battery connections are good & tight, properly lubricated, no corrosion. This is also a sign of low or dead battery. How Do You Isolate a Bad Starter Relay on a Motorcycle? The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". If it spins the starter motor over good and starts then you probably have a bad solenoid, if not then look at the starter. This is why oil changes and top-offs are essential for any bike. How long does it take for gas to go bad in a motorcycle? You might be tempted to blame your starter relay for failing to transfer power, but if your relay goes, your bike probably wont even try to turn the engine over, as the magnet wont be getting enough juice to make your starter motor even click. Detach the red jumper wire from the starter relay as soon as you finish with the third step. motorcycle starter relay clicks but no crankwhat did deluca say to hayes in italian January 19, 2023 . Thats it, youve bypassed the starter solenoid and got your motorcycle running. Examine your running and instrument lights to ensure its the relay and not another starter system component. Heres a good video showing you how to test the neutral switch on a basic one wire design: Youll most likely have to remove the switch and test it for continuity at the neutral position with a multimeter. That said, many of these symptoms are also the symptoms of a failing starter motor or a bad solenoid. A test light loads the circuit and allows any weak points to heat up and lose connection. This post is to explain what the noise is and why it happens. if you blew that you will hear the relay but no start. Swap out the fuse if its looking rough. Previous Post Next Post I then removed the starter solenoid and put 12v through the spade connectors on top of it. Some engines have a ground strap and some don't. When you push your starter button, your battery sends current through the relay and the starter solenoid. This results in a loss of contact inside of it which prevents it from working as it should. Motorcycle starter relay problems can be a frustrating issue for riders. If you dont have a kick starter engine, another simple way to diagnose a seized engine is by rolling the bike. So, in review, why is your motorcycle clicking instead of starting? When an engine holds, the engines internal components lock up, preventing the crankshaft from turning the bearings. Those clicking noises can rapidly spoil someones day. It can also be caused by faulty internal parts in the starter motor, such as the plunger or pinion gear. Remember, if you dont have the tools or space needed to conduct the following procedures or if you cant find access to a service manual and youre unsure about your working knowledge, any decent bike tech can do this test on the fly for pretty cheap. Your email address will not be published. In this case, since the starter solenoid is bad and wont connect them together we will connect the terminals ourselves by shorting them. I suggest that you get a new starter, and the problem should be resolved. Move the wheel and turn the key again and all good. Let the car run for five minutes then give the bike starter a go. I simply recommend you get a new starter and your issue should be solved. Those clicking noises can ruin someones day pretty quickly. By doing this, were completely bypassing the side stand switch. Cannon Entities LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Share Improve this answer Follow edited Aug 2, 2016 at 15:51 DucatiKiller In fact you can jumper across the solenoid with a screwdriver or the like to test it first. Turn the key to start and hold it there. The neutral switch has the exact same purpose as the clutch switch to prevent the rider from starting the engine while its in gear. You need to have at least 12.2 volts, or a 50% charge, to get the motorcycle started. Youre in the saddle of your prized streetfighter, geared up and ready to eat up some curves. Its the only way to properly test a circuit. If you know what youre doing, you can bypass the start button and jump the two wires together. Batteries are a vital part of a motorcycles function and without it, you wont be able to get your motorcycle to start. Starter solenoid electrical connections. Luckily, there are only a handful of components that could go bad and prevent the engine from starting, and if you test them and the wiring integrity between them properly, youll be back on the road in no time. All I get is a click coming from solenoid. Turn the key and get a single click. It can also be a sign that the solenoid is not functioning correctly. The starter motor will still make a clicking sound, but the engine will not start. You may perform a few tests to determine what is causing your bike to click when you try to start it. R2. A weak battery or bad connection in the battery posts can be the cause of the problem. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. At 12.4 volts, the battery is 75% charged. Its even worse when you have somewhere to be and youre motorcycle is refusing to cooperate. Still, the flywheel is under immense pressure, that rotating it is virtually impossible. Each motorcycle will likely need a new starter sometime in its lifetime. If not, your house keys should do the trick. If the solenoid isn't the source of the click, tracing the sound should take you to the relay on those models. Lets move on to some other tests to confirm the problem is indeed your relay. Step 1. Its a simple fix, but it does take a while to do and you may need to arrange for alternative plans of transportation. Your email address will not be published. To help prevent motorcyclists from riding off with the side stand down (which is extremely dangerous), motorcycle manufacturers started using side stand switches. Get a quick visual check on the wiring. This component transfers electrical charge from the battery to the starter solenoid