When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Recently had my starter not disengage. I took a look a the plunger on the solenoid, and the plunger contacts had welded to the contacts bolted to the sides of the solenoid. After I separated them and pulled the plunger out, I took a little sandpaper and sanded down the contacts a little to make them more smooth.
I went through and checked the wiring system to see what could have caused this. The relay checked good on the ohm meter on both open and closed. I also took an ohm meter to the starter switch on the handlebar and it checked out at 7 ohms. I hooked everything but the positive line going to the starter, and hit the button a few times. Even though it was just engaging the relay, my lights would dim like it was really turning the engine over.
Anyway, I'm going to pickup a new relay and solenoid spring today and change them out. I was wondering if anyone could think of any place else I should check, and why the starting system was acting like it had a load on it when I was just engaging the relay?
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.