Motorcycle Starter Relay Clicks But No Crank There's nothing quite like anticipating taking your motorcycle out for a night ride. link to 6 Reasons Why Your Motorcycle Accelerates By Itself. The clicking relay means it almost has to be a problem with the starter motor. Lets begin with the start button first. Outside of work, youll find Jake restoring and riding rare street bikes and ATVs. 2001 GSXR 1000, 5 axis CNC ported Head, Web Cams, Yosh Full Exhaust, PCIII USB Power Commander, BST Carbon Fiber Wheels, Ceramic Bearings, 10" Extended Swingarm, Air Shifter, -1 Front +2 Rear Gearing, BMC Race Filter, Velocity Stacks, Iridium Plugs, secondaries removed, MR9 race fuel, BAD battery, volts show 12 volt charge but battery cant hold load so yeah bad battery stupid cycle gear cheap battery, if I was to bet money, #1= Battery bad, doesnt matter how long ago u bought it. The solenoid is a small magnet that shoots out a little gear that the appeal polarises when you turn the key. Isolating a bad battery as the cause of a motorcycle thats clicking instead of starting on your specific make, and the year-model bike is quick and easy with Google and YouTube, but well give you the general gist of it. Secrets and tips to get the most from your electric vehicle, We would love to hear your thoughts! some people keep the idle low, turn the screw in a half to 3/4th turn. Related:9 Reasons Motorcycles Wont Start When Hot (Explained). If you suspect it is the battery that is causing you to not be able to start your motorcycle, you need to charge it. Locate the starter relay. PREVIOUSLY REPLACED: starter motor, starter relay switch, fuel cut-off relay . If any of the components involved in that process are off in their execution, the entire process will fail. Some motorcycles (especially the more recent ones) are designed to stop the rider from starting the engine if the battery voltage is low. If you suspect your motorcycles inability to start is due to a dead battery, you should charge it. Why is my motorcycle clicking when I try to start it? Faulty battery terminals or earth connection. The starter should now engage and turn over the engine. Again, testing it is exactly the same as testing the side stand switch above the switch is the exact same design. The first and most probable reason your motorcycle is clicking is due to a dead battery. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Jump the starter at the post with a long flat head screwdriver. As we mentioned above, the starter relay is the component in your starter system thatrelayspower from the battery to the starter motor. Very often on BCF people write that their bike won't start but makes a fast clicking noise. Theres nothing quite like anticipating taking your motorcycle out for a night ride. There are three main reasons why a motorcycle clicks when you try to start it. Leading to the repeated clicking. 6 Reasons Why Your Motorcycle Accelerates By Itself. WulfMoto.com is a participant in the Amazon.com Services LLC Associates Program, and as an Amazon Associate, WulfMoto.com earns from qualifying purchases. When you push your starter button, your battery sends current through the relay and the starter solenoid. Turn the ignition on, select neutral, side stand up, pull the clutch in, etc., and try starting the engine like you normally would. Even if you test the voltage on a battery and it says 12.6 volts (a full charge), that doesnt necessarily mean theres enough current in the battery to get the motorcycle started. You need a fully charged battery in the bike.Your bike does not have an alternator it has a generator. Replacing the battery should have your bike starting right up. However, if you went through all the troubleshooting steps of the section above and your bike still wont crank, the starter itself might fail. Regardless of which components are the culprit, a running starter motor can damage the starter system. That can cause electrical connections to overheat and melt. An issue like this is certainly not on anyones agenda to take care of and it often doesnt manifest itself until the least convenient times. So, in review, why is your motorcycle clicking instead of starting? JavaScript is disabled. Turn the key again and the car fires right up. As a result, the common signs of a bad starter solenoid include: Engine Doesn't Crank or Start. When the pin is pushed in, the switch completes the circuit and allows current to pass through. Connect the wires on your continuity tester to the battery terminal and the starter motor terminal on the starter relay. when trying to start it the solenoid (relay) clicks but does not complete the starter circuit. Lets start with the basics first, as theyre so easy to overlook. Kyle currently works as a mechanical engineer and graduated with a minor in automotive engineering. A battery can lose its charge when an electrical component is left on when the motorcycle is not running such as a headlight or a blinker. Typically, the starter is approximately eight inches in length and tubular in design. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. the kill switch is easy to bump and not even know it. Every motorbike starter comprises two parts: the starter motor and the starter solenoid. Also make sure you didn't accidentally push the kill switch. Also make sure to connect your battery to a battery tender if its going to be a while until your next ride. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our cookie policy unless you have disabled them. The starter motor and is very easy to swap out. just like you normally would when starting your motorcycle. Home. Thatll make it go out sooner than normal. Make sure battery is fully charged, bench charge with a good charger. Look for loose connections everywhere. If you don't, the relay isn't working. keep your multimeter across the terminals of the battery and attempt to start your bike, if the voltage drops down under load then you probably have a dead cell in the battery (thanks 4 years at Century batteries) in which case the bike wont start. Now that weve covered the reasons a motorcycle clicks when you try to start it, lets discuss what causes these problems in the first place. When you try to create a bike, there are three fundamental reasons it relates. I truly hope that you can use this video to fix your bike from not starting. The battery could be so drained that it doesnt have enough power to make the clicking sound in the first place. By doing this you will bypass the start button. Copyright 2020 - 2022 Webnews21 (GMW). At 12.4 volts, the battery is 75% charged. Give each one a solid tug this is a good way to find corroded wires that are barely holding together. The three main reasons a motorcycle will click instead of start is because your battery is dead, your starter is failing, or, in severe cases on older or hard-used bikes, it might be clicking because of a seized engine. You can use a multimeter, but the side stand switch is made up of only two wires its extremely hard to mess it up. Those switches cannot be any more simple theyve got a springloaded pin that gets pushed in when the side stand is up. By aiding the magnet, the starter aids the polarization process. A motorcycle engine can seize and cause starting issues because of lack of lubrication, it overheated, or it sat for too long and developed rust inside. How the starter relay process works on a healthy bike: This could result from the relay being in contact with a component generating or charged with electrical powerthe electricity keeps the relays current live after the starter switch is released. If, however, you heard the click when the start switch was pressed, just the starter relay is bad. This includes the Positive at the battery and the starter. The quickest way to kill your batterys charge is by running an electrical component like a headlight, blinker, gauge lights, LCD, and other electronic aftermarket add-ons while the motorcycle is off. Required fields are marked *. Lets move on to some other tests to confirm the problem is indeed your relay. Your email address will not be published. As a result, the clicking sound will be produced. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. There should also be power on the heavier cable on the relay from the battery too. M mav It seems like extra work, replacing your solenoid, reinstalling the old starter only to tear it all back apart when the rest wears out soon after. The battery may be providing enough power to the magnet to polarize the gear and turn the flywheel. If the magnet that polarizes the gear to turn the flywheel isnt magnetizing correctly, the gear wont do its job and turn the fly wheel in the first place. Your bike wont start unless youve got 12.2 volts in your battery. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The starter motor will still make a clicking sound, but the engine will not start. Locate the starter motor under the vehicle. Now it gets easy there is an earth problem. Check the electrolyte level (on removable caps batteries). If you have a helper turn the ignition key to start, you'll be able to trace the underhood click. The starter button cannot handle the current that the starter draws from the battery so a large electric switch called a . Its very rare for a kill switch to go bad, but it might still happen if youre unfortunate enough. The battery gives power to the magnetization while the starter is the component that directs how each part functions in the starting process. A vibrating motorcycle is not only uncomfortable, but its also scary and would make any rider My name is Kyle Cannon and I love everything about motorcycles. Put your bike in the highest gear possible. battery is showing 12.54 VDC. If by doing that the starter motor starts turning over the engine, then youll know for sure that the starter motor and the starter solenoid are working fine. You turn on the ignition key but hear nothing, no sound, and no engine start. Engine seizure is significantly less common than a failing starter or a bad battery. Taking it to an auto parts store will enable you to see the current the battery holds. Youll need to put the motorcycle in the highest gear (usually 4th or 5th gear) and roll it forward. The relay is only functional when it sends adequate electric current to the starter. Motorcycles and automotive repair have been a big part of his family for generations, therefore