starter solenoid clicking

[Sigil]

Hi guys, I’m back here with another problem...

I went through a period of not using the bike due to both weather and being to busy (university workload) and when I went to start the bike the battery was shot (lights would not turn on and when pressing the rear brake the digital display would turn off). The bike needed a new chain so got that and a new battery sorted at the garage.

The garage said that while the battery was shot there seems to be starting problems, they cleaned up some connections (supposedly including the starter switch gear) checked the starter solenoid but through it was not that. But basically they couldn’t do any more to it…

I looked up the problem and when I jump the starter solenoid the bike starts instantly, what leads me to believe it was the solenoid. I have now bought a replaced the solenoid with a 2nd hand one from the same bike and it will still not start. When I press the starter button the starter solenoid clicks repeatedly (sometimes dose nothing), what leads me to believe its either a lose connection some ware as I know the battery is good. The problem is ware?

Do you guys know what I can try to sort it out? I think the problem might be within the circuitry to the starter motor switch but don’t really know how to go by checking it out.

Would really appreciate any help and thanks in advance for any replies

[Guest Hodgy]

It sounds like a poor connection somewhere.

The first thing I would look at is where the earth lead from the battery fastens to the frame or engine of the bike, remove this and clean the connection of all rust and crud, and see if that helps. If not then I would go through all the connectors between the solenoid and the battery, open all the plug connectors too, and check for bad connections.

Good luck

[Sigil]

Thanks Hodgy

Going to give all the connections a good check over, I think the faulty connection is likely to be between the starter solenoid and the starter switch as the earth must be fine as when I bridge the solenoid it fires up fine?

Anyway going to look up at how to clean out the switch first and see how that goes, hopefully its quite simple as the idea of chasing wiring across the whole bike is a little daunting…

[fredc]

if it starts fine when you bridge the solenoid

but not with the starter switch

its probably a faulty solenoid or burnt/dirty solenoid contacts

[Sigil]

Well it did start fine, I replaced the solenoid with a 2nd hand one that dident fix the problem.

Tonight I went through the starter switch and put some WD40 in there to try and get rid of any rust although it did look pretty clean. Think I have either damaged the kill switch from the WD40 or created a bad connection as now the bike wont start at all! Need to take it apart again and double check I properly connected everything back in…

This whole thing is such a pain wish I could just have a normal running bike! Dam Honda reliability…

Might get a multimeter and check if it is the switch gear, if it is looks like I could pick up another one reasonably cheaply…

[eastanglianbiker]

chances are the problem will be in one of the connector blocks,also has the solonoid got a fuse built into it where plug /wires goes into it have you checked that?

[Sigil]

Yeah checked the fuses, was the first thing i did

Not sure what the best way is to about checking connections, might see if i can find a way of easily checking the starter switch and kill switch with a multimeter as its hard to do it directly to the switch (will see ware to test the connection from a plug).

Cheers for the help so far guys