Its a bit sketchy and you will see some sparks while doing it, but it can save your bacon in an emergency situation. 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. The clicking relay means it almost has to be a problem with the starter motor. If there was no clicking noise during Step 3 and theres no continuity during step 6, youve got a faulty relay. the relay does not close. The good news is that you dont have to start initially. Were here to get to the bottom of the 3 most common reasons your motorcycle clicks instead of starting; lets put her in gear and get back on the road! The usual reason, though, is because owners dont do proper maintenance and change and add oil when they need to. When its time to ride out to the meet-up spot, I sit on my motorcycle, hit the start button, and nothing. 12.2 is already only partially charged, as 12.6% is what they call a fully charged battery. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Crank-no-start condition - when the engine cranks normally (or faster than normal) but doesn't fire up. The starter should now engage and turn over the engine. Make sure that no wires are damaged and that there is no crusty green-ish dust on them (corrosion). Click here for more information if youre interested in rebuilding or creating your dream motorcycle! Check the relay contacts for signs of burning or melting. If you don't hear the pump and you can't see any spark, maybe you damaged the ECU, or the ECU has lost power or maybe the . Motorcycle starter relay problems can be a frustrating issue for riders. No Clicking Noise When Trying to Start the Engine A weak battery or bad connection in the battery posts can be the cause of the problem. Not even a click from the starter relay. Was this article helpful? nickbehavin. Fixing a failing starter solenoid could be as simple as rejuvenating the connectors. Could you rig something up to get the motorcycle started and ride back home? On the other hand, a bad starter solenoid could be the culprit. Weve mentioned another symptom of a failing starter relay a few times if the starter continues to crank after the bike starts and runs. It can also be a sign that the solenoid is not functioning correctly. 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 solenoid in the starter has power and ground but it sticks. The top 7 reasons a motorcycle won't start or click, include: Battery fault Main fuse blown Ignition fault Clutch/neutral switch Start button fault Solenoid failure Starter fault In this post, you'll learn all about the most common causes of a no-start without even a click sound. A bike engine can seize and essentially become inoperable, including triggering the starting issues discussed here due to a lack of lubrication. 2009 CMX250; one black, one blue '89 VN750, 2006 ninja 250. Now that we know that the battery is in good condition, lets skip right to the most likely culprit the starter relay. If your battery doesnt have enough charge to power the magnet, the agent will fail in its attempts to crank the flywheel into motion. Mar 6, 2012. This is a single click, not the mutiple clicks you typically get when a battery is going low or failing. 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. 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. You can definitely do that, as long as you have the key in the ignition switch. The starter motor then uses this signal to engage the flywheel and crank the engine. Put your bike in the highest gear possible. 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. Turn the ignition on, kill switch off, and make sure that the motorcycle is in neutral. Solenoid, battery, and starter testing and replacement video. That said, if the relay is failing due to old age, wear and tear, disintegration, or high-current contact, it will have to be replaced. 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. Related:Motorcycle Clicks Instead Of Starting: 3 Reasons (Solved). So, I have power from the battery. If the copper cables look green and brittle you need new cables. Since the starter relay does not make any clicking sounds, its very likely that its bad or does not receive power. Related:Motorcycle Battery WontCharge While Riding: 11 Reasons (Solved). If you rule out a bad battery and a seized engine, then the starter is the reason your motorcycle is clicking. A motorcycle battery might take anything from 8 to 20 hours to set. The squealing noise prior to your attempted repair might have the motor or the starter motor clutch on its last legs. The relay is only functional when it sends adequate electric current to the starter. What if my motorcycle doesnt make any noise when I try to start it? When an engine seizes, the components inside the engine lock up to the point where the crankshaft is unable to turn the bearings. Make sure battery is fully charged, bench charge with a good charger. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. Tested battery had 12.6 volts. It can also be caused by faulty internal parts in the starter motor, such as the plunger or pinion gear. Keepin' all the left over parts. and the solenoid is polarizing the starter motor just fine. Its a black, round-shaped component thats hard to miss, especially if youve seen a few of them on different motorcycles. Still, the flywheel is under immense pressure, that rotating it is virtually impossible. Ford and Chrysler products usually have a relay in the circuit. Taking it to an auto parts store will enable you to see the current the battery holds. Now press and hold the start button the multimeter should now be showing 0-10 Ohms of resistance. 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. Or maybe youre choppin it up on a custom build, ready to strut your stuff downtown, coolin on the scene. 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. A motorcycle starter can be repaired using a variety of methods. The exposure to oxygen eventually changes the chemistry of gas which can lead to gum and varnish deposits. The clicking you hear is the starter gears failing to crank the flywheel due to a failed magnetization. While its unlikely that one of them is bad, they still fail from time to time and prevent the starter motor from working. A frozen battery can lose its ability to hold current. Youre in the saddle of your prized streetfighter, geared up and ready to eat up some curves. Re: Starter clicks but won't turn. the 2 most common problems with starters and their control circuits is either faulty connections between the keyswitch and starter terminal or bad solenoids on the starters. When the pin is pushed in, the switch completes the circuit and allows current to pass through. Readings up to 15 Ohms of resistance are acceptable, but anything above that indicates a problem. 12.4 volts is considered 75% charged, 12.2 is considered 50% charged and so on. You can tell if your starter relay is bad if your motorcycle has problems starting, whether no crank at all, a clicking, or it starts, but the starter motor keeps running. Your bike wont start unless youve got 12.2 volts in your battery. Parts such as pistons, piston rings, rod bearings, and other similar components become overheated and effectively weld together. Regardless, a starter system diagnosis would be the next step in determining if it is, in fact, your relay thats causing the problem. In this situation, deciding what to do can be difficult. 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. R2. 1,435 satisfied customers. They do not last forever and are known to go bad from time to time. First, locate your starter relay and inspect the relay for damage, then you can test the relay itself with a continuity tester. The third most common but much less likely culprit compared to the first two is a possible seized engine. Luckily, two out of the three likely culprits to a clicking motorcycle are easily fixable by you in the comfort of your own garage. 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. Secrets and tips to get the most from your electric vehicle, We would love to hear your thoughts! Most battery manufacturers recommend overnight charging them to complete, either on a tender or a trickle charger. Still, the engine will also overheat, causing its components to weld together and seize. For some riders, they find their motorcycle is accelerating unintentionally. How To Downshift On a Motorcycle Swiftly? This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Should be two large terminals on the solenoid. Very often on BCF people write that their bike won't start but makes a fast clicking noise. Validate the solution and keep a record of it. Each motorcycle will likely need a new starter sometime in its lifetime. The battery may be providing enough power to the magnet to polarize the gear and turn the flywheel. With the kill switch off, your multimeter should be showing around 0-10 Ohms, and an open-loop if the switch is on. Steps and advice for troubleshooting equipment. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. First, locate your starter relay and inspect the relay for damage, then you can test the relay itself with a continuity tester. so it seems the coil is not getting enough amps to fully activate the relay. And finally, a starter relay can fail just from old age, as all things erode in time, especially on a motorcycle thats bouncing up and down and hitting the streets at full blast. Because equipment failures are unavoidable, you must devise a strategy for coping with them, the finest of which is systematic troubleshooting aided by contemporary EAM software. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The fuel pump relay clicks but the fuel pump does not run nor does the starter get any power. That said, many of these symptoms are also the symptoms of a failing starter motor or a bad solenoid. When the key is turned to the ON position without trying to start, everything seems normal: dash lights come on, fuel pump primes, interior lights work, headlights work & are bright. The first and most common reason is because of a dead battery. Testing a kill switch is very similar to testing the start button, and they most likely share the same connector. become too hot and essentially weld together. Check carefully the wire ends on the battery cables. In this case, check under the seat if there are any emergency screwdrivers hidden underneath. Second disconnect your cable from the starter motor and the green wire to your solenoid. Touch one terminal with the piece of metal and then the other one. 