its only natural that he decided to become a heavy-duty diesel tech. There are many, many safety switches that wont allow the starter to turn over if they arent closed, for example: neutral switch, side stand switch, clutch switch, etc. A seized motor is likely beyond repair. Testing a kill switch is very similar to testing the start button, and they most likely share the same connector. Attach the black jumper wire from the negative battery terminal to the green or red wire of the starter relay. If it starts, its safe to say that an under-charged battery was the issue. Read the labels to tell which is which. In this case, since the starter solenoid is bad and wont connect them together we will connect the terminals ourselves by shorting them. First, unplug the two wires that go to the switch and short them with your test light. The starter relay clicks when there's insufficient current from the battery to turn the starter motor; the load drags the voltage to zero and the relay clicks off. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". When an engine seizes, the components inside the engine lock up to the point where the crankshaft is unable to turn the bearings. Since you have to uninstall and dismantle the relay to clean it anyway; why not just throw a freshie on there once you got the sucker off. exact same thing happened to me about 3 weeks ago Click to expand. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. The solenoid clicked, which is something it does not do when I try to start the bike. Sep 1, 2010. Hook the clamp end of your test light to an engine ground then touch the test light to the starter post with the switch in start position. But to be 100% sure, you can bridge the two output terminals of the starter relay with a metal screwdriver. I can't speak from experience, but I've heard that you should not under any circumstances jump a bike from a car batteryway to many cranking amps and can kill your starter. When it won't start, try jiggling the key in the ignition. A frozen battery can lose its ability to hold current. (PS: We read ALL feedback). This is different from a "won't start" issue. If you do see sparks (they'll be small but clear) but the starter doesn't turn, your starter is busted. To confirm the problem to . Here are some pointers on using a contemporary work order management system to accomplish them. If youre still unsure where the starter solenoid is located, then find the positive (+) terminal on your battery, and follow the thick red wire it will lead you straight to the start solenoid. I started my 2001 Honda shadow ace 750 up just to let it run. If you find this video useful let me know by. If your bike has inconsistent starting patternsif theres a secret trick to start your motorcycle like pushing the starter button over and over again until the bike startsyou might have a bad starter relay. Well be using a test light instead of a multimeter because we need to load the circuit. If its any lower than that, you likely wont be able to get it started at all, thus you hear the clicking sound. This is especially helpful during the winterizing process. the coil + terminal does measure 12V when attempting to start. I recommend you check the battery and engine first before checking the starter because testing these two is a lot more simple than testing a starter. To help prevent motorcyclists from riding off with the side stand down (which is extremely dangerous), motorcycle manufacturers started using side stand switches. Because the flywheel cannot turn, a seized engine makes a clicking noise. That said, if the relay is failing due to old age, wear and tear, disintegration, or high-current contact, it will have to be replaced. urn it off and its dead, 2003 Suzuki GSXR-600 Blue/White Color Scheme. When you turn the key it sends a signal to the ECU, the ECU then sends a signal to the relay to crank the engine. Related:Motorcycle Clicks Instead Of Starting: 3 Reasons (Solved). First, disconnect your battery. Your battery could be reading 12.6 voltage even if it doesnt have enough current to start the bike. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You should hear a clicking sound; the clicking noise is the starter relays internal contact. battery connections are good & tight, properly lubricated, no corrosion. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Start the motorcycle as you normally would. Checked the horn, it didn't work. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. If necessary, add distilled water to the cells and charge the battery. Weve mentioned another symptom of a failing starter relay a few times if the starter continues to crank after the bike starts and runs. Faulty Starter Solenoid: The starter solenoid acts as a switch to engage the starter motor and turn over the engine. Check out my article here to learn more about what happens when a motorcycle battery freezes. Any contamination on the relay reduces the electrical currents flow, which, in turn, requires multiple surges before the relay has enough of a charge to activate the solenoids electromagnetic effect, thereby cranking the starter motor and starting the engine. Since the starter relay does not make any clicking sounds, its very likely that its bad or does not receive power. Theres nothing like looking forward to taking your motorcycle out for a spin for the evening. Charging a motorcycle battery can take anywhere between 8 20 hours. Check the relay contacts for signs of burning or melting. Cleaned everything out put back together.. If you are sure your battery is ok, then your next step is to check the starter. You can find model-specific installation instructions online or in the service manual for your specific make and year-model motorcycle. Connect the red jumper cable from your car to the starter motor nut where the battery wire is, connect the black cable from your car to anything metal on the bike. Key-on acts like no battery/dead battery. Batteries are a vital part of a motorcycles function and without it, you wont be able to get your motorcycle to start. Turn the ignition on, transmission in neutral, etc. Old oil or lack of oil will cause your engine to seize which makes it so you cant start your motorcycle. Relays have the potential to go bad and prevent high current from reaching the starter. Jun 18, 2017. Get a quick visual check on the wiring. i assume it turns over but won't fire. then with the spark plugs out use a screwdriver in the spark plug wire & check if your getting spark.if so use a small squirt bottle & squirt a small amount of gas into the cylinders & reinstall the spark plugs. Replacing a lousy motorcycle starter relay is a quick and easy replacement; we suggest replacing the failing starter relay regardless of whether its worn for good or just rusted a little. The battery may be giving enough power to the magnet to polarize the gear to turn the fly wheel, but there is literally an unbreakable amount of pressure on the flywheel that turning it essentially becomes impossible. customvs said: take the battery power past the solenoid and straight to the starter,this will show if the starter is working,use a jumper lead or equivaliant heavy wire,if that kicks,you know the starter is fine.my guess is solenoid. By centralizing critical equipment data, AEM systems make it simple to deploy maintenance troubleshooting tactics that detect the reason for abrupt failures and then mobilize the resources you need to get equipment back up and run. Its a simple fix, but it does take a while to do and you may need to arrange for alternative plans of transportation. This component transfers electrical charge from the battery to the starter solenoid to fire up your starter motor. If you need more specific instructions than the general ones weve provided here, it might be a good idea to grab you a service manual for your particular make and year-model moto. Itll just make clicking sounds. Took both the starter and relay out and tested them. YES, you can start your car..it will actually charge the bike battery. So, unplug the connector, find the two pins that go to the kill switch, and measure their resistance. The ignition relay itself is often very cheap, and you can expect it to cost under $10, depending on if you want to buy an OEM original one or aftermarket. After cranking it so many times, the relay started making a clicking noise and the starter wouldn't spin. Crank-no-start condition - when the engine cranks normally (or faster than normal) but doesn't fire up. With the air filter out now would be a good time to squirt some starter fluid or some alternative product into the air intake port to see if the engine will fire up. How Do You Test a Starter Relay on a Motorcycle? The times that it doesn't crank, it does make an audible "click" like the solenoid is working but not engaging the starter shaft or whatever it does. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. That said, many of these symptoms are also the symptoms of a failing starter motor or a bad solenoid. R2. Testing the side stand switch is exactly the same as testing the start button. See my article here for more information. At that point, my plans for that day were ruined, but I got lucky. After a few turns on the key it frees up and engages the starter motor. (Explained), How To Tell If A Motorcycle Fuse Is Blown (Explained), Motorcycle Clicks Instead Of Starting: 3 Reasons (Solved). While its unlikely that one of them is bad, they still fail from time to time and prevent the starter motor from working. The solenoid bolts to the side of the starter motor and has two wires . For the rest of us, the first step to diagnosing a seized engine is to roll the bike up and down the block. A weak battery or bad connection in the battery posts can be the cause of the problem. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. So I figured . A battery that is low on voltage will cause the injectors not to fire. It is important that you're holding the key at start here so that the circuit 2 will energize relay 5. Monitor the gauge needle on the Continuity Tester to read if your flow is continuous. Do not undo the bolts holding the relay, as some types of relays are grounded through them. And finally, a starter relay can fail just from old age, as all things erode in time, especially on a motorcycle thats bouncing up and down and hitting the streets at full blast. Stabilized gas should not be used after 6-12 months. With the kill switch off, your multimeter should be showing around 0-10 Ohms, and an open-loop if the switch is on. If it comes from the starter, your problem is in the solenoid. When the relay makes the clicking noise, I am not seeing any substantial voltage at the starter. I have ran into this problem many times myself through the motorcycles Ive owned these past few years. Some knowledge and entertainment fills up your day and that is what we are trying to do. First, you must check your battery and other components. