Doesn't crank- electric problem.

[Crisf65]

I know you’re mad at the kids and the kart right now but slow down, take a deep breath and start eliminating things. It’s the only way to figure it out. Things can take a violent turn internally when the engine is turned off and all the mass stops spinning.

Yeah. I'll see what I can do- was just the basics so far. I just need to motivate myself- lol

 

[Denny]

How’s this for motivation. If you sell it not running you’ll only get pennies on the dollar for it.

 

[BrianD51]

Probably a silly question but are you sure the starter is turning fast enough? I've seen instances where a diesel cranks and sounds healthy but won't hit and nothing else is wrong but change the starter and it hits immediately. If the starter is going bad it may be dragging just enough that it's not building adequate momentum.
Just my though.

 

[Denny]

A diesel engine needs 99 rpm to get it to fire, but gas engines don’t. They will fire at any rpm.

 

[Rat]

A diesel engine needs 99 rpm to get it to fire, but gas engines don’t. They will fire at any rpm.

That may be but that's not exactly what he means. He means in the same context that as the difference between Not cranking, and just Not starting. Firing and firing UP are just not the same.

I know that (according to the tach reading) if my 208 doesn't crank faster than 600 it's just killing what's left of the battery power.

Probably a silly question but are you sure the starter is turning fast enough? I've seen instances where a diesel cranks and sounds healthy but won't hit and nothing else is wrong but change the starter and it hits immediately. If the starter is going bad it may be dragging just enough that it's not building adequate momentum.
Just my though.

I hadn't thought of it until seeing this, old grease in a bendix can definitely slow down the starter enough to be problematic especially if it's combined with an older battery that is struggling to keep going.

A Lead Acid battery is only garenteed good for 5 years, and should definitely be replaced after 10 especially if it has seen a lot of time on a charger for any amount of time.

Definitely worth taking a look at the battery date code, take a post to post reading with a DMM.

The ideal standing voltage is 12.8-13.5 anything less than 11.5 is going to struggle to crank and may or may not fire, anything under 10.5 and it's not going to roll fast enough to fire up.

I think the odds are pretty good that the stator, the reg/rec, or the battery could have given out.

If the reg/rec or stator went bad on a ride the machine would continue to run off the battery while receiving overvoltage or none causing battery issues.
This also tracks with everything the fact it ran fine until the last shutdown and everything seems to test normal since but it won't start.

My 1970 Honda was a Kickstart only engine, but the way Honda wired it up no battery meant it didn't run, and flat battery meant no start. It also meant disconnecting the battery in any way while it was running would shut it right down which I found a little odd for a points&condesor ignition system.
I can see where that may seem like irrelevant info but I dont believe it probably is because the engine in question is a Chinese GY6 clone... GY6 is an old Honda engine design and very likely has a DcV powered CDI which again will act up with low voltage issues.

 

[BrianD51]

If the battery was old and and the ride was exceptionally rough it could have shorted a cell in the battery and while it may say you have a full charge that's not really the right metric to go by. A motor starting depends less on voltage/charge but more on amperage (cca) IIRC it should be around 150. If you're not getting close to that, I would replace the battery.