Venture Lite Starting/Electrical Problems

[Paul Cramer]

I have a 2008 Venture Lite. Went to start it today, turned the key to "on", fuel pump cycled, display lit up, and when I went to turn the key to crank it, heard a click and everything went dead (no more display, etc).

Thought the battery might have finally went (despite charging it the night before), so tried jumping it, and same problem as above.

Sled takes about 5-10 min before I get get the ignition to turn on again and the display to lite up.

Read it might be the starter relay, so tried jumping the terminals, and nothing.

Checked all fuses and everything ok.

Really at a loss. Possible grounding problem? Can't figure out how sometimes fuel pump and display will work, but soon as I go to crank it, everything dies and won't come back on for a long time.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Mooseman]

Could be a ground. Could also be a bad relay that can't take a load. For the grounds, check the ground block for the updated ones. Should be two of them in the harness running between the radiator and oil tank. One small black one and a yellow one. Check also the main ground wire from the battery for a good connection. There I'd a connector mid-way that can go bad (I just cut and spliced it out). Then check the relay supplying power to the electronics is supplying good power.

When you shorted the two posts on the relay/solenoid, did the starter turn the engine?

 

[Paul Cramer]

Thanks will give the grounds a try. When I shorted the starter relay, it didn't crank which is leading me to think it's losing the ground too.

 

[Mooseman]

Definitely or, hopefully not, the starter is pooched.

 

[Paul Cramer]

Figured it out. Ended up being that the battery had developed an internal short. I didn't realize that was the problem as the battery had just come off the tender and was showing a full charge. Then when I tried jumping it, it still wouldn't start as even with the jumpers on, the short was preventing the sled from turning over and the voltage must have went screwy and killed everything on the sled. Was throwing me as battery would turn on the fuel pump and display, but shorted out once you tried to crank her.

I finally tried disconnecting the leads from the battery and connecting them directly to the alligator clips on the jumpers and voila, started right up. Tried reconnecting the battery and starting and soon as I turned the key to crank it, battery popped and shot smoke out of the positive terminal. Confirmed the short.

New battery in sled and running perfect. Glad it was a simple fix.

Thank you for the help though.

 

[Mooseman]

Good to know. We should remember that the battery should be a suspect in most electrical issues.

 

[YukonMP]

Hi Paul,

Glad it was so simple. I just wanted to thank you for reporting back so that we all could learn the the lesson. I'm with you Mooseman, electrical problems can present bizarrely yet the solution is often so simple, a new battery.