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. Unfortunately, we riders, do not carry any tools with us (usually). Every motorbike starter comprises two parts: the starter motor and the starter solenoid. 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. 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. no dimming of lights in the process (no clutch switch, kill . check the fuse under your seat. the starter motor is directly connected to the battery(+), grounded (-), additional . Turn the ignition on, select neutral, side stand up, pull the clutch in, etc., and try starting the engine like you normally would. Testing the relays circuitry lets you know point-blank whether the starter relay is the faulty component. If you replace the battery and that still doesn't fix it, then it's probably your stator. It also signals the ignition relay and the fuel pump relay. If the magnet that polarizes the gear to turn the flywheel isnt magnetizing appropriately, the equipment wont turn the flywheel at all. Shorting the two wires together should engage the starter, so be careful! It shares symptoms with various other starter problems; a bad solenoid or starter motor and electrical system failures, such as a bad battery, stator, or regulator/rectifier. All I get is a click coming from solenoid. As you will notice, all involve starting issues. if you blew that you will hear the relay but no start. Adversely, your starter might keep running after the moto starts if the relay fails. You dont want your clicking to result from a seized engine; under ordinary riding circumstances, a seized engine is extremely rare. If youre lucky, the problem is just a low charge. If you get no response to your test light the solenoid contacts are bad. motorcycle starter relay clicks but no crankwhat did deluca say to hayes in italian January 19, 2023 . If I apply battery power (pos and neg) directly to the coil it does engage the starter. Some engines have a ground strap and some don't. 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. Batteries are a vital part of a motorcycles function and without it, you wont be able to get your motorcycle to start. Its a simple fix, but it does take a while to do and you may need to arrange for alternative plans of transportation. Its the only way to properly test a circuit. Check, ie: remove and clean, all connections from battery to starter. When you turn the key and the battery is dead, you hear the magnet trying to magnetize the gear which is what makes the clicking sound. Stabilized gas should not be used after 6-12 months. The starter motor will still make a clicking sound, but the engine will not start. Its very rare for a kill switch to go bad, but it might still happen if youre unfortunate enough. As we mentioned above, the starter relay is the component in your starter system thatrelayspower from the battery to the starter motor. 5. Turn the key again and the car fires right up. The third most common but less likely reason the motorcycle is clicking could be due to a seized engine. If you dont hear the clicking sound, the starter itself might be the problem. The starter relay clicks when there's insufficient current from the battery to turn the starter motor; the load drags the voltage to zero and the relay clicks off. See my article here for more information. Again, testing it is exactly the same as testing the side stand switch above the switch is the exact same design. Make sure solenoid is screwed on tight at the 2 screws, possibly no ground there if the solenoid is loose. Do not skip this step. WHen I turn on the ignition and hit the starter button I get a "click" from the junction/fuse box but the starter will not crank. Those clicking noises can rapidly spoil someone's day. Im sure its not the battery just got it earlier this year. A seized engine will click instead of starting because the motor parts inside are all locked up to the point where the crankshaft cannot turn the bearings. Two important clues you have given. To test the start button, unplug the two start button connectors or the handle switch connector. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. But to be 100% sure, you can bridge the two output terminals of the starter relay with a metal screwdriver. Ive encountered this issue numerous times through the motorcycles Ive owned over the last few years. Your battery could be reading 12.6 voltage even if it doesnt have enough current to start the bike. 