Minor electrical problem

[EXracer83]

I work away from home and I get one day off per week or else I could sit down and trace the problem down.

When I go to start my bike all I hear is a clicking sound in the solenoid. Brand new charged battery on it so its not low voltage. Soemtimes if you put it in gear and roll the tires a little then hit the button it will spin over but it will only do that once in a blue moon. I've tried setting a screw driver on the 2 points of the solenoid to bypass it but I get nothing. Anyone have a suggestion? My dad's wanting it running today so he can sell it

[Chin_Chilla]

Sounds like a bad ground. Same thing happened to me a few months ago...

[EXracer83]

They let us off until wednesday so i got out there this morning messing with it and it must not be a ground. I cleaned both battery terminals and cable ends and also cleaned off the frame where the ground wire bolts on. any more suggestions?

[QuadManiac]

When shorting across the lugs on the starter relay did you at least get sparks? IF so, perhaps the starter is siezed or going bad.

If no sparks, one of the cables or connections is bad: battery to relay, relay to starter or battery to ground. You can use an auto jumper cable to test each cable. Just connect the jumper across each of the cables one at a time and test starting again.

Also, it is not that uncommon for a new battery to be DOA from the dealer... they can sit on the shelf for a long time. A dead battery cell is the most common failure from long term storage. You need to measure battery voltage when trying to start. If it drops more than 2-3 volts or so, battery may still be your problem.

[EXracer83]

I've pretty much narrowed it down to the relay. I never got any kind of fire except when jumping from the battery to the starter and it finally turned over. The battery is fine voltage plus i don't think it would have went bad being the acid was in a seperate container and I had to add it. Idk though this is my first time dealing with these smaller batteries, I wish optima would make a battery for 4 wheelers lol they are some beasts!

[QuadManiac]

If shorting across the large lugs on the relay (solenoid) didn't make the starter spin it IS NOT the relay.

What leads you to having 'narrowed it down to the relay'?

If you were succesful in cranking the starter with a jumper but not with shorting across the relay, either the cable from the battery to the relay or the cable from the relay to the starter is open (lugs are not making contact at one end or the copper has separated from the lugs in the wire itself).

[EXracer83]

When I hit the starter button the relay clicks. Hooked up an ohmmeter to the relay...got fire going to it but none coming out of it?? That tells me there are internal problems with it.

[QuadManiac]

Yes, that certainly would be indicative of the relay's contacts being burned.... BUT, if shorting across the lugs with a screwdriver didn't make the starter spin, you have additional problems.

Did you measure voltage (physically place the meter lead) right on the relay's screw threads where the cable's lugs attach or on the cables lugs themselves?

I am suspect of the test, so far, because the symptoms you describe don't add up, at least not to just a single failure.

Recap:

1) The starter relay clicks when you press the start button, but no starter spin

2) no starter spin when shorting across the two starter relay lugs with a screwdriver

3) starter DOES spin when connecting directly from the battery positive to the starter's power lug with a jumper cable


2 and 3 are identical tests (essentially connecting directly from battery+ to the starter), unless the battery to relay cable or relay to starter cable has failed or is not making good contact at one of it's endpoints. See the dilemma?

IF the starter DID crank when shorting across the relay lugs, yet when pushing the button you hear the relay click, but no starter crank, I would certainly agree that the relay has failed... BUt this is not the scenario from your reported tests so far.

Try the shorting across the relay's bolts again- make contact with the bolts themselves, if no crank then make contact with the cable end lugs at the relay. Same thing with the voltage measurement... do it both on the threaded bolts at the relay and then at the cable end lugs at the relay... Either one of the earlier tests was done incorrectly, or you WILL see a difference in these tests, pointing out where the true failure is.


Good Luck!