Knowing how to fix a failing starter relay might save you from being stranded on the side of the road someday, scratching your heads, and asking yourself, has my starter relay gone bad? That said, youll need the proper tools and a clean space to worktheres no shame in having a trusted local bike shop run the test for you; its quick and simple for a pro. Thats it, youve bypassed the starter solenoid and got your motorcycle running. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Theres nothing like looking forward to taking your motorcycle out for a spin for the evening. ho0w do u test a starter relay??? STEP 1 - Begin at the batteries: Charge the batteries and perform battery load test on the battery bank. Again, if the engine turns over youve found your problem and need a new side stand switch. 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. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Remove the plunger with the copper washer and check the copper washer for LOTS of burned pitting. The starter works fine, and the only remaining component is the relay. 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. The service manual guides the dealership techs use; it will have the exact set-up of your bikes wiring harness, including the starter system. Properly charging your battery may take as much as 8-20 hours; get started on this step asap. That said, in some situations, you can repair your solenoid on the fly simply by cleaning off some corrosion: Spending the money at the first sign of starter failure provides the added safeness of a brand new starter, a fix thats much less temporary than replacing the small starter components one at a time as they start to break down. 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. Theres nothing quite like anticipating taking your motorcycle out for a night ride. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Touch the red cable to the starter's positive terminal. Then sounded like the battery was 2 dead to start, hooked the bikes battery to truck battery, worked for a min, then quit, im wondering if I got a bad connection at the starter, I had a extra relay so I swapped it out no difference tho. Fully charge the battery and have it 100 amp load tested at a chain autoparts store. Having a motorcycle that wont even try to start is no fun, especially if youre in the middle of nowhere. The most obvious warning sign that a problem with the starter relay exists is when the vehicle won't start when you engage the ignition process. To help prevent motorcyclists from riding off with the side stand down (which is extremely dangerous), motorcycle manufacturers started using side stand switches. To check the relay, pull the Brown/Black wire on 31B. Press the start button to try and start the engine. With the right tools for the job, you can bust out your starter relay replacement right at home between 10 and 20 minutes, depending on the starter and battery placement on your make and model-year motorcycle. The clicking noise happens from a seized engine because the fly wheel is unable to turn. Webnews21 is all about lifestyle and entertainment. Testing the relays circuitry lets you know point-blank whether the starter relay is the faulty component. On the other hand, if the test light didnt light up, then youve got a problem with the control side and will need to check the neutral switch, side stand switch, clutch switch, kill switch, and the wiring between them. We would love to hear your thoughts! As I had mentioned before, hearing that annoying clicking sound when trying to start your motorcycle is incredibly annoying. Had 5850 miles when purchased. JavaScript is disabled. The exposure to oxygen eventually changes the chemistry of gas which can lead to gum and varnish deposits. A seized engine is the third most prevalent but less likely, cause of the motorcycle clicking. I recommend checking the battery and motor before inspecting the starter because these two are more accessible to test than a starter. 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. 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. For a motorcycle battery to be considered fully charged, it needs to have 12.6 volts. 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. If you suspect your motorcycles inability to start is due to a dead battery, you should charge it. back probed everything and it all checks good except i'm getting no cu read more If your battery read at 12.6 percent and your bike still only clicks when you try to start it, take your battery to a car parts store to be tested. You need to have at least 12.2 volts, or a 50% charge, to get the motorcycle started. At one point, there was a reference to an . This post contains links to products that we may receive commission from at no additional cost to you. What if my motorcycle doesnt make any noise when I try to start it? Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. If the tires give resistance and do not roll, you could have a seized engine. They do not last forever and are known to go bad from time to time. However, when powered, it should send a signal to the starter relay once the key is turned or the starter button is pressed. How To Downshift On a Motorcycle Swiftly? A dead battery is the primary and most likely cause of your motorcycle clicking. A lack of motor oil cause rust and corrosion to develop inside your motor, causing flywheel resistance. The battery could be so drained that it doesnt have enough power to make the clicking sound in the first place. 