Starter Solenoid

Oh I forgot to mention in my posts today about my solenoid. I'm still starting by jumping the starter and bypassing the relay. And today I decided to clean the connections and replace. So as i was loosening the bolts on BOTH bolt of the Solenoid, i tapped my gas tank 12mm bolt and sparks flew. From both bolts. So does that mean my Solenoid cable isnt defective, I may jsut have a blown fuse or two? When I hit th starter button the Oil light comes on. Whatdya think?? That'd be a super cool easy fix

 

What it means is that you didn't disconnect the battery before removing the starter relay. Get a ring or other piece of jewelery in the circuit and you'll be in a world of hurt.

It also means you are mistaken, if both bolts on the starter relay were hot (what you do when you jump it) the starter would turn.

 

Huh.. I dont get it then.. Thats Odd. That starter button worked when I tested the bike. Started with two pushes, no prob. So after a month and a half of sittin it jsut decides to not work? What should I check next MiCarl?

 

check the fuse on the red wire w/white stripe

sounds like a connector from the starter button is dead

 

Went to take off the Headlight today cause I think its burned out, and found this

 

Which connector/ color wire, is it pushed into?
That would help in figuring out why it's there.

 

Hi,came in late on the thread, so not sure what you,ve already tried. But start by getting yourself a voltage/continuity tester,disconnect the two wire connector that goes into the back of the solenoid(red and blue I think),put the positive of the tester into the red,should be the 12v feed from the starter button,black of tester to good earth on bike.Turn ignition on and hit starter button,if you have 12v there it,s your solenoid.Either the relay inside has gone,or the main contacts are corroded,replace. If no volts use voltmeter to trace back up wire to find continuity break(assuming you have 12v at your starter button)Test each connecter in the line, making sure the earth is good fot the tester.(you carn,t really chase any electrical fault without a meter) Cheers and good luck

 

I took it out when I replaced the headlight, but I'm eighty percent sure it was in the red one with the white stripe.
Murray, I've borrowed my neighbors Volt meter. Its been years since I've used one and not sure what all the settings mean.
I still need to check the fuses. The bolts to my dash are rusted in tight. I've but wd40 and pb blaster on them and are letting them sit. I dont wanna strip the bolts. Aaaand i dont have a proper screwdriver to do it either. Need to go buy one while I'm out.
-SLKid

 

First an answer: Don't try to ascribe logical behavior to your PO.

Next, a tip: Kroil makes PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench, WD40 and the rest OBSOLETE. You need this stuff, honest: http://www.kanolabs.com/google/
It broke the rusted-in fork caps loose on both my 550's, something I had been trying for nearly a year to accomplish using all those other products.

Another tip: These aren't "real" phillips screws, they're JIS so the heads are irritatingly different. To keep yourself from tearing up screw heads, carefully file the "point" off your phillips driver, just enough to square it off so it doesn't "bottom" in the screws before it engages fully.

 

Thats a good Idea Fitz! I noticed the bolts are different. I figured, use a small flathead that touches the bottom, and with a lot of pressure, turn the screws to keep from stripping them. Worked pretty well so far with all my other stuck screws and such. I'm ninety percent sure its my fuses that are messing me up, if not that.. well, then the flasher relay. Cause my gf informs me that as she was driving behind me there was no idication that I was braking. Not good. So, fuse check, and how do I check my flasher relay??

 

Basic multi-meter 101:

You'll use Volts- DC (not AC). The pict-o-gram looks like -----

When performing a continuity check (meaning you're checking to see if an electrical path is complete and unbroken) you'll set it to "ohms". The pict-o-gram for that is an "omega" which looks like a little horseshoe. Infinite resistance is an open circuit which means a wire is broken, a fuse is blown or a switch is turned off.

Zero resistance, or a low resistance value indicates a complete path from end to end of whatever you're checking.

Ensure that there is NO POWER flowing in a circuit that you are checking for continuity or you will blow up your neighbor's meter.

Conversely, make sure that your power source (engine, battery, whatever) is ON when you're measuring voltage.