A while ago my '93 FLSTC started to occasionally give me the dead spot/click when trying to start it. When it started happening almost every time I figured it was time to do something about it.

I knew my battery was just over a year old and tested out fine so not knowing exactly what the cause was I thought about all the usual fixes - replacing the relay, adding a relay, rebuilding the solenoid, adding a button to the solenoid or replacing the starter. Being the somewhat lazy C.O.B. that I've become I decided that they all were either too expensive or too much of a pain in the *** to get at on my bike. Then I remembered my own advice that I'd given out over the years, 'the ground is just as important as the hot.' So I tracked the black wire from the #85 terminal on the relay to where it was grounded and found that it was screwed into the frame right over the paint and was no longer providing a good ground so I disconnected it. I removed the battery ground which was also on top of the paint relying on the screw threads for grounding, scraped away some of the paint around the hole and relocated the relay ground to where the battery was now solidly grounded on the frame. I hit the start button and the motor fired up like a shot. I poured a drop or two of Jack Daniels on the ground screw for luck and to **** off the gremlins then I took a couple of swallows for myself as a reward for a job well done!

The moral of the story? Work smart not hard and always check the easy stuff first.

 

25 years old and it's first shot of Jack. No wonder it was acting out.

 

Yup, you could be right. I used to be able to protect my bikes by burning Buffalo Grass and walking around them with the smoke. An Indian taught me that when I used to live out west. Unfortunately Buffalo Grass isn't all that prevalent in Florida. However, I can find Jack Daniels almost everywhere and it seems to work almost as well!

 

So would you recommend a double shot for my soon to be home 3rd horse in the stable? Is that how we break them in?

 

Most definitely. In fact, have a couple in anticipation of it's arrival and a couple more when it does!!!

"If it makes you happy
It can't can't be that baaaad.... " - S. Crow

 

So is this simple ground fix the same thing the tin can sporty guys have been chasing all these years?


carl

 

I added this button to the end of the solenoid. For $20.00. Three little screws off and on. Gives me ease of mind to know that I can still start er up if button or relay takes a crap in the middle of no where.

 

Got in the habit long time ago of putting these between the cables and the ground surface, even do it on the battery connections. I don't have electrical problems ....

Star washers are your friend.

 

Good tip , TB.

 

Been using them for years..