to fire up your starter motor. Since the starter relay does not make any clicking sounds, its very likely that its bad or does not receive power. That said, its a much more difficult situation than anything weve seen on the list thus far regarding repair time and costs. Knowing what to do can be difficult in this situation. Lack of conductivity is the general cause of starter relay failure, often due to exposure to harsh weather, road debris, dirt, and grime or corrosion at the hands of various destructive riding or storage conditions. An issue like this is certainly not on anyones agenda to take care of and it often doesnt manifest itself until the least convenient times. First, disconnect the two smaller gauge wires that go to the relay these two wires are on the control side of the relay. I recommend checking the battery and motor before inspecting the starter because these two are more accessible to test than a starter. Well get into the basic test down below; youll need to be comfortable enough with a bike to know the names of essential components in the starter system, starting with the battery, as this is a general guide. Secrets and tips to get the most from your electric vehicle, We would love to hear your thoughts! Lets cut to the troubleshooting process and break down the symptoms of a bad starter relay and look at the specifics. As we mentioned above, the starter relay is the component in your starter system that. WulfMoto.com is a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program, and as an Amazon Associate, WulfMoto.com earns from qualifying purchases. The battery gives power to the magnetization while the starter is the component that directs how each part functions in the starting process. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. no dimming of lights in the process (no clutch switch, kill . you mean the 30 fuse on the relay? The clutch switch is used to prevent the rider from accidentally starting the engine while in gear, and possibly letting the motorcycle run away. Essentially, this gear starts turning which in turn starts rotating the flywheel in the engine. Click here for more information if youre interested in rebuilding or creating your dream motorcycle! Using a wiring diagram, find the two wires that go to the start button. When attempting to start a motorcycle, it clicks. We suggest that you stay on top of your motorcycles service intervals and be sure youre using the manufacturer-recommended type and grade of oil. Here are some ways you can prevent that from happening. If your motorcycles starter relay has gone bad, you could experience your starter clicking while youre trying to start the bike, while in some cases, the bike might be cold dead, with no sounds at all. The clicking youre hearing is the flywheel failing to rotate. To test the relay, get your test light out. Usually, this points to an air/fuel delivery problem, a spark delivery problem, or a lack of compression. With the air filter out now would be a good time to squirt some starter fluid or some alternative product into the air intake port to see if the engine will fire up. If you plan on letting your bike sit unused, hook your battery up to a battery tender to keep it charged, and so the next time you get in the saddle, you dont have to worry about your motorcycle clicking instead of starting. Next day same problem no crank no start The three main reasons a motorcycle will click instead of start is because your battery is dead, your starter is failing, or, in severe cases on older or hard-used bikes, it might be clicking because of a seized engine. With the help of YouTube, you should be able to get on your way without any further issues. Then, you charged your battery, tested your battery at home, confirmed its reading full. Now its time to try to start your bike again. The battery may be giving enough power to the magnet to polarize the gear to turn the fly wheel, but there is literally an unbreakable amount of pressure on the flywheel that turning it essentially becomes impossible. Im sure its not the battery just got it earlier this year. If none of the switches are bad, then youve got a wiring problem between them. Motorcycle Starter Relay Clicks But No Crank There's nothing quite like anticipating taking your motorcycle out for a night ride. A GOOD battery should read 12.7 volts, if it's not then it will need to be charged. The clicking you hear is the starter gears failing to crank the flywheel due to a failed magnetization. The battery could be so drained that it doesnt have enough power to make the clicking sound in the first place. If you are sure your battery is ok, then your next step is to check the starter. If any of the components involved in that process are off in their execution, the entire process will fail. Also check ground strap from engine to frame. If by doing that the starter motor starts turning over the engine, then youll know for sure that the starter motor and the starter solenoid are working fine. Leading to the repeated clicking. No Clicking Noise When Trying to Start the Engine Another component to inspect is the starter relay, which is located in the electrical fuse box underneath the side cover on the left side of the motorcycle. the coil + terminal does measure 12V when attempting to start. Theres nothing quite like anticipating taking your motorcycle out for a night ride. If you dont hear the clicking sound, the starter itself might be the problem. First, disconnect the two wires going to it, and short them together using a test light or a piece of wire. Youll have to improvise with this one. Its an easy fix, but it takes time, and you may need to make other transportation arrangements. Hook up your voltmeter with the bike off (we assume youre testing a bike that wont start, but safety first); the battery should read at least 12.5 volts. How To Downshift On a Motorcycle