400ex electrical problems

[MX MadMann]

hey guys , this weekend i was riding at the lake and i stopped for a break. when i got back on my 4 wheeler , i turned the key on , pulled the clutch in and hit the start button and all i hear is one click and it does nothing. i take my seat off and tap on the little round sylenoid in front of the battery and it clicks again as i push the start button. but it will not make a sound untill i tap on it again and then all it manages to do is one lonesome click. so we pull start it and i get it running and put it in neutral. my neutral light is blinking and it dies out when i rev up the motor. my lights do the same , the are blinking at idle and dim as soon as i rev it up. the problem has got to be in the little syleniod thing. i checked the fuses and i know the battery isnt dead. any help would be greatly appreciated.

- casey

[Ex'r Marlin]

I could be wrong, but it sounds to me that your battery is not recharging. I would first remove your electrical connections, even your grounds, shoot some WD-40 in them, and reconnect. I'm not saying that this is your problem, but at least this will cost you nothing (except the can of WD-40, and the time).

Good luck!

[dhines]

This has happened to me twice - most recently this weekend. What it ended up being for me is the positive battery contact has come loose. That little solenoid pops because it isn't getting good current from the battery. You'll need to slide out your battery and resecure the bolt that holds on the connector. Throw a little Lock-Tite on it to keep in in place.

If that doesn't do it, your battery may just be dead or dying.

Dennis

not to flame anyone, but if your gonna post an electrical problem get yourself a multimeter( under $10) and post the battery voltage. just because you hear clicking doesnt mean your battery isn,t toast. start with the battery voltage reading then move to the solenoid and on to the starter. if the battery voltage is below 12.5 i would suspect the battery. if voltage is ok, you need to check the voltage at the solenoid. somewhere along that route you will find where the current is way low or non-exsistant. that will narrow down your problem. have you checked the 2 fuses in the starter relay?

[knighttime]

Originally posted by dhines
This has happened to me twice - most recently this weekend. What it ended up being for me is the positive battery contact has come loose. That little solenoid pops because it isn't getting good current from the battery. You'll need to slide out your battery and resecure the bolt that holds on the connector. Throw a little Lock-Tite on it to keep in in place.

If that doesn't do it, your battery may just be dead or dying.

Dennis

The above is whats wrong with your quad. The fix is that simple. It's a very common problem. The positive screw on the terminal loosens from the vibration.

if it is the connection buy some star washers and use them between the cable and the battery terminal. this will stop all loosening period.

[MX MadMann]

aight guys , i just got done cleaning the terminals and putting it back to gether. it worked like a charm. im the kind of person who doesnt check the simple stuff first. kinda like that movie " do ya know whats wrong with it carl?"....."ummm......aint got no gas in it" thanx a million guys , i would have the stator out by now if it wasnt for yall's input.

- casey