weird clicking sound when trying to start

Im trying to bring this poor 82 xj650 back to life for its 30th bday. But it just seems doomed. I just replaced the carbs and battery, and had it running for a bit. I swapped out the handlebars (accidentally broke the clutch switch), and now it wont start, and makes this weird, fast clicking sound. the sound is coming from the solenoid, and I can see, and feeling shaking a bit. When I hold the starter button down, and jump the solenoid terminals, the clicking stops, but nothing happens.

any ideas what this could be?

 

Sounds like your solenoid is busted, and needs to be replaced.

 

When you replaced the bars how much of the wiring did you have to disconnect?
Did you make sure that everthing was cleaned, greased, and plug back in tight? Including inside the spaghetti bowl?
Are you sure that the switches have a proper ground to the new handle bar?
Have you replaced that broken clutch switch yet?

Ghost

 

Well i just replaced the solenoid and fusebox. Now it still wont start. I turn the key, and hit the switch, and i hear the click. The neutral light comes on, and dims when i hit the starter and thats it. Battery has 10 volts or so, and it wont start when connected to a charger on a 50amp current. No click, no nothing. I've tried switching the leads to either side of the fusebox, to no avail. I just bought a tester. Where do I start now?

 

Try charging the battery to 100%. Not sure about the jump start. Never tried it. How about a running start?

 

Do these bikes have a side stand switch? That's what it sounds like to me?

Re read symptoms - scrap that theory!

 

If your battery only has 10 volts , sounds like it has a dead cell. Take the battery and charge it up and have it load tested at a shop to make sure it's good. I'm not sure why but these small batteries don't hold up very well. I'm thinking that the stores that sell them don't turn them over fast enough so even if dry charged they start to go bad before they are sold. Just my thoughts as to why we see so many battery failures lately.

MN

 

I hope it's not the battery. I just bought it last month. Would trying to start it drain it down to 10 volts?

 

Of course it would drain it! A good battery will recover but it will take time. 10 IS pretty low.......the fast clicking that you first reported sounded like some bad connection(s) somewhere. I'd start with the ground to the frame. Clean both ends with a wire brush and double check that all your solenoid connections are clean too. These bikes tend to be fussy about the condition of the starting circuit.

jeff
PS, where are you located? You may have a member close to you willing to come over and give you a hand!

 

When you say this, you mean the connector up by the clutch handle, that tells the safety system that the clutch is or isn't engaged? I don't know if this is your only problem, but if it's broken the bike may think you aren't pulling the clutch in. It should still start in neutral, though.

Anyway, to eliminate that as a culprit (I also messed that part up, trying to shove connector back in) you can trick it by pulling the connector off and jumping the wires inside(the little copper ones you see in the plastic "cup" thing going to the clutch lever) As it stands, if that isn't working the bike either thinks the clutch lever is always pulled in or never pulled in. I went with always, until I fix it, I just have to remember to always start in neutral. You know, like every bike you've ever ridden.

And this is a real dumb comment, but if you put new bars on, double check the kill switch. I have made that mistake, just from using it and forgetting, many times. It doesn't sound like your solenoid is bad, because you bypassed it and nothing happened, but it does sound like a weak battery. You can in fact jump start a bike like a car, it might not be a good idea, but in a pinch it can be done.

10 volts just flat doesn't cut it, not for starting. That is the one thing your battery needs all it's power (for electricity nerds, I know volts isn't power and so forth, figure of speech) and it's all battery, if that makes sense. I wish they hadn't stopped putting kick starters on bikes. If I had more gumption I'd put one on as a mod.

 

Before switching out the solenoid, I jumped it while it was on the starter and it started to turn over. So I replaced it. I've tried jumping the wires in the clutch switch and it is in nuetral when I try to start it. Wouldn't an electric jump starter give me something?

 

Not necessarily. If you're talking about a battery charger, they aren't really meant to just plug in to your bike and start it. They bring your battery up to fully charged over time, but only if your battery is healthy to begin with. I don't know that your charger has the oomph to turn a motor over on its own. They have machines like that, at places where they work on cars and stuff, but it's usually just a glorified case for a car battery on wheels.

Edit: I see you mentioned 50 amp current, I revise my statement to I *do* know that your charger *does not* have the oomph to turn a motor over. That requires around 85 amps, and if your battery isn't helping, well, there you go.

 

Well I guess il charge it up and report back after work. Thanks

 

Ok, so after charging the. Battery and fixing some bad connections, the bike still won't start up. The battery was up to 11.8 volts and it just drops nearly one volt when I hit the starter button, and no action in the starter motor. I tried again with the bike hooked up to the charger, and it turns over, but not fast enough to start.

 

could bad starter motor brushes be the culprit?

 

you have a bad battery, If was charged it should around 12.8 volts and should not drop below 11.0 volts when hard cranking. Any less your ignition wont work.

MN

 

Good call on the battery. Brought it to the shop and had it load tested, and it just dropped. Glad I didn't tear apart the starter last night!
What would kill a battery that fast? The bike is a project right now, so it's either been on a float charger, or sitting on the porch fully charged

 

A lot of the modern bike batteries sold seem pretty lame when it comes to reliability and long term life. If it's low on water, it won't hold a charge, if it's got dirty or acidic water in it-that can ruin the cells, and most tap water is acidic and contains chlorine&fluoride which isn't compatible (and bad for you btw). You want to only use distilled or filtered water.

12.8V would be an ideal starting voltage, but over 12.4V is sufficient. If it's close to 12 or below that's no good.

I am not a big fan of constantly trickle charging a battery to keep it fresh. If you use proper water and ride regularly you shouldn't need to charge it. If it get's low a single 2 AMP full charge up should get you back to good. If you're not riding the bike then charge it up and unhook it when you don't need it.

 

Well, I Pulled the battery off of my girlfriends cm400 and tried to start it with some jumper cables, still no dice. I took a piece of wire and jumped the posts on my solenoid, and it kicked on the starter motor.


In other news, I got the turn signals to work!

 

Also, do these solenoids have a specific line and load side? There were no markings on it...

 

I chased down some loose connections, cleaned and greased a bunch of contacts, and put a full charge on the cm400 battery. I just got it to fire, after a good bit of fussing with the button(I was reading between 0 to 2 ohms on the multi meter think I have a short somewhere).

Now it idles pretty well, but dies when I pull the throttle.

 

Put some fresh gas in it, and it fires right up! Idles nice at 1050 and sounds real pretty when I pull on the throttle.

 

COOL.

Now service the carbs, check and adjust the valves, and rebuild the brakes.

Then you'll be able to ride it like it was a new bike.

 

Gettin there. Forks and headlight are next