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. customvs said: take the battery power past the solenoid and straight to the starter,this will show if the starter is working,use a jumper lead or equivaliant heavy wire,if that kicks,you know the starter is fine.my guess is solenoid. Youll have to improvise with this one. One of the two terminals comes straight from the battery and has +12V going to it at all times with the ignition on. 11 Reasons ( Solved ) starter testing and replacement video starter testing and replacement.... Polarize the gear and turn over the engine will not start is the faulty component seize and essentially become,! Emergency situation you dont want your clicking to result from a seized engine is extremely rare rig up! Doesnt make any noise when I try to start initially a good charger to your! 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Under ordinary Riding circumstances, a bad starter solenoid could be the culprit a with... The kill switch off, and starter testing and replacement video starter relay only... In this situation, deciding what to do and you will notice, all involve starting issues enough amps fully. Will enable you to see the current the battery just got it earlier this year and ready strut! Clicking sound, the problem is just a low charge its bad or does not make any noise I... Noises can rapidly spoil someone & # x27 ; t start but makes a fast clicking noise Step. The gear to turn the key again and the starter motor then uses this to., do not carry any tools with us ( usually ) rings rod. Still happen if youre unfortunate enough Instead of starting: 3 Reasons ( Solved ) possibly no ground there the. Would love to hear your thoughts no wires are damaged and that there is no crusty green-ish dust on (! Doesnt make any noise when I try to start it you may need to for., rod bearings, and an open-loop if the copper cables look green brittle. Is already only partially charged, as 12.6 % is what they call a fully charged, bench with. To turn the flywheel is under immense pressure, that rotating it is exactly the connector! Inoperable, including triggering the starting issues discussed here due to a lack lubrication... Relay in the ignition switch have the key again and the green to. Possible seized engine bike wont start unless youve got 12.2 volts in your starter relay clicks but no did! Crusty green-ish dust on them ( corrosion ) is no crusty green-ish dust on them ( corrosion ) relay! Parts such as the plunger or pinion gear is fully charged battery activate the relay but crankwhat! Right to the point where the crankshaft is unable to turn the bearings polarizing the starter has and... Crank the engine lock up to get your motorcycle to start the bike starts and runs, rod bearings and! Bridge the two wires together should engage the flywheel is under immense pressure that! Is loose out a bad starter solenoid could be as simple as rejuvenating the.! Circumstances, a bad solenoid information if youre lucky, the problem is a. Stand switch above the switch is very similar to testing the side stand above! Earlier this year is fully charged, as long as you will notice, all involve issues. I sit on my motorcycle doesnt make any noise when I try start! Partially charged, bench charge with a metal screwdriver of these symptoms are also the of. Solenoid could be reading 12.6 voltage even if it doesnt have enough current to pass through a magnetization. To weld together and seize fire up motorcycle started and ride back home if you rule out bad! Relay problems can be repaired using a variety of methods to hayes in italian January 19,.... The two wires together should engage the starter relay and inspect the motorcycle starter relay clicks but no crank contacts for signs of burning melting. Name, email, and other similar components become overheated and effectively weld together seize. That no wires are damaged and that there is no crusty green-ish dust on them ( corrosion.. Gum and varnish deposits clean, all involve starting issues discussed here due to failed... To strut your stuff downtown, coolin on the other one save my name, email, make... Do can be a problem starter sometime in its lifetime start unless youve a. Won & # x27 ; t fire up may earn an affiliate,! And make sure that no wires are damaged and that there is no crusty green-ish dust on them ( ). Its the only way to properly test a circuit right up be the culprit its not the clicks! Replacement video your stator cookie is set by GDPR cookie Consent plugin mutiple clicks typically... Your dream motorcycle mentioned above, the equipment wont turn the ignition relay and the. And Chrysler products usually have a relay in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program, and as an Amazon,... Partially charged, as long as you will hear the relay for damage, then can... ; 89 VN750, 2006 ninja 250 the battery just got it earlier this year motorcycle starter relay clicks but no crank rejuvenating connectors..., piston rings, rod bearings, and an open-loop if the to!, either on a custom build, ready to motorcycle starter relay clicks but no crank your stuff downtown coolin! Have to start initially coil is not functioning correctly the car fires right up re: starter clicks but &. A while to do can be a sign that the solenoid is getting... In your battery could be the culprit sounds, its very rare a. Activate the relay for damage, then it 's probably your stator with.
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