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I am having a problem with my custom built Softail. It ran fine three days ago and I parked it in the garage. I rode my other bike the next day. Went to hop on the Softail for work in the morning yesterday. I push the automotive style start button and nothing.
I am running a standar pre-95 Softail ignition switch on the dash and a separate automotive style start button on my top motor mount.
I pulled the tanks off to access all the wiring. I changed the starter relay with no change. I then changed starter button with no change. I then changed my corroded ignition switch with no change. I can hear the starter relay clicking but I am not getting and voltage out of it at the starter wire that plugs into the starter. I even tried plugging that wire into another brand new starter that I have with no change.
I looked over the wiring and did not see any pinched or broken wires. Nothing looks corroded and it's a one piece 12 gauge wired that goes from my relay to the actual starter. So no splices or soder I'm that wire. My acrs aren't actuating either when I hit the start button.
My logical process is to get another new starter relay in the morning. Anybody have any other ideas.
And before someone jumps on this....the battery is good verified through load testing and it's charged. I even swapped out another new battery and same result. And no fuses are blown or corroded
OK, so... custom built, custom wired, "interesing starting circuit" switches, etc., right? That's kind of a mess to troubleshoot, as you have no wiring diagram on this. So, we go old skool. Are there fuses on this bike? Did you check them? Next start at one end and work towards the other.
Fully charged batter, ignition on, Volt meter with black on the battery negative terminal. Red on the starter solenoid pull in. Push your start button. What do you read?
If 0, then over to the start relay. What wire color is on the solenoid pull in? Look for that color wire on the start relay. Turn off the ignition and with the meter set on Ohms (low range) find and make sure you have the wire going to the solenoid (black on solenoid pull in, red on relay terminal, or vice versa, doesn't matter). Meter back on Volts. Push the start button. Does the relay click? Black lead back on battery negative. Is there 12V on the wire going to the solenoid? Is there 12V on the other side of the relay contact? Check all the relay pins for +12V.
Like Dr. Hess said, see if the solenoid is getting power from the relay.. I like to use a test light. If you are getting power to the solenoid then I'd say the solenoid crapped out.. Also another way I like to bypass the entire switched circuit is to use what I call an "Annie", It's a remote momentary starter switch, like in the following link.. https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BK_7...aApmrEALw_wcB&
You would hook one end the positive terminal of the battery and the other to the starter solenoid connection. Then just hit the switch to see if the solenoid pulls in and the starter spins. If it still doesn't then either the solenoid is no good or the starter is shot...
Bet money you'll find a bad or dirty ground somewhere is the culprit. When they've been working and suddenly don't with a known good battery a connection has failed somewhere.
I can hear the starter relay clicking but I am not getting and voltage out of it at the starter wire that plugs into the starter.
If there is no power coming from the relay (normally pin 87 on the relay), check for voltage at terminal 30 on the relay, it should be live anytime the ignition switch is on.
I can hear the starter relay clicking but I am not getting and voltage out of it at the starter wire that plugs into the starter.
If there is no power coming from the relay (normally pin 87 on the relay), check for voltage at terminal 30 on the relay, it should be live anytime the ignition switch is on.
Note: Terminals 85 and 86 can be reversed on some bikes, the same for terminals 30 and 87
If there is no power coming from the relay (normally pin 87 on the relay), check for voltage at terminal 30 on the relay, it should be live anytime the ignition switch is on.
Note: Terminals 85 and 86 can be reversed on some bikes, the same for terminals 30 and 87
Here`s a generic circuit pic that might help:
I dont see any power at 30 with a test light on it
After my reply I fixed it. Or should I say you gentlemen helped me fix it. It must have been the initial cause of one of the things I changed out. But the final cause of me not getting power is.....
no power at relay terminal 30. Traced that back and what did I find. Glaring me in the face was my stupidity of not attaching that wire to the positive of the battery when I changed batteries. Re-attached it and back in business.
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Electrical problem advice needed
