xj650 Maxim won't start - Help!

So I am trying to get my 650 out on the road for the spring. Battery has been fully charged as it won't pull anything from the charger anymore.

When first trying to start, it would start to turn over, but sounded like there just wasn't enough juice to wake it up. It would stop growling during the second windup. Lights are all on good and strong.

I am wondering if there is a battery issue, even though it was a new interstate battery last spring, so I connect my car to it. Now all I get is a "click" each time I press the start button, whether connected to the car or just the bike battery, or both. I replaced the ignition fuse - just in case. I haven't cleaned the contacts for the fuse yet, but they aren't corroded or anything.

So I am looking for ideas here - I don't know where to go and know little to nothing about electrical stuff. Am really good with nuts and bolts though ...

 

start by cleaning the contacts on the battery leads (use a wire brush and or some sand paper) and on the terminals. also clean your engine ground and starter positive lead on the engine side(the bigger cord) slow trickle charge your battery at 2amps and when done take it to an auto parts store to be "Load Tested" once your sure the battery is good and all the contacts are clean test again, but dont skip a step here.

 

Possibly the solenoid is going - there is a great simple way to confirm that on this site - just look for starter solenoid and you will find the post here. You basically short the solenoid with a screwdriver to see if it will crank over. If you are sure the battery is OK and the solenoid short test doesnt work either then you are looking at the starter and its connections. You can easily remove and clean the connector on the top of the starter motor.

 

check out this post. You sound like me last year. Embeded in here is a great how to from gamareu

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=8908.html

 

Ok, as per the instructions of the Great and Powerful Gamuru:

1. Test the voltage at the battery. It should read at least 12.5 volts. Charge and retest as needed.

check. reads 12.5 + volts

2. Using an old screwdriver, short across the two large terminals at the starter solenoid. This will bypass the solenoid and allow the starter to crank the engine. If the starter doesn't crank, perform a continuity test between the negative battery terminal and the engine case. If you read no resistance (or almost no resistance), repair or replace the starter. Otherwise, repair or replace the ground cables and retest.

Bypassed the solenoid, nothing. The solenoid is what makes a loud clicking sound when I try to start it. Set at 2000Ohm, I get a 008 when I just go from lead to lead of the meter. Connecting to the negative battery cable to the engine case. To the metal case surrounding where the oil goes in provides a reading from 012 to 017. When touching the top of the head, the reading is in the 800 range. Not sure exactly where I should be testing though - not sure what the "engine case is ...

3. Locate the pigtail from the starter solenoid and unplug it. Using a jumper lead, hook the Red/White wire from the solenoid to the battery's positive terminal. Using another jumper lead, hook one end to the solenoid's Blue/White wire. Momentarily touch the other end of this lead to the battery's negative terminal. If the solenoid is functioning properly, the solenoid should click and the starter should begin cranking the engine. Repeat this step several times to ensure the integrity of the solenoid. If nothing happens, repair or replace the starter solenoid.

Did this, solenoid clicks, no turn over.

4. If the solenoid checks out, hook your continuity tester between the battery's ground terminal and the Blue/White wire coming from the bike's wiring harness for the starter solenoid (solenoid pigtail unplugged). It should read an open state while the starter button is not pressed. When you push in the starter button, the tester should then read a closed state. If there's no change, inspect, clean, or replace the starter button switch and its ground and retest.

I will inspect and clean the switch, but as the switch makes the solenoid click ... doesn't that mean it is working?

[...] I haven't tried the rest, hope to get that done tomorrow. My voltmeter doesn't have a 1xohm setting. Starts at 20, goes to 2000, and then up from there. I will get an analog meter tomorrow with the 1xOhm (mine is a cheap, $4 digital from Harbor Freight ...)


If it still doesn't start, have your bike exorcised of demons by a Catholic priest and retest as there's really nothing else that would keep your bike from cranking over.

Hmmmm. As a heathen protestant, my thoughts are more of the priests being the handmaidens of the Adversary, ... Just teasing y'all. Seriously, I am a Protestant (Presbyterian to be precise) and totally respect the Roman Catholic Church, along with those radicals like the FourSquare, Azusa Street Revivalists, and everything inbetween. (Except for those who deny the divinity of Christ and propitation on the cross - that's one of those big words they use a lot in seminary.)

 

Tumble... try hooking up to the car again, THEN short the solenoid.

Worked for me on the SECA...

 

If the lights didn't dim or go out when you shorted the solenoid, then, assuming you really got a good short across the solenoid terminals, this is sounding like bad starter brushes.

The one other test you could try is jumpering the car battery between frame ground (-) and the starter wire side of the solenoid (+). If that doesn't crank the hell out of it the problem's in the starter itself.

 

Follow the negitive lead from the battery to where it connects to the " case".
The valve cover is not a good place to check ground as it has a gasket seperating it from the case.
Look for a clean spot for good connection.

 

It sounds like you are getting voltage to the coil but the starter motor isn't happy. I'm with SQL, pull that starter motor and clean it out for inspection.
I had my starter pull the same thing. May as well get some brushes ordered up.

 

I have the XJ750 Maxim that I am going to begin parting out in the immediate future. I know the starter motor works on it and am going to swap to see what happens. Assuming that works I'll be going through the rebuild of the original. Unfortunately it is raining today and tomorrow and I don't have an indoor workplace ... I do wish these things weren't so danged heavy!!

 

There was a break in the rain long enough for me to swap the starter motors. xj750 starter motor cranked up right away ...

So, what is the most likely cause of failure for a starter motor? The brushes?

Mike

 

Yes

 

open it up and check the brushes (they need to be 8.5mm or greater), and commutator clean the commutator surface with somthing like 1000 grit sand papper, be careful not to over do it you just want it clean... its pretty easy to do. sometimes you'll get lucky and be able to clean it up and re-assemble and have it be fine for a while