EC 300 2018 starter problem

[Doc Brown]

What was the problem with yours Doc?

First was the typical starter problem, but that cured miracolously.

Second and worse problem it fouled plugs. 7 plugs in 8 hours. It fouled the plugs when idling, as well as when I blipped the throttle. Tried hotter plugs, it fouled them too. It was a nightmare... but all good now.

 

[Wimpy525]

My Starter is working!

So my starter worked intermittently, most of the time a horrible clunk and no action. When the bike was hot it would generally start with the second stab of the button. (Upgraded battery, ECU remap, added thicker cables and a negative.) That was until last weekend when nothing would happen, so I cleaned the bike and pulled the ignition cover.
What I found was the bearing for the electric start gear was bad. So bad it is just about impossible to turn, put some heat on it and it would spin so-so. So my dealer grabbed an ignition cover off a trade in and presto working starter!

So if you have a starter that is not working I would check this out.

 

[Undertow]

Hi

So similar problem that I had with my -18 300 GP.

And in my case it was the starter. Also my starter never quite worked and got worse start by start. And after 5 hours it just gave up.

The old starter (in this video I keep the starter "pinned" for seconds and you can hear the growling):

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pcoluzaeg492ygp/IMG_0024.mov?dl=0

The new starter (or actually a start of a demo bike from importer):

https://www.dropbox.com/s/74939ggfm6sn3wz/IMG_0027.mov?dl=0

So it just exploded running.

And yes, before the new starter I bought two new batteries and got one from GG (the one they recommend), had updated CDI from the beginning, had the wires done, and nothing made any difference.

So my money is on the starter motor...

 

[eralha]

Hi guys, just found where my problem was, seized shaft on the mechanism of the starter, if you go to the exploded manual, on the page where it shows the parts for the starter, the parts number 17 and 16 had given up.

The number 17 turns whit the stater motor but the 16 does not, i need to replace those but its a pain to take them out, tried last night with no success, i managed to take out the first bearing but this one is putting a fight.

cheers

 

[Nocams]

Heat is your friend for bearing removal.

 

[Lord_Muck]

Hi guys, just found where my problem was, seized shaft on the mechanism of the starter, if you go to the exploded manual, on the page where it shows the parts for the starter, the parts number 17 and 16 had given up.

The number 17 turns whit the stater motor but the 16 does not, i need to replace those but its a pain to take them out, tried last night with no success, i managed to take out the first bearing but this one is putting a fight.

cheers

Think this may have just happened to mine, i've just got a free spinning sound. How did you diagnose this, marked it with a white dot?

 

[Skyrooster]

For a short time my friends 2018 300 was starting fine. This was after the dealer gave him a new battery and an ECU. He had a problem with the small gear making a horrible noise after it wore the small cover oblong and the gear was trying to walk over the flywheel teeth. It subsequently fried the brushes. Now he has no spark while cranking. He replaced the gears the ECU and the cover as well as the the complete starter. Still no spark while cranking. If he kick starts it it immediately starts. Has anyone had problems with the wirings harnesses on these bikes. For 7 months since he bought the bike new his starter has not worked more than it has worked.

 

[Duster]

I have same problem, starter is turning engine ok, but no spark, no problems starting or riding with kickstarter. How to know do i have already new version of cdi software or not, flywheel? Spark comes with too high rpm to start with starter. I have wireing done, biggest battery there fits and even tried a car battery directly to starter, didnt help. When engine is warm (almost hot) then occasionally e-start works, mostly no luck.

 

[martg]

I had the same problem, no spark using the starter even when trying to jump start. installed new starter last year and now has never failed to start hot or cold.

 

[Skyrooster]

My friends 2018 has had 3 different ECUs and won't hardly run with a 2019 ECU. He has had 2 different starters and replaced the cover and most of the driven gears related to the starter including the flywheel gear. He's considering buying a wiring harness. His dealer has been good and has tried to help him.. at first with some new parts and battery and two ECUs. The dealer also sold him some starter gears at 1/2 price. Unfortunately he still has a bike that the E-Start doesn't work cold or hot. He has said more than once that if he didn't owe so much money on the bike it would already be gone.

I offered to look at the wiring schematic to determine if there's a separate circuit that is in use while cranking but the only wiring diagram he could get me was in spinach and lacked the detail I need to determine if it could be a wiring harness problem. I also understand that he is tired of throwing parts at his starting system with no success.

If anyone with a similar problem that has resolved it please post it up here.

