Need advice on starter problem
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 169
Likes: 1
From: north Idaho
Need advice on starter problem
For a while now, when I hit the start button, it goes KA-ZIIIIIIING. It takes several tries hitting the button, than she decides to start. Also, sometimes you won’t here anything when you hit the start button. It takes many tries before she will fire up.
Last weekend the battery was reading 12.7 on the meter. I took all the cables off the starter, and battery, brushed and cleaned all the connections, and put a new relay in. Still doing the same thing. I took the cover off the solenoid, and cleaned the contacts. When I pushed the plunger in by hand, it sounded the same as when using the starter button. So I rode it to Napa auto, 2 miles away and had them load test the battery. It read 13 volts, and 330 cold crank amps. (The battery is 4 yrs oId) I go to ride home, and she wouldn’t fire up at all. Had to trailer it back to the house.
Next I took the primary cover off, and watched the jackshaft / pinion gear engage with the ring gear while bumping the sstarter. It looked normal sometimes, but then nothing.
This morning I pulled the starter out and did the ‘Pull and Hold’ test on solenoid, and the starter shaft did as she’s supposed to. I’m thinking maybe it’s the starter motor itself, the internals getting tired? It’s the original starter, 23 years old, a new one wouldnt hurt, but am wondering what you guys think. Thanks
Last weekend the battery was reading 12.7 on the meter. I took all the cables off the starter, and battery, brushed and cleaned all the connections, and put a new relay in. Still doing the same thing. I took the cover off the solenoid, and cleaned the contacts. When I pushed the plunger in by hand, it sounded the same as when using the starter button. So I rode it to Napa auto, 2 miles away and had them load test the battery. It read 13 volts, and 330 cold crank amps. (The battery is 4 yrs oId) I go to ride home, and she wouldn’t fire up at all. Had to trailer it back to the house.
Next I took the primary cover off, and watched the jackshaft / pinion gear engage with the ring gear while bumping the sstarter. It looked normal sometimes, but then nothing.
This morning I pulled the starter out and did the ‘Pull and Hold’ test on solenoid, and the starter shaft did as she’s supposed to. I’m thinking maybe it’s the starter motor itself, the internals getting tired? It’s the original starter, 23 years old, a new one wouldnt hurt, but am wondering what you guys think. Thanks
6th Gear
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Central FL
Honestly, this sounds like a bad battery to me. Measure the voltage under load. It may read at 13v on the tester, but I'll bet you dollars to pesos that it dips pretty drastically once you hit that starter button.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 21,173
Likes: 12,740
From: South Carolina
These starters are very robust and pretty much last the life of the bike, just need a few parts now and then.
I still have the original starter on my `89 Softail with over 140k miles.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 169
Likes: 1
From: north Idaho
Well Saturday I put the starter back in, and bought a new battery too. It did NOT fix the problem.�� Today after work, I peeled the insulation back on the battery cables. They were green and corroded underneath. So I had 3 new 4 gauge cables made up, and still the same thing. So maybe it IS the starter clutch, but not sure.
Also, sometimes when I hit the start button, I won’t hear anything at all. Like 3 or 4 times in a row, than it may try starting. Thought it could be in the switch housing, but that wouldn’t make sense because when I push the plunger in by hand on the solenoid it does the same thing.
Also, sometimes when I hit the start button, I won’t hear anything at all. Like 3 or 4 times in a row, than it may try starting. Thought it could be in the switch housing, but that wouldn’t make sense because when I push the plunger in by hand on the solenoid it does the same thing.
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 942
Likes: 323
From: Grew up in Texas, moved to AZ
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Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 169
Likes: 1
From: north Idaho
Not sure exactly what he did to check it out. He told me on the phone that he could not find anything wrong with it, and that the solonoid was fine. He was busy when I picked it up. Told me to check my ground.
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Road Master
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 1,067
Likes: 339
From: Northeastern Indiana
you can try jumping the starter from the battery cable to the single wire connector to see if it engages the gear … make sure you are in neutral … the single wire I'm talking about usually has a small white square connector that plugs into the starter … if it engages your starter is Ok, just loosing power between the starter and the battery …