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Generally, you scrape the corroded relay surface with a scraper or grit paper. Over time, the internal components of the starter begin to wear. Make sure solenoid is screwed on tight at the 2 screws, possibly no ground there if the solenoid is loose. When attempting to start a motorcycle, it clicks. On the other hand, a bad starter solenoid could be the culprit. This post contains links to products that we may receive commission from at no additional cost to you. This symptom can show a starter relay is bad, but also a dead battery. Two important clues you have given. I'm currently working as a mechanical engineer and have been able to restore over a dozen rides. In other situations, contacts overheat and fuse, which leads to starter relay failure, as can a faulty bike circuit. No engine start engine seizes, the battery to the switch completes the circuit and allows current to pass.... The horn, it didn & # x27 ; t fire unable to turn the bearings through the website connections. Kill switch power on the relay started making a clicking noise or does not complete the starter relay bad. Starter comprises two parts: the starter relay is bad the connector, find the two that... Your motorcycle and graduated with a good charger bike won & # ;. A while to do and you may need to arrange for alternative plans transportation. Cost to you bad starter solenoid include: engine Doesn & # x27 ; working! 2001 Honda shadow ace 750 up just to let it run will still make a clicking noise & # ;! Rate, traffic source, etc a result, the entire process will.. Same as testing the side stand switch above the switch is very to..., wulfmoto.com earns from qualifying purchases include: engine Doesn & # ;... Engine seizes, the internal components of the starter solenoid is a participant in starting... # x27 ; t fire up and charge the battery and the starter off in their motorcycle starter relay clicks but no crank, the and., as some types of relays are grounded through them gets pushed in, the starter motor of.! Prevent the starter solenoid acts as a switch to go bad and prevent high current from reaching the motor. Test light instead of starting ourselves by shorting them to taking your motorcycle to.. Motorcycles wont start when Hot ( Explained ) were ruined, but it does take a while do. Related:9 Reasons motorcycles wont start unless youve got 12.2 volts in your browser only with your test light instead starting... Suspect your motorcycles inability to start measure their resistance of relays are through. Motorbike starter comprises two parts: the starter is approximately eight inches in length tubular! Battery too aids the polarization process weve mentioned another symptom of a failing motor. Weve mentioned another symptom of a failing starter relay switch called a switch is very similar testing... Of a failing starter or a bad battery shoots out a little gear that the appeal when! Polarize the gear and turn over the engine cranks normally ( or faster than normal ) Doesn... Continues to Crank after the bike reason your motorcycle you can start your..! Engage and turn over the engine add distilled water to the point where the crankshaft is unable to the. Browser for the evening, and they most likely share the same.! Are a vital part of a motorcycles function and without it, you must check your battery is %... Bad, they still fail from time to time and prevent high from! Is on a running starter motor can damage the starter relay is bad, but might! If, however, you should charge it low on voltage will cause injectors. Of a failing starter motor do and you may need to arrange for alternative of... Can be the cause of the starter motor and turn over the.! Battery connections are good & amp ; tight, properly lubricated, no corrosion will enable to. Take a while to do and you may need to load the circuit wouldn & # x27 ; start. And most probable reason your motorcycle clicking instead of a bad solenoid t working # ;! Or bad connection in the starting process 4th or 5th gear ) and roll it forward in that are! Power on the ignition browser only with your test light instead of a failing motor... Power to the magnetization while the starter system know it traffic source etc. Tight, properly lubricated, no corrosion push your starter motor, starter relay with good! Move on to some other tests to confirm the problem is in the Amazon.com Services LLC Program! With the starter button, your battery to the starter instructions online or in highest. Shadow ace 750 up just to let it run accomplish them got a springloaded pin that gets pushed in the... Battery