First, disconnect the two smaller gauge wires that go to the relay these two wires are on the control side of the relay. Before you order a new starter, find a fuel pump PSI tester. The lights dim like normal. Routine oil changes is the single most important thing you can do for your engine. 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. On the other hand, motorcycles arent complicated machinery, especially when compared to automobiles. A test light loads the circuit and allows any weak points to heat up and lose connection. Youll have to improvise with this one. Within this video series includes tackling electrical issues you may run into as well as other hard-to-tackle components such as body work and carb rebuilds. Damaged fuses or relays . The quickest way to kill your batterys charge is by running an electrical component like a headlight, blinker, gauge lights, LCD, and other electronic aftermarket add-ons while the motorcycle is off. If you rule out a bad battery and a seized engine, then the starter is the reason your motorcycle is clicking. Typically, when a starter solenoid clicks but does not crank your engine, it is because there is a problem with the secondary side of the circuit. If you dont have a kick starter engine, another simple way to diagnose a seized engine is by rolling the bike. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Normally. Did you find wrong information or was something missing? If the load test fails, then individually test each battery and replace any faulty ones. If the wind is too low, you could need a new battery (which is convenient because youre already at a parts store). If you have a kick-starting engine, the kick pedal will not move because the components inside the machine are held in place is an excellent method to identify if the engine is seized. The battery may be providing enough power to the magnet to polarize the gear and turn the flywheel. There are a lot of reasons why a motorcycle would not start, however, the fact that you cant hear the starter relay clicking, most likely means that the starter motor itself is not the problem. When it comes neutral switches, they come in many different shapes, sizes, and testing them varies from motorcycle to motorcycle, thus youre better off doing a quick Google search on how to test it on your specific motorcycle. Starter Clicks Rapidly, But Bike Never Ignites, 4. the clicking was a relay not solenoid. Remove the screws and cover carefully noting the spring placement and direction. ho0w do u test a starter relay??? Turned on the ignition - same thing, no lights at all, after 30 seconds or so the lights come on (but not the headlamp), and when I try to start it the starter relay clicks, and all the power goes away again for another 30 seconds. Could you rig something up to get the motorcycle started and ride back home? If your motorcycle is clicking when you try to start it, there are a few tests you can do to find the exact culprit. You might be tempted to blame your starter relay for failing to transfer power, but if your relay goes, your bike probably won't even try to turn the engine over, as the magnet won't be getting enough juice to make your starter motor even click. The battery could be so drained that it doesnt have enough power to make the clicking sound in the first place. In some cases, corrosion or a bad connection would not show up with a multimeter, but it will with a test light. Do a web search for 'short circuiting car battery' In the video you linked, the engine is cranking but engine does not start. There are three main reasons why a motorcycle clicks when you try to start it. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our cookie policy unless you have disabled them. Inspect the battery: Battery issues are the most common reason for a clicking, no-cranking, no-start condition. BTW - Completely discharging a traditional lead/acid battery is "bad". keep your multimeter across the terminals of the battery and attempt to start your bike, if the voltage drops down under load then you probably have a dead cell in the battery (thanks 4 years at Century batteries) in which case the bike wont start. Yes! How Do You Test a Starter Relay on a Motorcycle? That said, its a much more difficult situation than anything weve seen on the list thus far regarding repair time and costs. Battery is reading 12.8v when not powered, and 14v with the bike running at around 5k RPM, so I don't think the issue is with the charging system (R/R or stator). The clutch switch is used to prevent the rider from accidentally starting the engine while in gear, and possibly letting the motorcycle run away. Even if you test the voltage on a battery and it says 12.6 volts (a full charge), that doesnt necessarily mean theres enough current in the battery to get the motorcycle started. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The fuel solenoid clicks, the starter solenoid Klacks and the clutch solenoid ( where fitted ) Klunks. In this case, since the starter solenoid is bad and wont connect them together we will connect the terminals ourselves by shorting them. I recommend checking the battery and motor before inspecting the starter because these two are more accessible to test than a starter. Shorting the two wires together should engage the starter, so be careful! Also make sure to connect your battery to a battery tender if its going to be a while until your next ride. We would love to hear your thoughts! Unstabilized gas in a motorcycle can start going bad in about 30 days. '86 Silver CMX450C. There are many, many safety switches that wont allow the starter to turn over if they arent closed, for example: neutral switch, side stand switch, clutch switch, etc. You can find model-specific installation instructions online or in the service manual for your specific make and year-model motorcycle. What Does a Solenoid Do On A Motorcycle? We have done a visit for a team night out. Still, all starters and solenoids wear eventually, which is why when my solenoids go, Id instead just replace the whole starter. A lousy starting could be the second explanation. If not, it's a bad starter or solenoid. The loud click with dimming lights and little/no crank are THE classic signs of a weak battery. You know the usual. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A quick test would be (1)open the drain on the carb bowls enough to make sure that fuel is getting to the carbs. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". the starter relay and examine your starter relays 30 amp fuse for any indication of corrosion. Stay on top of your oil changes and make sure to use the right kind of oil specific to your motorcycle. In this situation, deciding what to do can be difficult. 12.4 volts is considered 75% charged, 12.2 is considered 50% charged and so on. Even if you test the voltage on a battery and it reads 12.6 volts (full charge), that doesnt indicate the battery has enough current to start the motorcycle. Thats it, youve bypassed the starter solenoid and got your motorcycle running. Relatd:What Does a Solenoid Do On A Motorcycle? Turn the ignition on, kill switch off, transmission in neutral, etc. Its a simple fix, but it does take a while to do and you may need to arrange for alternative plans of transportation. If you have power coming from your start button it should be measurable. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Now press and hold the start button the multimeter should now be showing 0-10 Ohms of resistance. Regardless, a starter system diagnosis would be the next step in determining if it is, in fact, your relay thats causing the problem. If it helped you sol. Related:9 Reasons Motorcycles Wont Start When Hot (Explained). Check The Neutral Switch Generally, you scrape the corroded relay surface with a scraper or grit paper. Copyright 2020 - 2022 Webnews21 (GMW). If the battery doesnt give enough power, that magnet doesnt have enough power to turn the flywheel of the engine. When you say "won't start", I assume you mean that the starter motor will not spin when you press the start button. In this case, check under the seat if there are any emergency screwdrivers hidden underneath. Youre in the saddle of your prized streetfighter, geared up and ready to eat up some curves. If a relay is rusted past the threshold of no return, or if its old and worn, itll start falling apart; grinding it up more with steel wool wont solve the problem. Check The Car Battery. How the starter relay process works on a healthy bike: This could result from the relay being in contact with a component generating or charged with electrical powerthe electricity keeps the relays current live after the starter switch is released. exact same thing happened to me about 3 weeks ago Click to expand. Check carefully the wire ends on the battery cables. You can tear out the starter, uninstall the solenoid, and try to repair or replace it if you want to, but the quickest bet is to replace the starter itself at the end of the day. the starter motor is directly connected to the battery(+), grounded (-), additional . There are a few things that can lessen its life such as cranking it for longer than you need to. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Turn the ignition on, kill switch off, transmission in neutral, etc. Continue with Recommended Cookies. and the solenoid is polarizing the starter motor just fine. check weather it is done. You go out to your bike, insert the key, and start it only to hear those irritating and dreaded clicking noises instead of the engine rumbling. Now that weve covered the reasons a motorcycle clicks when you try to start it, lets discuss what causes these problems in the first place. However, when powered, it should send a signal to the starter relay once the key is turned or the starter button is pressed. 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. 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. I'm going back in tomorrow, any ideas on where I should start? With the kill switch off, your multimeter should be showing around 0-10 Ohms, and an open-loop if the switch is on. Make sure battery is fully charged, bench charge with a good charger. As I had mentioned before, hearing that annoying clicking sound when trying to start your motorcycle is incredibly annoying. The third most common but much less likely culprit compared to the first two is a possible seized engine. Itll just make clicking sounds. This is caused by parts such as the pistons, piston rings, rod bearings, etc. become too hot and essentially weld together. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If it starts, its safe to say that an under-charged battery was the issue. So, unplug the connector, find the two pins that go to the kill switch, and measure their resistance. Flywheel damages You can identify the flywheel as the large wheel that is located between the engine and transmission. First, unplug the two wires that go to the switch and short them with your test light. Motorcycle Starter Relay Clicks But No Crank There's nothing quite like anticipating taking your motorcycle out for a night ride. The bike is throwing a code 12, for Crank Position Sensor, but if I push start the bike runs fine - no surging, no lag, etc. Its okay to use the headlight every once in a while, but just dont make it a habit. Starter Continues to Crank After Bike Fires Up, 3. 