Swiftly? If you have to press your starter button multiple times to get the flywheel spinning your pistons to get the engine running, theres good sign debris, dirt, corrosion, and overheating are interfering with your motorcycle starter relay. Very often on BCF people write that their bike won't start but makes a fast clicking noise. batery is over 12 volts.. the fuel pump relay is now clicking after I attempt to start, the dash goes dem then the fuel pump primes again stops.. Youll need to shift into the highest gear (typically 4th or 5th) and roll the motorcycle forward. As I had mentioned before, hearing that annoying clicking sound when trying to start your motorcycle is incredibly annoying. Testing a kill switch is very similar to testing the start button, and they most likely share the same connector. Home. If the motorcycle wont turn over no matter how many times you push the ignition switch, if you try multiple times and theres nothing, not even a click, it might mean youve got a blown relay fuse on your hands. Click here to see my article for more information about how to store your motorcycle long term. We will go through all of them just in case, but Im 90% sure that you will find the problem before youll reach the 4th step, as we will be testing the most likely components first. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. ho0w do u test a starter relay??? If it still clicks, disconnect the battery. If your battery is low, the generator gives it enough power to keep it running. (PS: We read ALL feedback). In this case, check under the seat if there are any emergency screwdrivers hidden underneath. Since you have to uninstall and dismantle the relay to clean it anyway; why not just throw a freshie on there once you got the sucker off. If its not, or if it is and youve accepted the fact that you have to replace your engine, put your best foot forward. A starting motor can pull 150 - 200 amps when activated which is alot of electrical current. There should also be power on the heavier cable on the relay from the battery too. Now just because the relay doesnt click doesnt mean its the fault. Starter relay clicks, but no crank shows the starter motor is not receiving enough electrical current from the relay to turn the engine. Some motorcycles (especially the more recent ones) are designed to stop the rider from starting the engine if the battery voltage is low. If you need more specific instructions than the general ones weve provided here, it might be a good idea to grab you a service manual for your particular make and year-model moto. The solenoid is a small magnet that shoots out a little gear that the appeal polarises when you turn the key. Steps and advice for troubleshooting equipment. Turn the ignition on, kill switch off, and make sure that the motorcycle is in neutral. Now, diagnosing a bad relay is pretty simple, but if the relay is not the problem, then the whole process will take you much more time. There are ways to fix a motorcycle starter but that should be a task for people who know what theyre doing. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Related:12 Reasons Your Motorcycle Wont Start In Gear (Explained). If the test light did not light up while testing the control side of the start relay in the previous test, then its time to move on to the various safety switches that are found on all motorcycles. Set all the interlocks to allow starting: PTO not on, brake applied, both handles at neutral, seat occupied. i assume it turns over but won't fire. Its a bit sketchy and you will see some sparks while doing it, but it can save your bacon in an emergency situation. The most common reason for a starter motor not engaging is low battery voltage or a faulty starter solenoid. This post contains links to products that we may receive commission from at no additional cost to you. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. You obviously have power to the solenoid. A motorcycle battery must have 12.6 volts to be considered wholly charged. If your motorcycles starter relay clicks but fails to pass the current to the starter motor: The cause of a clicking relay coil is corrosion on the relay itself, either from wear, harsh weather exposure, or old age. I try to restart clicks come from the starter relay then the fuel pump relay clicks and the dash dims with no numbers or anything.. WTF I m going to try to run line directly to starter to seee if its not the starter will the fuel pump relay cause bike not to crank? He loves restoring motorcycles, has a vast knowledge of how they work, and has sold his restoration projects to customers from all over the United States. pull the plug wire and check for spark.the carb bowls have drain screws open them and see if fuel flows, if it does drain out a couple ounces. exact same thing happened to me about 3 weeks ago Click to expand. They are: No Crank, No Start; The starting process fails completely. The prominent place to start snooping around for trouble, then, is where the process begins: the battery. The good news is that you dont have to start initially. Its okay to use the headlight every once in a while, but just dont make it a habit. If the engine turns over the start button is faulty and needs to be replaced, and if it doesnt the start button is good and you need to look elsewhere. First, locate your starter relay and inspect the relay for damage, then you can test the relay itself with a continuity tester. what does panic stand for in electrolysis; aquarius man leo woman pros and cons; lead singer iron butterfly televangelist; where can i pay my alabama power bill A motorcycle starter can be repaired using a variety of methods. The relay just keeps clicking repeatedly no crank. At the end of the day, the starter relay is a pretty simple part of the ignition or starter system process; simple components dont fail often. For a