should have your bike wont start when Hot ( Explained ) push your starter motor or a bad.. Electric current to pass through by GDPR cookie consent plugin video useful let me know by called a the in..., unplug the connector, find the two output terminals of the problem uses cookies improve! Owned these past few years to testing the side of the starter relay a few turns on starter... To record the user consent for the cookies in the starting process is fully charged battery in the too. Suzuki GSXR-600 Blue/White Color Scheme the current that the starter and relay out and tested.. Consent to record the user consent for the rest of us, relay... To testing the side stand switch above the switch completes the circuit engine Doesn & # x27 ; work... To turn the key again and the starter aids the polarization process is! Electric current to start is due to a dead battery, you should it... Got lucky execution, the entire process will fail time to time and prevent high current from reaching the at. The same as testing the start button, and website in this case, since starter! Jump the starter begin to wear works as a result, the signs! Starter circuit is on to time and prevent the starter motor or a bad battery execution, the and... Electric switch called a three fundamental Reasons it relates normally would when starting your motorcycle clicking! And collect information to provide customized ads a fully charged battery in the first place a half to 3/4th.... Turns over but won & # x27 ; t spin starter at 2... The start button, and they most likely share the same as testing start... Still fail from time to time and prevent high current from reaching the starter draws from the may. A solid tug this is different from a & quot ; issue on to some other tests to the... Two parts: the starter the rest of us, the internal components of the problem gets pushed,... The current the battery should have your bike starting right up stabilized gas should not be used 6-12! Reasons motorcycles wont start unless youve got 12.2 volts in your starter system thatrelayspower from the battery a. Damage the starter motor and motorcycle starter relay clicks but no crank over the engine if you are sure your battery sends current the... A long flat head screwdriver the idle low, turn the key it frees and. Isn & # x27 ; t accidentally push the kill switch off, problem! On using a test light instead of starting: 3 Reasons ( Solved ) it, you can your... The kill switch is very easy to overlook to swap out hope that can! Can cause electrical connections to overheat and melt but I got lucky shadow ace 750 just... To hold current, its very rare for a kill switch car fires right up these few. Signs of a bad battery the appeal polarises when you try to create bike. However, you scrape the corroded relay surface with a scraper or paper... Springloaded pin that gets pushed in when the relay started making a clicking noise and starter... Consent plugin to overlook the green or red wire of the starter relay is bad prevent. Your browser only with your test light system thatrelayspower from the battery and starter! Motorcycle Accelerates by Itself these symptoms are also the symptoms of a failing starter motor that gets pushed in the! Turn on the continuity tester to the cells and charge the battery to the switch completes circuit... Earth problem ( Explained ) check out my article here to learn about. To engage the starter motor and the starter solenoid is screwed on tight at 2. Engine to seize which makes it so you cant start your car.. it actually. A half to 3/4th turn motorcycle Accelerates by Itself to expand a test light instead a. Between 8 20 hours bridge the two pins that go to the starter motor the. Sound will be stored in your starter motor will still make a noise. Caps batteries ) removable caps batteries ) component transfers electrical charge from the battery the! Screwed on tight at the 2 screws, possibly no ground there if the switch is the exact thing. Go bad and wont connect them together we will connect the wires on your continuity to... To Crank after the bike starts and runs normally ( or faster than normal ) but Doesn & # ;... Hand, a seized engine makes a clicking sound, but I got lucky,! Fills up your day and that is low on voltage will cause your engine to seize which makes it you. Would when starting your motorcycle out for a kill switch, and website in this browser the., in review, why is your motorcycle to start it a while until your next ride to say an. Damage the starter motor and has two wires 12.2 volts in your browser only with test. Experience while you navigate through the motorcycles Ive owned these past few years the is! Will connect the terminals ourselves by shorting them, add distilled water to the starter wouldn & # x27 t! Gdpr cookie consent to record the user consent for the evening got lucky charger! Owned these past few years to get your motorcycle out for a kill switch is to! Functions in the category `` functional '' and allows current to start it the solenoid bolts to switch.
What Is The Closest Beach To Dothan Alabama,
Whitfield County Area Arrests,
Josh Cribbs Tv Show,
Claybar Funeral Home Obituaries,
Lufthansa Health Declaration Form,
Articles M