more trouble

during a vacuum sync the engine has been revving and the idle hanging. last night it went up real high so i flipped the engine stop switch off. now with key to on position, and engine stop switch to run (ignition cut off relay switches on ok), when i press the starter button i just hear one click coming from the solenoid. i tried jumping the two solenoid terminals together and get nothing...did i blow my solenoid???

 

You jumped the two big solenoid terminals and got nothing?

Dead battery or bad wiring down to the starter, bad ground or bad/stuck starter.

By jumping the big terminals you have bypassed the solenoid completely.

 

yes...nothing at all from crossing the two big terminals...not even a spark. the battery is brand new and fully charged.

 

Got a multimeter?

Do you get proper voltage at the terminal connected to the battery? If not could be a broke cable/bad conenction.

Then I would next look at the ground. Not even a spark would suggest to me an incomplete circuit. Power may get out from the battery but it must also get back or to another suitable ground for current to flow.

 

iwingameover, i'm showing 12.8 volts across the battery terminals, the same across the battery cables. and the same from pos battery cable to ground (for ground i used the clutch cover as well as main battery ground). i don't know if this means anything but i got 11.8v from large red solenoid terminal to ground?

 

If you're not getting the starter to turn or a shower of spark jumping the big terminals on the solenoid then you've got no battery current at the solenoid; OR the ground between the motor and the frame isn't allowing the circuit to be completed.

Since the wire from the battery to the solenoid is relatively short and easily examined, I'd look at the ground straps from motor to frame, or the big power lead from the solenoid to the starter itself.

 

although i'm in third gear...i'm still a newbie...where are the ground straps from motor to frame? i don't know if i'm doing this right but with voltmeter probes from pos battery terminal to wire that enters the starter i'm showing 12.7 volts...

 

I'm a "wizard" and I'd have to consult the manual which I don't have handy.

And did it try to spin or smoke your multimeter? Unless I'm misunderstaning what you did, you should have just jumped power straight from your battery through the mulitmeter to the starter. No good.

I would look at those grounds because based on my understating of what you did above I would say that current did not return to the battery. Bad Ground.

To check voltage at the starter the positive lead on your meter would go to the wire coming from the solenoid into the starter and the negative to a ground. You would then have to have the key on and hit the button.

 

surprisingly my voltmeter is ok...i've done some pretty stupid things to it lately and the only thing that happens when i do something i shouldn't is the fuse in it blows. needless to say, i keep plenty of those on hand.

i just checked voltage from the wire coming into the starter and ground and when i hit the start button i'm getting about 12.5 volts.

i have a manual...i'll see if i can find the location of the ground straps? when you guys say ground "strap" does that just mean ground wire?

 

can a starter be stuck and still show 12.5 volts going through it?

 

Going TO it maybe.

 

I think you may be having starter issues. That's something I haven't tackled so I'll defer to the actual wizards like Wizard and Fitz on that.

 

iwin, thanks for getting me this far. i'm showing ~12.5 volts between wire going into the starter and various ground locations, including the ground strap running from the rear of the engine to the frame. does this mean i'm getting current through the starter?

 

No. It means you're getting voltage to the starter.

 

Measure the resistance from the starter 12V terminal to battery minus... should be less than half an Ohm. I'd bet yours reads a lot higher. Next step would be to remove and disassemble the starter and see what things look like inside.

Regardless of anything else that needs changed, you'll need a new O-ring when you reinstall the starter. You can them from Chacal, or a pretty decent substitute from Ace hardware.

 

SQLGuy, you were spot on with the ignitor diagnosis on one of my previous problems. that enabled me to start tuning. now this...well, at least i have a starting point. damn i just want to ride...i've been pluggin away on this thing for months.

 

removed the starter reluctantly yesterday and cleaned it thoroughly. it was pretty nasty. everything checked out spec wise so i reinstalled it and she fired right up, i guess it just needed cleaned. and after lubing the planetary side real well it no longer sounds like a strangled duck...back to the tuning gremlins