Baron VLA-150 not starting By cooandrew (Read 1,715 times)

[cooandrew]

Hey folks, this is my first post, and my first time trying to diagnose a problem on my scoot, so please bear with me. The thing has a host of problems that I will try to work through one by one. The most important at the moment is that it will not start with the electric start, the kick start is difficult, and when I do get it to go, it chugs once and doesn't start. When the ignition key is on, the lights are on; I squeeze the brake lever and press the button and the lights dim a little but there is not even a click. According to my battery charger the battery has a full charge.

Where do I start?

[tvnacman]

tvnacman.blogspot.com/

Jump the solenoid with the key in the run position .

John

[cooandrew]

Thanks for the reply. Is jumping the starter solenoid when you touch a screwdriver to the two poles? Or is there another step to it? When I did the former with the key in run position the power cut off, the headlights went out, the rapid clicking that had been happening stopped. Does that mean it's probably the starter? Or is there another step I should do before repairing/replacing the starter?

[alleyoop]

When you touch both terminals on the SOLENOID if the battery is good it should spin your starter. Does it spark when you touch both terminals?

If you have a car or a friend with a car, jump the battery BUT do not have the car running.
Alleyoop

[cooandrew]

Hey there, there is a spark when I make the connection on the solenoid. I have a battery charger, so the battery is charged I think. I can try jumping it like that tomorrow if I need to, but I assume the charger accomplishes the same thing. 

The ssx as I can see them now are: 
key in ignition to on position, lights on. 
Battery seemingly fully charged
press the electric start switch; rapid, regular clicking
make connection between poles on solenoid; lights go off and no clicking anymore. 

Help me with the next step? 

I appreciate all the help so far, I've actually exposed all the innards of the scooter so I'm starting to get to know it a little better. I have to do all the fluids and loosen up the kick starter, plus I'm having some backfiring issues (all this is just background, still workin on the starter issue first), it's nice to look at everything and see what's going on down there. 

[alleyoop]

Take a picture of you SOLENOID, DO YOU HAVE IT CONNECTED CORRECTLY per my PICTURE?
If the solenoid CLICKS when you press the START BUTTON there on only a couple things WRONG.

1. Your battery is weak can have a bad cell or two and when a load it put on it drops like a rock , test with a jumper on the battery.
2. The Solenoid is bad
3. The STARTER is bad, you can test this also with a jumper hook the positive to the post on the starter and the neg just hold in your hand and touch the motor to ground it. If the starter spins then your back to BAD SOLENOID or BAD BATTERY(IF It does not spin bad starter) ... NO TWO WAYS ABOUT IT BRO.
Alleyoop

[cooandrew]

I was reading another thread this afternoon that led me to remove the starter, I then hooked it up to 12v and it spun perfectly well. The guy at the scooter shop suggested I do a load test on the battery. I have a multimeter and now I'm trying to figure out how to do that test, but I have to install the starter again first. But if I jump the battery with a non-running vehicle what am I expecting, and what are the other possibilities. 

I really appreciate all the help so far, it's been huge. 

[alleyoop]

When you jump your scooter battery using a cars battery and you touch both terminals on the solenoid it should spin your starter. Reason I say this I believe your battery is shot.
Alleyoop

[cooandrew]

Thanks a lot for the replies. I'm going to reinstall my starter this morning and try to jump the thing. Hopefully it's the battery and I'll just go get one. 

[cooandrew]

Ok. So I got the battery and installed a new CVT belt (different story), now I'm in the process of putting it all back together and it won't start again, but it's obvious that it's a different reason, it whines but it doesn't turn over. I got it to start last night and then for some reason it wouldn't turn off, so I had to pull the spark plug (no fun). Can anyone help me with the next step. I don't know what's different about the scooter today from last night. Btw I did plug the spark plug back in.

[alleyoop]

Did you charge up the battery before putting it in around 6 hours? Take a picture of the Solenoid and battery you may have connected it wrong.
Alleyoop

[alleyoop]

Here is how it should be connected, RED THICK WIRE FROM the battery to ONE terminal on the SOLENOID, then the other terminal on the SOLENOID to the STARTER. From the battery the NEG POST goes to the FRAME for ground.

[cooandrew]

I will try charging the battery. I have verified that the solenoid is hooked up properly.

Thanks

[alleyoop]

Cool, but the problem of it keeps on running after you turn the key off also try the killswitch.
Alleyoop

[cooandrew]

The kill switch didn't do it either. I found a video on YouTube last night with a similar problem. The guy found a wire that's supposed to be a closed loop or something, and I think I found something similar this morning when inspecting the scoot. Haven't gotten to test it though, because I haven't gotten it started...