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. Now, what if youre in the middle of nowhere, with no service around for miles? You go out to your motorcycle, put in the key, and try to start it only to hear those annoying and dreaded clicking noises instead of the rumbling of the engine. If youre still unsure where the starter solenoid is located, then find the positive (+) terminal on your battery, and follow the thick red wire it will lead you straight to the start solenoid. If the starter turns, then its some wiring issue or your ignition barrel is the problem. Just turn on ignition, put stop/run switch in run, and push button. I suggest that you get a new starter, and the problem should be resolved. The second reason could be due to a bad starter. The problem could also be the solenoid failing to deactivate, which calls for a starter system diagnostic. If your gauges are lit up brightly, and your lights are ready for action, the relay could be the culprit. So, when youre troubleshooting something like clicking at startup, compared to the myriad possibly failing components a car might have, only a few components are involved. When braking, there are different kinds of My name is Kyle Cannon and I love everything about motorcycles. If there was no clicking noise during Step 3 and theres no continuity during step 6, youve got a faulty relay. Batteries are an essential component of a motorcycles operation; without them, you wont be able to start them if you cant begin with your bike. That said, you dont want to go through the same thing again any sooner than you have to; lets take a look at the root causes behind that bad battery. when trying to start it the solenoid (relay) clicks but does not complete the starter circuit. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Trying to start your bike but won't start, check the relay first , if there's power going from one terminal to other then check starter. A battery that is low on voltage will cause the injectors not to fire. For the rest of us, the first step to diagnosing a seized engine is to roll the bike up and down the block. Remove the plunger with the copper washer and check the copper washer for LOTS of burned pitting. Those clicking noises can rapidly spoil someone's day. If cleaning the corrosion doesnt do the trick, or if you want to solve the problem more permanently, go ahead and replace the whole unitwell cover fixing motorcycle starter relays down below. 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. 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. I simply recommend you get a new starter and your issue should be solved. Your engine will be OK if they proceed for further information on a motorcycle engine that has been seized. Required fields are marked *. If this is the case, it is best to bring your car to an auto repair shop for professional diagnosis. 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. A forum community dedicated to the Suzuki GSX-R motorcycle. Tested the relay the starter and the battery and they all - Answered by a verified Motorcycle Mechanic We use cookies to give you the best possible experience on our website. when i press the start button, the starter relay just "clicks . The starter works fine, and the only remaining component is the relay. Steps and advice for troubleshooting equipment. so it seems the coil is not getting enough amps to fully activate the relay. If its any lower than that, you likely wont be able to get it started at all, thus you hear the clicking sound. Begin with the easy things. Ford and Chrysler products usually have a relay in the circuit. check the fuse under your seat. However, a lot of them come with only a single wire, because they are already grounded through the engine. Examine your running and instrument lights to ensure its the relay and not another starter system component. Washington, DC. Put your bike in the highest gear possible. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo, VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. I'm currently working as a mechanical engineer and have been able to restore over a dozen rides. You may perform a few tests to determine what is causing your bike to click when you try to start it. the relay does not close. A GOOD battery should read 12.7 volts, if it's not then it will need to be charged. Try to start the car, but get nothing, no noise --- starter motor not cranking/turning, no click from starter solenoid. At that point, my plans for that day were ruined, but I got lucky. 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. Failing to winterize your motorcycle correctly may cause the battery to freeze. Meaning of Have You Tried Turning It Off and On Again?, Naruto Shippuden Fillers To Skip And Filler Arcs. 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That day were ruined, but it does take a while to do and you may need to for! It will need to action, the first two is a possible seized engine motorcycle starter relay clicks but no crank. And ride back home so drained that it doesnt have enough power turn. Function properly it does take a while until your next ride flywheel damages you find. Two is a possible seized engine is to roll the bike up and lose connection rule.