Why wont my bike start or why does my dash keep re-setting?

[ed apriliaforum com]

Does the bike just make a clicking sound from under the seat and the dash re-sets?

If so, the most likely cause is a drained or dead battery. These big twins need all the battery juice they can get to start. If the battery falls below a certain voltage (something like 11 volts), the dash will re-set itself. If your bike sits regularly for more than 2 weeks unused, then a automatic battery trickle charger is recommended.

Other possible causes, have been...
loose ECU main connections
loose wires to the battery
fouled spark plugs

If you do get a new battery, follow the instructions on the initial charge exactly. This has the biggest effect of long battery life. Yes, batteries can go dead in as little as 1-2 years, if not properly maintained, or initially setup.

Click below for info on re-setting the Mille or Falco dash back to original settings.

www.apriliaforum.com/tech...nction.htm

[baddyb94102]

Hey Ed,

A buddy's Falco does this all the time and I'd make fun of him for it ... until it started happening to mine! As of a few days ago every time I turn the ignition on the tachometer 'clicks' and goes up to 1000 rpm mark about 5 times in quick succession. Then the display comes on and it's been completely reset back to kilometers and Celcius. If I reset it it stays that way until I turn off the ignition and turn it back on again ... then it starts all over.

I'm pretty sure it's not the battery -- it's brand new and the engine turns over and starts easily just like it always has. Also, I don't think it's the plugs ... they were checked while the bike was in the shop and are clean, etc.

Could you tell me how I might go about checking the ECU and what I'd be looking for, aside from the obvious loose connections, plugs, etc.? Also, is there any place else or anything else on the wiring harness that needs to be checked? Is there anything else that could be causing this?

Thanks much,

[mnrstrider]

My futura cooked a battery in 3 months... maybe it's a bad battery, maybe not, won't know til I put the new one in in spring.

[HEAKLE]

My odometer was resetting by itself, the dealer installed star washers under the battery terminals as a factory fix. They said the fix was for the dash and starting problems. My dash was bad for other reasons. The explanation as to the problem was the fasteners allowinfgthe connection to build up resistance and resetting the dash functions.

[stoli]

Interesting to read the above notes I have a new Falco (01) model purchased 4 months ago & have experianced this issue since the first week of ownership. On its first service Aprilia said m'mmm we know the problem we will order you a new Dash assembly which I thought great the first 5,000km's will be reset to 0 excellant however this didn't fix the issue. This bike is keep garraged & riden almost daily but I have noticed that the issue tends to occur more when the bike is warm & you pull up & turn it off & then go to start it a minute later, it does it's little tizzy & dance on the tacho then all is reset again. Now this doesn't directly annoy me but without a fuel gauge you rely on the trip meter for fuel calculations to stops, & when this resets this is annoying.
It does appear I think to be more when one of the cylinders is stop at a compression stroke just before TDC hence placing a larger drain on starter & battery.

So long story short any other ideas floating around, going a bigger better battery sounds like the solution, I was even considering placing a aux feed to the dash from a separate source battery to hold the Dash from resetting.

Any suggestions ?

Stoli.

[heanous]

my mechanic says it is dodgy starter solenoid, which he has replaced on numerous aprilias using a honda part for ~ $20 with great sucess.

[John Abatte]

Do you by any chance happen to have the part number for the Honda solenoid?

FalcoPilot

[heanous]

i haven't the part number.

however, i was at the workshop this morning and talking through this, and he says the solenoid has helped but not resolved the problem - i.e. it still happens, though to a lesser extent.

it would seem to me that the starter is drawing too much current for the battery. either the battery is underated (old, or underrated to start with regards cold cranking current), the starter mechanism is faulty/high resistance (solenoid, starter switch, wiring, connections, etc), the starter motor is drawing too much current, or the engine requires too much to get it turning (decompression problems?).

twins do require more to get them going, and the problem is likely to be a number of these or other factors. i am yet to hear of the silver bullet that will provide a long term solution, but glad to hear from other experience.

aprilia australia (apparently) say they are not experiencing abnormal problems, but my personal experience with 3-4 aprilias are they all have this problem, and the local shop quotes 60% of their clients have complained.

[lowspark]

try fitting an extra earth (ground cable) from the negative battery terminal to the frame.