[Ducati] 1998 Ducati 748

[Scott Cloninger]

Barry,

Have you checked the starter relay (I think they call it a remote switch in the Ducati parts books and service manuals)?

If not, find the starter relay (it's round...it's copperey on one end and black on the other.....on the black end it has a large lead coming in from the battery, another large lead going out to the starter and two small wires in a single plug....one coming in either directly or indirectly from the right handlebar switch and the other going directly or indirectly to ground...the relay is mounted in a rubber isolator that attaches to a pair of steel tangs somewhere on the bike...on my bike it's attached to the bottom of the airbox) and verify that it "clicks" when you press the starter button.  If it does not "click", then dismount it and check it by applying 12 volts across the two small terminals and measure the resistance across the two large terminals with a DMM.  If the relay is working correctly you should read nearly zero resistance across the large terminals when 12 volts is applied across the small terminals.  If you read high (probably nearly infinite) resistance when voltage is applied then you need to replace the starter solenoid.

If you read nearly zero resistance then the starter relay is OK and you'll need to check some other components to verify that they're working properly.  The right side handlebar switch is the first thing that comes to mind.  To check it simply disconnect the switch and verify (using a DMM or continuity tester) that there is continuity through the switch when you push the "start" button, insuring that the kill switch is in the "run" position.  There are probably three wires on this switch....one coming in from the fuse panel, one going out to the starting system and another going out to the ignition system.  Whilst you're checking the switch, you might as well verify that the wire going out to the ignition system is powered on whenever the kill switch is in the "run" position and is dead when the kill switch is in the "off" position.   

I think on some bikes Ducati wired the sidestand switch into the system so that you couldn't start the bike with the sidestand down unless the bike is in neutral.  This makes the sidestand switch and the neutral switch suspect.  I think the relays for these are under your seat....I'm not sure becasue they don't exist on my bike.  Even if you've bypassed the switch at the sidestand, the bypass merely "makes" the relay so if the relay is bad you won't get voltage to the starter relay regardless of the condition of your bypass.  I'd have to have a wiring diagram in front of me to make sure how the system on your bike works.  

Lots of folks look at electrical problems as black magic.  However, for most systems that rely on relay logic this isn't the case.  If you can follow a flow diagram then you can follow an electrical diagram and it'd be worth your time to get one and learn to read it!!!!

Hope this helps with your problem.

Cheers from Tennessee,

Cloner
Guy with bikes

-----Original Message-----
From: musical at interbaun.com [mailto:musical at interbaun.com]
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2006 4:46 PM
To: Ducati Owners Group
Subject: Re: [Ducati] 1998 Ducati 748


The fuel pump does turn off, everything seems as it has always been, 
except when I press the starter button, nothing happens.

Barry


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