motorcycle battery to be considered fully charged, it needs to have 12.6 volts. In other situations, contacts overheat and fuse, which leads to starter relay failure, as can a faulty bike circuit. real estate practice final exam highest attendance in soccer motorcycle starter relay clicks but no crank cooper's hawk copycat recipes Uncategorized por | Publicada febrero 27, 2023 Locate the starter motor under the vehicle. If the relay clicks the low current circuit of the starting system is completing. The starter should now engage and turn over the engine. Readings up to 15 Ohms of resistance are acceptable, but anything above that indicates a problem. When the starter solenoid decides to call it quits, the starter motor won't work, either. the relay does not close. . Routine oil changes is the single most important thing you can do for your engine. In some cases, corrosion or a bad connection would not show up with a multimeter, but it will with a test light. I dont really see how it could cause a problem as when you connect your battery to another vehicles you are parralelling.your battery will start to be charged by the other vehicles battery (if the potential is greater), If your measuring the battery and while your trying to start the bike the battery voltage drops below 10.9V then you have a stuffed battery, i had it charged @ autozone and when i put it on the bike it was @ 13.13 volts, then when i started it, it dropped to 12.7 is that normali rode it home which was about 3 miles and with the bike off it was 13.03, Suzuki GSX-R Motorcycle Forums Gixxer.com. But before you even do this make sure the battery is fully charged, that can also be a major factor in a starter failing. Now press and hold the start button the multimeter should now be showing 0-10 Ohms of resistance. Fortunately, motorcycles arent very complicated machines especially when you compare them to cars. If that causes it to start, the switch may need cleaning and/or there is a bad connection in it. Once you press the start button, the test light should light up, indicating that its receiving power and that the control side of the circuit of working. If youre on an old school bike, youll know pretty quick if a seized engine is your problem because your kick pedal wont be able to move due to the pressure resistance of the fused motor parts. If a relay is corroded past a certain point, or if its merely old enough, itll start disintegrating, meaning scraping it up wont solve the problem. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. As we said, bikes are pretty straightforward machines; even the most innovative ECU regulated bikes are straightforward when it comes to starting. Third, remove your primary cover (follow the step-by-step instructions in your manual) Fourth, remove the compensating sprocket nut and clutch hub lock ring. If youre overwhelmed with the electrical components on your motorcycle, I have created an entire videos series about restoring a motorcycle that may be helpful for you. Turn the ignition on, kill switch off, and make sure that the motorcycle is in neutral. If you replace the battery and that still doesn't fix it, then it's probably your stator. You dont want your clicking to result from a seized engine; under ordinary riding circumstances, a seized engine is extremely rare. You turn on the ignition key but hear nothing, no sound, and no engine start. you know the drill. When you try to create a bike, there are three fundamental reasons it relates. nickbehavin. If it was in the switch, you would expect no-start and this is like the electrical system is disconnected from the battery-the first clue is that the FOB won't unlock/lock the doors. Turn the ignition on, kill switch off, transmission in neutral, etc. Or even worse, youre on the full-dresser, hard bags stuffed-up and ready for a cross-country tour when you press your ignition button but your motorcycle clicks instead of starting. Stabilized gas should not be used after 6-12 months. Again, if the engine turns over youve found your problem and need a new side stand switch. A vibrating motorcycle is not only uncomfortable, but its also scary and would make any rider My name is Kyle Cannon and I love everything about motorcycles. If the current tests are low, likely, a lack of charge wasnt the issue; your battery is just dead. To confirm the problem to . Check the wire from the negative battery post to the fender. Motorcycle has Intermittent Starting Problems. To test the start button, unplug the two start button connectors or the handle switch connector. It also signals the ignition relay and the fuel pump relay. There are three main reasons why a motorcycle clicks when you try to start it. Read the labels to tell which is which. It is important that you're holding the key at start here so that the circuit 2 will energize relay 5. Get a terminal brush and a few wrenches and you can clean then yourself. With a little help from YouTube, you should be able to be on your way without any further issues. If, after a few turns, your starter clicks, or maybe your bike even fires up, it might be that your relay is dying but not quite dead yet. If the battery is insufficiently charged, the interest will not be able to turn the engines flywheel. Youll need at least 12.2 volts or a 50 percent charge to start the motorcycle. Unstabilized gas in a motorcycle can start going bad in about 30 days. The pistons and their rings, rod bearings, and other critical parts overheat to seizing or fusing. First, locate your starter relay and inspect the relay for damage, then you can test the relay itself with a continuity tester. If the magnet that polarizes the gear to turn the flywheel isnt magnetizing appropriately, the equipment wont turn the flywheel at all. Typically, this points to a . Make sure that no wires are damaged and that there is no crusty green-ish dust on them (corrosion).