Newchurch With The Dreaded Starting Problem

O.K. I've had my Newchurch for 12-months absolutely delighted with it.... However it recently let me down I suspected the starter solenoid, replaced with new but it would only click but not start also noticed headlamp not working with the ignition switched on... Well after a bit of searching it didn't take long to realise that it's quite a common widespread problem, and the safety starting system controlled by E.C.U.. was not one of Triumphs better ideas. The next suspect was the starter relay, again replaced still no go. ??? Lucky for me I have a mate who lives a stones throw away who is a retired Auto Electric Engineer (old school to boot, very switched on) excuse the pun.!!!
Well he spent a couple of hours doing numerous tests and found virtually no real problems other than he suspected the E.C.U. control was causing it. So after studying a wiring diagram he decided to go with eliminating the E.C.U. control so he removed the earth female connector from the starter relay block doubled it back on itself and taped it up for safety thus removing the E.C.U. control through the earthing system, installed a new earth wire with a female terminal into the block connector and connected it directly to the negative battery earth. Switched on and still nothing !!!. Next he checked the fuse box and the live feed to the relay and found the 10amp fuse only had a reading on one side, despite the fuse looking absolutely fine. Replace the fuse with a new one and switched on Yippee headlamp came on immediately followed by starting the engine no-problem, now obviously I'm aware that the safety starting features have now been removed but on the plus side the problem is not going to occur again. And me being old school also my bikes never had all this technology years ago and were so much more reliable, I still pull the clutch lever in prior to starting and will continue to do so through habit, thus avoiding starting it in gear..... I guess I'll probably end up repeating this mod on my America at the first sign of trouble.....

 

Hi Scoot 65
Yes I believe it affects all models, not sure from what year though?, it can affect all new model triumphs. Basically the earth system on your E.C.U. is used to control the starting of your bike like pulling the clutch lever in, headlamp on when ignition is switch on, goes out momentarily when starter engages etc. The trouble is if the E.C. U. senses a battery voltage drop below a certain level it kicks in and prevents the bike starting. This is not something new it happens to Triumph owners the world over and has done for a long time....

 

As it happens after we did all of the above I had it happen all over again, after I thought we had cured the problem? My mate had previously done a test on my battery and found it to be pretty much perfect so I ruled that out, so I contacted my mate yet again and he said check the headlamp fuse he said it will be blown, and it was.
He informed me that it can now only be down to two causes one being a problem or short in the wiring loom from the starter relay to the headlamp, very unlikely however, or the headlamp itself which is an LED headlamp which I had previously purchased and fitted last year and up until this problem initially reared it's ugly head has been fine. So he suggested I change the headlamp back to the standard unit and see what happens, problem now solved. Apparently it's quite a common occurrence for LED headlamps to give problems.!!!

 

Yes true, I'm a little disappointed however in the headlamp failing in such a short time, plus in my opinion they look and function so much better than the standard unit.
But I'm going to leave well alone and keep the standard headlamp in situ especially has I do very little night time riding in any case, I much prefer.....