| Author | Message | ||
     Natexlh1000 |
I had this happen a couple of times now. Hit the starter and it clatters like the battery is dead. Try a few more times and it cranks over like nothing was ever wrong. Loose/corroded wire? Anyone have this? | ||
| Lucas70374 |
first how long you been having your battery, also check the connection sounds like a battery, connection problem. Also put some electrical contact grease to help corrosion | ||
| Reepicheep |
Starter relay? | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
The battery is in good shape. I just got it about two months ago. Is the starter relay within the starter? | ||
| Gowindward |
I had a problem like this. It seemed to be completely random. It was some corrosion on the starter switch contacts. I took the switch apart cleaned it up and haven't had the problem since. | ||
| Oldog |
Nater: the realy is under the seat next to the fuse box | ||
| Jugallo94 |
Spidermann had a problem like this. I cant remember what the fix was though. Maybe he will catch this and post. | ||
| Fullpower |
look for corrosion on battery terminal leads. use a knife or small flat file to clean up the lugs. if problem persists, have the battery LOAD TESTED, it may well be defective. | ||
| Fullpower |
another possibility is that the starter solenoid contacts are worn down. they are relatively easy to replace, after you remove the starter. check wiring first, dont forget the battery ground lead. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
It's difficult since it's intermittent. "Stay broken dammit!" | ||
| Blake |
"The battery is in good shape. I just got it about two months ago." That in my opinion is an assumption that could well prove inaccurate. | ||
| Patrickh |
Check all the connections to the starter AFTER you get a reading on the battery. There is a plug in connector on the lower portion of the starter on the header side of the motor that will cause this if it works loose. Happened to me a couple years back, exact same symptom. | ||
| Koz5150 |
I've been going through the exact same thing this summer. I found that my clutch cable was somehow grounding out. As I was trying to diagnose the problem I noticed a very small puff of smoke come from the cable. Then when I felt the cable it was very warm to the touch at both ends. wierd eh? | ||
| Cyclonecharlie |
I had same problem with my 03. Sometimes I'm out of town and don't ride it for a week or two,so I use a battery tender.Came home to that same problem, decided to try my 2 amp charger( 2 hr. charge) problem gone never came back(4 month's now)......Charlie | ||
| Reepicheep |
 Grip heaters! | ||
| Black_sunshine |
My 03' xb9 did this same thing this weekend. I just happened to be at SMHD/Buell and Cameron(Clown) tested my battery and it was fine. Put in a new one just for giggles and it did the same thing twice, then fired tight up. Put the old battery back in and it fired right up. When I started it yesterday it acted like it was slow to roll over but fired right up. KOZ5150....how did you resolve your problem?? Side note: I did rotated the engine to install new powder coated headers. This required me to remove my clutch cable for some slack. Do you think it couldn't be grounded some how? | ||
| Crusty |
The same thing happened to me this past Saturday night. It turned out to be a bad ground connection between the Swingarm and the frame (the flat braided ground strap). Cleaned and tightened it and it's working fine now. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I might have found it. The relay sockets under the seat were a bit fuzzy. The battery terminals are fine. It did it twice today. Hopefully for the last time | ||
| Jackbequick |
Get a tube of dielectic paste from Radio Shack and squeeze a little into each pin socket. That will keep those from oxidizing. It does not take much. Jack | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Sounds like a plan.... I wonder if we have any here at my workplace? | ||
| Mbsween |
Nate, mines been doing the same thing for 2 yrs now. I'm a lazy SOB tho, so I'm just living with it. It tends to do it worse when its below 40 degrees. I also have a new battery. The starter made the noise before and after. Its failed to start the bike once, which was on a very hot day right after a long ride. Waited a bit and it was fine. Good luck Matt | ||
| Buellny |
My 03 xb9 did the same thing last year. I put it away last winter with the HD battery tender hooked up. This summer when I took it out of storage the battery was completely dead. Replace it and it never had the problem again. (Message edited by buellny on October 04, 2005) | ||
| Spiderman |
Same prob a few months ago, it ended up being a bad nuetral switch. (The one behind the front sproket) Disconect it and see if your problem fixes itself. You can disconect it near the starter so you do not need to remove the sproket yet. NOW... I do not have the saftey switches connected on my bike so removing the nuetral switch was no problem, but may be for you if your clutch and kickstand switches are still active. But you can run a jumper wire as a temp till you get the problem sorted out. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Yeah... my kickstand switch crapped out at 35,000 and has been a blob of solder since. I think in my case, the problem was the relays' sockets. Today I used the starter a bunch and it cranked just like it should. Just got to get some of that grease now. | ||
| Ducatijohn |
M3 Cyclone...belongs to "Whatever"...same deal - solenoid hammers but bike will eventually start. The problem is that the starter motor isn't spinning. The ground and electrical connections are clean. The battery's got 12.8V. The motor circuitry is pretty simple so it seems the problem should be an intermittent contact in the primary winding or the brushes. A dead spot in the commutator is a possibility too I suppose. The dealer tested it, said the motor wouldn't spin and said to buy a new one ($400!!). The fact that the solenoid always "hammers" leads me to believe that the bike wiring is fine and the fault ls the motor. Comments? | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I think you can rebuild those. Ask about a rebuild kit. It might just be the solenoid. You might be able to strip it apart and clean it. For $400, I would work hard to save it! | ||
| Fullpower |
the Denso starter is indeed rebuildable, although simply replacing the pair of solenoid contacts, and dressing the plunger disc will restore 90 percent of these little starters to reliable operation. parts are very inexpensive, and upon teardown quite evident as to the means of replacement. primary cover needs to come off to access the starter mounting bolts, no big deal, just have gaskets on hand. the starter solenoid components can be obtained at your local auto electric rebuilder. look in the yellow pages, likely to be a DC electric shop ( like mine) within telephone range. contacts should run about 5 bucks for the pair. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Ahh so! Denso- no wonder the bolt on the top was 12mm. | ||
| Black_sunshine |
Update: My 03'Xb9 did the clicking starter. I went over the whole bike and found nothing. When I go to start it it sounds like the battery doesn't have enough juice to roll it over and just as I think it will start clicking it fires right up. Battery is fine cause I tested it. So, I went over the bike again. I found that the clutch cable mounting was loose and the rubber housing was rubbed through. I fixed that and she fires up perfectly. Related...problably not, but we will se if it acts properly tomorrow. Mind you it starts everytime but sometimes it almost doesn't want to roll over. Everything seems fine now......we'll see. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
The idiot switch in the clutch? I hate that "safety" crap. | ||
| Bent1 |
This is really interesting. My 2000 X1 has been clicking for 2 years now. I have to pull in the clutch lever, then it starts just fine with no clicking at all. What is this relationship between the clutch (cable?) and the clicking starter? I did a bunch of checking things when this problem first started, couldn't figure it out, then found the clutch lever trick and figured I'd wait until the guilty parts became obvious. I'm still waiting I guess. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
If it's in gear (no neutral light), the starter will not work unless the clutch is pulled in. The kickstand switch will kill the engine if it is in gear and the clutch is released. Two of those plug-in diodes in the fusebox have something to do with these circuits. I think the third is a spare. | ||
| Blake |
Will be moving this excellent tech topic to the KV soon. 172689 (Message edited by blake on October 07, 2005) | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
It's funny, cool topics aren't created. They just kinda happen. |
