Starter interlock system, 1980 xj650

Hello all,

My 1980 xj650 maxim I has been giving me some trouble starting. It only seems to fail if I try to start the bike within a certain time frame after having it running. For example, yesterday it started up fine, I rode about 10km, stopped for a few minutes, and when I got back to the bike all I got was the click noise and the oil level light. From my research on here this sounds like the starter safety circuit to me.

Whenever I leave the bike for more than a few hours it will start up first try, but if I start it up, turn it off and try start it again it will give me the click and red light.

My manual gives a location for the starter interlock relay, under the left side panel, however that's where my headlight relay was. From the wiring diagram in the manual, I have attempted to find the relay with the correct wires coming out but I have failed.

The bike is a 4h8 serial which means it is a Canada model from what I've read I believe. The manual doesn't give any specifications as to differences between 4h7 and 4h8 models.

Can anyone help me out?

 

Does it crank over with authority when cold or just kinda do the job, even with a fresh battery? If not don't rule out your starter. Try to short the solenoid (while in neutral of course) to rule out the worn brush syndrome... This same thing happened to me, just the click, esp after running for a while.

 

Hmmm, when it works it starts with authority. But the first thing I tried was a new battery, it helped but only by reducing how often it would give me the red light.

 

Still sounds like what happened to me (twice even). I was lucky enough to have a spare starter kicking around that I swapped out and solved the problem.

If those brushes are worn and aren't positioned the right way you'll get a red light and a click. I guess we can't rule out the wiring, but it seems odd that cold starts are fine, but warm ones are duds...

 

Well I definitely won't rule out the starter then.

I'm still curious about the location of my starter interlock relay, id like to test the circuit to rule it out.

 

Should be under the left side cover.

Check for voltage on the R/W wire at the solenoid when things are working, and when they're not. If both states are the same, then the safety circuit is not the problem.