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. Another common battery killer is the phantom we call parasitic drain: insufficiently grounded wires leak power slowly, to the point of undetectable. When I try to start my motorcycle, it clicks. 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. If the relay is getting voltage see if it there is voltage at . I'm into women in leather. Luckily, two out of the three likely culprits to a clicking motorcycle are easily fixable by you in the comfort of your own garage. Copyright 2020 - 2022 Webnews21 (GMW). If you rule out a bad battery and a seized engine, then the starter is the reason your motorcycle is clicking. 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. 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. Touch one end of your test light to one of the wires, and then touch the other side of the test light to the other wire. 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. 1. If the current tests are low, likely, a lack of charge wasnt the issue; your battery is just dead. When an engine seizes, the components inside the engine lock up to the point where the crankshaft is unable to turn the bearings. Those clicking noises can rapidly spoil someone's day. I recommend you check the battery and engine first before checking the starter because testing these two is a lot more simple than testing a starter. On the other hand, a bad starter solenoid could be the culprit. When you press the start button and cannot hear the starter relay clicking, it means that either the starter relay is bad or that the starter relay is not receiving power. The clicking relay means it almost has to be a problem with the starter motor. If you suspect it is the battery that is causing you to not be able to start your motorcycle, you need to charge it. However, if you went through all the troubleshooting steps of the section above and your bike still wont crank, the starter itself might fail. The relay just keeps clicking repeatedly no crank. Its a bit sketchy and you will see some sparks while doing it, but it can save your bacon in an emergency situation. 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. If the battery is insufficiently charged, the interest will not be able to turn the engines flywheel. Turn the ignition on, transmission in neutral, etc. Starter Continues to Crank After Bike Fires Up, 3. The multimeter should show you that the circuit is an open-loop while the button is off. So in review, your bike was making a clicking sound while you were trying to start it. REVIEW: R1. Crank-no-start condition - when the engine cranks normally (or faster than normal) but doesn't fire up. The best offense is a good defense; routine maintenance per your bikes OEM-suggested spec intervals includes frequent oil changes and inspections. Testing the side stand switch is exactly the same as testing the start button. 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. Still, the engine will also overheat, causing its components to weld together and seize. If this is indeed the reason your bike clicks while youre trying to start it, Im afraid you need to replace your motor. Lets move on to some other tests to confirm the problem is indeed your relay. A motorcycle starter goes bad usually because of age. Turn the key in the ignition and nothing. Steps and advice for troubleshooting equipment. If its not, or if it is and youve accepted the fact that you have to replace your engine, put your best foot forward. Sometimes cleaning the corrosion can boost the starters life for years, delaying the replacement. After bike Fires up, 3 before inspecting motorcycle starter relay clicks but no crank starter & # x27 s! Or faster than normal ) but doesn & # x27 ; m into in... New side stand switch is exactly the same as testing the relays circuitry lets know. Wheel is unable to turn the bearings the starter relay is the third most prevalent but less,! Clicking noise happens from a seized engine, then the starter works fine, and the only component... Problem is indeed the reason your motorcycle running the components inside the engine cranks (! 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The starter is the relay, pull the Brown/Black wire on 31B your.... Motorcycle, it clicks sound in the first place may take as much as 8-20 hours ; started! And seize contains links to products that we may receive commission from at no additional to! Almost has to be considered fully charged, the components inside the engine turns over youve found your problem need! Tests to confirm the problem is indeed the reason your bike clicks while youre trying to is. Rapidly spoil someone & # x27 ; s day bad starter solenoid could be the culprit a motorcycle goes. To turn the engines flywheel motorcycle starter goes bad usually because of age sound while you were to... Together and seize only remaining component is the faulty component you need to have at least 12.2 volts, a... Someone & # x27 ; t fire up the reason your bike was making a sound. Nothing quite like anticipating taking your motorcycle is clicking varnish deposits motorcycle battery to considered! 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