Press starter button nothing happens

Just rebuilt bike, battery is full and hooked up checked with meter and solenoid is grounded and starter bolted in engine after cleaning and rebuild of it. I did chip the plastic piece inside that the bolt comes out from on the inside but i highly doubt that is a factor as the bolt is well grounded out of the starter and the outside part is grounded with runner boot over it. My sidestand safety feature is non existant as the previous owner disconnected it or the whole safety system i believe as i have rode it with sidestand down (very scary) but the bike is neutral on centerstand fresh oil and gas tried starting with killswitch on and off but when i press starter button the headlight just dims as if a safety feature or the killswitch were still on. Anyone have any ideas? :/

 

What bike and year? My 81 650 doesn't illuminate the headlight until the motor starts running. Unless your bike doesn't have that feature or the harness has been bastardized, then you may have your wiring mixed up somewhere.

 

I have an 83 xj750 and it might have all the lights work engine running or not and i have no oil light flash on startup but ive rode the bike for a year like this so it has to do with the starter or a wite somewhere im guessing but im not too good with these electrical issues related to startup and such

 

The bolt that sticks out of the starter, with the insualtor around it, is the positive starter terminal. It should not short to the starter case. There is no test for this since the field coils conduct between the positive starter post and the starter case (with very low resistance). If your starter post insulator is chipped, you may very well have a short directly to the starter case, bypassing the feild coil, and making the starter inoperative.

 

On the 83 xj750, the headlight turns on when the key is turned on. Pushing the START button causes the headlight to turn off to allow full power to the ignition system. When the button is released, power returns to the headlight.

May be an issue with the contacts for the START button. Check inside there. Clean it up with some contact cleaner.
Hard to nail down the problem with the safety systems compromised like that.

 

double check that the bike is in neutral, then use a large screwdriver, or the like , and short across the two large solenoid connections.
does the starter then spin?
if not the fault is on the power side , recheck battery and all large power cables.
if it does spin then fault is with the starter circuit.
stu

 

Just checked all connections theyre good and battery is charged i tried to bump start it 3 times and it wouldnt turn over it just kind of made a light sputter noise. I really dont know what to do now with it hmm

 

This is the diagnostic procedure. JUMP across the two big terminals on the solenoid; you will get some sparks and the starter should spin. See above for causes based on result.

 

Ahh okay i tried that twice and nothing happens the starter doesnt spin at all my bike has trouble shifting into neutral i just rebuilt the shifter and the bolts that had stripped off inside there but its all fixed now rebuilt carbs, all new gaskets, oil filter and oil also

 

I got the sparks your talking about fitz also but it never tried to spin i didnt hear anything either i checked the grounds all are tight on tci, starter, and ignition coils also. I rebuilt the starter a few times and made sure all was aligned properly inside and the brushed were on their spots inside.

 

Time to grab a volt meter and verify volts are going to the starter's post when pressing the start button. If "yes" then you know it's the starter.

 

We already know it's the starter unless the battery is bone dead. By jumping across the solenoid, you apply power directly to the starter. If it doesn't spin, unless the one big wire is loose (or the engine has become "ungrounded") the problem has to be the starter.

I don't know how the difficulty shifting into neutral issue got popped into the middle of a starter discussion, but if you're talking about difficulty finding neutral when the bike is running you need to adjust your clutch.

 

Yea that all makes sense thanks guys so should my next move be pulling the starter and checking all the internals out again to see where the problem exists? Im shocked that its the problem after i rebuilt it and all and also because coming out i can see the washer then a bolt then a lock washer followed by the ground cable leading to the solenoid all was tight there should i touch a negative or positive volt meter lead to that and then one to the case and hit the starter and check for power or jut take it off completely and start there with examination?

 

Does the starter have to be grounded in order for the engine to start im still puzzled as to why it didnt fire after bumping it down small hill 3 times and not firing up.

 

Also i just checked like i explained with negative volt meter lead going to starter case and the positive on the wire between the washers and bolts as i described coming out of the case and no reading was there with ignition on or off. Check solenoid by battery housing and both bolts read 12v on meter so im guessing its a problem directly associated with the starter internals or that positive wire leading out of the case. Any ideas after these two readings? Thanks

 

It worked. You pulled the starter, rebuilt it, and put it back on. Now it doesn't work. It HAS to be the starter.

The starter case is ground, the bolt and heavy wire is pos. If there is not enough insulation there it will create a short. The plastic piece centers the bolt through the hole in the housing, check to see if the bolt is exposed (doesn't have to actually touch the housing) to the housing in that spot, or that there is enough insulated washers (fiber, not metal) between the starter housing and the nut.

If there is a short between the battery and the starter, then you will not be able to bump start because the power goes through battery, solenoid, starter, then to the coils and etc.

 

i think you hit the nail on the head tskaz i looked and i only have 2 lock washers and two bolts for the outside lead of the starter where the wire connects. I dont know if i still have the insulated washers or how many of them i need i wonder if i can get them or some makeshift ones at lowes to use to have a solid connective for the bolt protruding out of the case? any idea how many i need or if this will be possible i have the two original bolts and lock washers i think i am missing the insulated ones though however many there are.

 

I believe the rebuild kits usually come with 3. I only used 2 when I rebuilt my starter.
Check the auto parts or pm Chacal for the washers.

 

I ordered one comes with new washers, insulator plate, brushes and seals. Also i grounded my bike starter to my truck and used a positive cable to touch the bolt coming out of the starter housing and it spun and turned the engine over. Now just need to get the rebuild kit and hopefully it will work without jumper cables then lol

 

The rebuild thread is in my sig if you need any help.