 

[Duster]

Somehow we need to get spark at lower rpm, the rpm's that my starter gives at cranking should be enough to start the bike. I'm not willing to buy new starter, it seems pointless waste to me, if it's turning the engine with reasonable rpm, it's not starter's problem, but cdi or stator problem. In wireing, the circuits are independent, there is no difference to ecu, is it kickstarted, e-started or push started. I took all unnessesary off from the bike including light's, dash, nothing changes. If anyone has idea, what to do to get good spark at lower rpm, it would solve the problem at least for my bike.

What is different in wires on 2019 models? Are cdi's interchangeable? Flywheel the same?

 

[Skyrooster]

Somehow we need to get spark at lower rpm, the rpm's that my starter gives at cranking should be enough to start the bike. I'm not willing to buy new starter, it seems pointless waste to me, if it's turning the engine with reasonable rpm, it's not starter's problem, but cdi or stator problem. In wireing, the circuits are independent, there is no difference to ecu, is it kickstarted, e-started or push started. I took all unnessesary off from the bike including light's, dash, nothing changes. If anyone has idea, what to do to get good spark at lower rpm, it would solve the problem at least for my bike.

What is different in wires on 2019 models? Are cdi's interchangeable? Flywheel the same?

I don't know on the interchangeability of the 2019 to 2018, the dealer sent him the ECU trying to help out. The cranking speed isn't the problem, his starter cranks faster than the kick starter. The problem might be the voltage drop because of the draw of the starter but I doubt it because it still won't start if jumped off a car battery which would for sure keep the voltage up. This is why I think it's in the ECU or the wiring harness which might have a circuit that bypasses a resistor during cranking. I would know this if I had a quality wiring diagram.

 

[Skyrooster]

Quick update: We put a wiring harness on the bike and now it starts like a dream. Fingers crossed it lasts more than a week.lol

 

[farmerj]

Wow! Did you replace it with a 2019 wiring harness? I was under the impression that that was cost prohibitive. Do you have a part number? Thanks

Jeff

 

[Skyrooster]

It was for a 2018 and cost about $80 for the harness.

 

[farmerj]

Thanks! Interesting that a new wiring harness solved the problem. That's the first time I've heard of that as a fix to the starting problem on a 2018, so the info. is appreciated!

Jeff

 

[Skyrooster]

Thanks! Interesting that a new wiring harness solved the problem. That's the first time I've heard of that as a fix to the starting problem on a 2018, so the info. is appreciated!

Jeff

I have suspected from day one that there's some kind of bypass circuit that allows full battery voltage while cranking and for some reason this circuit was open thus no spark while cranking. I could not find a decent wiring diagram to study so that I prove my theory. My friend just took a gamble and bought a harness as a last ditch effort to solve his problem.

The way the subframe can pull on the harness while assembling the bike could be the cause.

 

[GASGASCWB]

I have suspected from day one that there's some kind of bypass circuit that allows full battery voltage while cranking and for some reason this circuit was open thus no spark while cranking. I could not find a decent wiring diagram to study so that I prove my theory. My friend just took a gamble and bought a harness as a last ditch effort to solve his problem.

The way the subframe can pull on the harness while assembling the bike could be the cause.

I can not really understand the cause!
My battery (2018 OEM) turns the estart, but not enough for the engine to turn on!
It seems to be missing a bit.
A stronger battery would solve the problem, the principle.
But will the alternator keep this battery fully charged without damage for how long?
I really do not know if it's worth spending money on batteries?
Several reports that the problem comes back in a short time.

 

[Skyrooster]

My friends bike started good for about 3 days and then the screw that holds the bearing on the worm gear backed out for the second time and bound up the starter. He has replaced almost every part related to the starting system and many of the parts have been replaced twice. Even with the help and discounts of his local dealer he has spent about $1,000 on starting system related parts and I can't even begin to guess how many hours. He is now looking at buying a TM or a Beta. I know another guy who's family has 3 of the same model GasGas 300 bikes and he hasn't had any trouble with the starters on any of them but he is on his 3rd complete top end on one of his bikes. I guess it's luck of the draw on these bikes whether you get a good one.

 

[Skyrooster]

I can not really understand the cause!
My battery (2018 OEM) turns the estart, but not enough for the engine to turn on!
It seems to be missing a bit.
A stronger battery would solve the problem, the principle.
But will the alternator keep this battery fully charged without damage for how long?
I really do not know if it's worth spending money on batteries?
Several reports that the problem comes back in a short time.

If you are removing the subframe and don't take the time to carefully disconnect the ECU and it's wiring harness you will put a lot of strain on the very small wires at the ECU plug in. This might cause damage in the wires in the harness or the connector and that could cause problems.