Can't start my K100lt in the freezing cold -- help!

[ICBMW]

I have a 1995 K1100lt and need some help.  I'm winter riding and on cold days when I've left her outdoors, she doesn't start. I get a really grinding starter but she doesn't turn over at all. If I keep her in my garage it never happens but if I leave her in the spot at work in the lot outside for a few hours in sub zero weather she just doors this metallic wheeze and nothing. If I try to roll start or bump start, she needs a big push and it feels like there's a block normal cycling. Rolling isn't good enough, I need a buddy to push. It's like something's locked up. I have a cover for the bike. Do you think a cover might help? Is there any sort of mad crazy extreme winterizing I can do to make this stop? Could there be water gumming up the works? Is there anything I can do when I park her to prevent this? Is this something I can fix our should I bring her to my guy Khánh at EUBMW? It doesn't feel like battery to me. Is it starter? Alternator? Any insight or help you may have for me would be very appreciated. Cheers in advance. I'm a proud four season rider looking for a solution.

[Inge K.]

From your description it sounds like it's the starter sprag clutch that is the problem.
I would have tried a oil change, and a grade thinner than the one you now have.

[johnny]

i have not started a motobrick below about 20deg f... i can say never a problem to 20deg f... im thinking sub zero would be a different story... gotts to have some sub zero oil in there and a sub zero battery im thinking with tight electrical connections on down the line... also thinking the starter and alternator should be good to go sub zero...

if i were gonna do some sub zero motobricking i would score a 110v block heater for diesel trucks... keep it plugged when not riding...

j o

[ICBMW]

Thank you very much. I feel like that's the problem. Much obliged.

[ICBMW]

Hey guys, I am so sorry that I didn't respond quickly to all of your amazing piecsd of advice for my K1100LT. You were all right!

It was not the battery at all. It was probably not the starter sprag clutch. It was probably the result of lots of very short trips in subzero weather. The moisture, maybe.

I changed the oil to synthetic Mobil 1, lowered the viscosity, and am hoping the oil moisture is coming from the the oil not getting hot enough to burn off the vapor rather than a $450 replacement of the three water pump seals (original) that could be the culprit behind the frothing watery oil.

I think I will order the CD2 4111 detergent. Should I?

[The Mighty Gryphon]

I seem to recall that there is a weep hole between the water and oil sections of the pump.  Not sure where it is, but you might want to confirm it's existance, find it and make sure it is open.  It won't stop cold seals from weeping slightly, but it will help keep the water from migrating to the oil side of the pump.

I start my bikes at least once a week during the winter, and although they are kept in an unheated garage they are at something like 0-10 degrees F. right now.  The K75 starts right up, but the 100 will need a couple bumps on the starter button.  It's easy to see how the thicker oil at these temperatures will prevent the sprag from engaging.  If I was riding in this weather I would probably go for 5 or even 0W30 oil.  Starting and running the engine at such low temperatures causes a lot of engine wear before the oil has a chance to get to the bearings and wear surfaces.  More wear than you will get from running a lower viscosity oil at normal operating temperature.

[ICBMW]

I did lower the viscosity and also switched to synthetic. How about the CD2 4111 detergent?

[Scott_]

If you have changed the oil and gone thinner, I'd hold off on the detergent at this point yet. All you are going to do with the detergent is get your new oil dirtier faster, and potentially remove some beneficial "gunk" that would then create an oil leak for the thinner visc synth oil. I tried synthetic once and the bike used it faster. I was at about 1qt per 1000mi on dino oil, with syn it was going at 1qt per 500mi.  I switched back to reg dino oil. No, I'm not wanting to start an oil thread here........
The more critical aspect is to getting the engine warm/hot when you do ride it.
I had the same issue when I was riding in the winter the 1st year I got my K bike. The foaming and milk chocolate color of the oil even prompted my to take it to the shop thinking I had a blown head gasket. Nope just wasn't getting the engine hot enough/long enough to burn off/out the moisture.
With the moisture issue of the engine oil and the fact that the engine oil gets hotter than the transmission and/or final drive during the winter, I got to thinking about what was happening with moisture in the gear oils.
Add that oil/moisture issue with the fact that the fork seals couldn't hold up to the cold either, they kept leaking on me, I quit riding below 20F.
Since then, I haven't had any issue with the oil or leaking fork seals. But that's just my experience.

You may consider revamping your crankcase ventilation routing/connections to possibly get more of that moisture out of the engine and keep the motor internals in more of a vacuum. It could possibly help, but I can't say for certain.

[K75RT Keith]

-7 degrees a few mornings ago and mine started without a hitch. 

In the previous 18 months had the injectors cleaned, new plugs, replaced all the fuel hoses, new filters, adjusted the valves and synced the TB's .  I'd guess that it helped.

[ICBMW]

-7 F or C?

Well, she's been starting like a champ. I also added this thing, just because, but I don't think it'll do any good.



It wasn't a battery issue but I actually took the bait when the site told me that this 2 watt solar panel (and it's magical black box) can desulfate the battery and keep it conditioned. I will rely on the alternator to charge the battery.

What do you think? Nerdy enough?

[Snowman]

Great Scott that's nerdy. When are you installing the flux capacitor and the fusion device for the 1.21 gigawatts needed for time travel? Roads? we don't need roads. What did that SyFy charger cost?

Back on track here; My '93 K11LT starts right up in a -5>-10F garage every 2 weeks. All synthetics, fuel additive, 1.5watt battery tender, full choke then 1/2 choke until it wants to idle without. I do know that my bike likes a fully charged healthy battery, it will crank but won't start on a weak battery.

[kris]

I can't help but think you might want to contact the Russians with those Ural and Dnepr motorbikes. They must know a thing or two about cold weather ops!! Check their websites.

[ICBMW]

I have officially transitioned to synthetics. And I did throw in the detergent. No problems since but now it's moot since the weather's good now. Wisdom for next year. Thanks, all. Snowman, I don't have access to a trickle charger at all as I'm a parking garage dweller. Both at my apartment and my office. So the nerdy solar panel is my attempt to condition the battery when I'm not there.

[ICBMW]

The sci-fi charger was ~$150 and is 2W