

[pidro_el_pirata]

Went back today. Checked the voltage on the battery, it's totally dead. (Woohoo i was right!) Found the kickstart, tried kickin it just for the heck of it but of course the battery is dead so it didn't start. Plannin on getting a new battery tomorrow and trying that out.

 

[pidro_el_pirata]

Pulled the battery and plug today. Plug looks just fine, color and gap is good. However when i kicked it over there was very little spark. I couldn't even see it, just heard the tiny little "zap" if I listened closely. Does that mean something? I had the battery unplugged when I was trying this.

Went to the shop with the battery but the guy couldn't match it with anything in his catalog. He said he'd charge it up for me for free, so I'll pick it up tomorrow.

Checked the resistance of the switches that were damaged in the fall. Everything checks out so far.

 

[CarnageZ28]

Battery is dead because the switches are shorting out somehow. When it fell it either broke the switch, or cut the insulation for one of the wires (Which is now shorting out on something) which in turn sat there and drained the battery.

 

[pidro_el_pirata]

Hmm ok I'll check that out.. What about the low spark?

 

[SpeedyManiac]

You're getting a weak spark because of the short.

 

[CarnageZ28]

^ What he said is the most likely cause for your weak spark.

 

[pidro_el_pirata]

I'm having a really hard time finding the short.. Anybody have any good techniques for that?

 

[rmc_olderthandirt]

Okay, let's define a couple of terms:

A "short" means that a wire is touching something that it shouldn't. The current takes a "shortcut" and doesn't go to where it is intended. A short will typically blow a fuse, burn up wiring, or in some cases make the wrong circuit operate.

An "open" is when a wire breaks and is no longer connected to where it belongs.

I am surprised that the scooter sustained such damage from a tip over. I suppose that hitting just right could do it.

If a switch panel has been damaged then it could be a combination of shorts and opens. If a switch has been smashed then it could cause the circuit to be always on, which would drain the battery. It could also leave the circuit always off, which would mean that pushing the button doesn't do any good.

How old was the battery? When was the scooter used last? Was the battery okay just before the scooter was tipped over?

If the scooter hadn't been run in a while and the damage happened before you had a chance to try and start it then I would guess that the battery was dead before this happened. The battery could have been at the end of its life to start with, but if it sat dead for a period of time then it is highly likely that it has been ruined and you will need a new one.

Do you have a pair of jumper cables? I would recommend hooking it up to your car battery and trying to start the scooter.

If you have a battery hooked up and you push the start button and nothing happens then I would suspect the start switch. There might be a fuse someplace, I would check for that first.

A trick I use to debug this sort of stuff is to get a small pin or needle. Jam the needle through the wire to make contact with the metal inside the insulation and then use your meter with one lead on the battery negative and the other on the needle. If you can identify the wires going to the starter switch, one side I would expect to be "hot" all the time and the other only hot when you push the button.

Rod