ground problem?
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Joined: Apr 2009
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From: forest city n.c.
ground problem?
I put a new hd battery in my 90 fltc. still have same problem. sometimes the starter will just click the first few times I try to start it. it will eventually spin over and start. i clean where the ground cable attaches to the base of the starter. cable look good also. positive cable look good and connected good also. thinking about adding another ground wire and connecting it to the frame. what do you think?
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Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Northeastern Indiana
I've had this on my '96 FLHTCI ... I remove the end cover from the selinoide and clean the contacts inside plus the ring on the plunger ... this seems to help get better contact ... HD makes a reapir kit that replaces all the contacts and includes a new plunger ... it also requires removing the starter to do the work ... it hasn't gotten that bad for me yet ... I also replaced the end cover with one that has a push button in the center ... when I have trouble I just push the button in and the starter engages ... the button lets you manually push the plunger to make contact ... make sure you unhook the battery before cleaning the contacts inside ... though the sparks are pretty they're not recommended
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Joined: Aug 2007
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From: NW AR
The Dreaded Click. I investigated this thoroughly and my conclusion is that the cause is multi-factorial. There are over a dozen electrical connections between the battery and the starter solenoid. Any or all of them can contribute to the problem. The easy solution is the push button end cap, as bikerdude1903 sez. You can clean every wire and connection and it may help. I added a second starter relay under the seat and wired in so that when the starter relay engages, it engages the secondary relay, which switches +12v from the battery to the orange supply wire on the starter relay. It has solved my problem.
Cruiser
Joined: Nov 2007
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Check the braided ground between the inside of the inner primary and the frame. Sometimes it comes loose. Some guys had luck installing an extra ground wire from the starter relay right to the negative side of the battery. I tried that on mine and seems to help a bit.
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Joined: Apr 2009
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From: forest city n.c.
where can I buy a push-button end cap? I think I like this suggestion the best. also, is it hard to install? I didn't think about the wires inside the starter being the problem. I was focus on it being a ground problem. I think the push-button cap will give me some peace of mind. I will try most of these suggestion to see if I can fix this problem. I want to thank you all for helping me. thanks
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Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Northeastern Indiana
I got my push button end cap from J&P Cycles ... not expensive and only takes three screws to install ... remove the 3 screws from the end of the stock cap, remove the cap, put the new cap in its place and reinstall the screws ... about a 5 minute job ... you can access the end cap from the right side of the bike ... the push button works every time ... good luck
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Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2008
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I'm having this problem on my 05 EGC right now. Hit the starter button and the selenoid just give a big click but nothing else. Are there any instructions on the site for cleaning the selenoid? I don't have my manual with me right now, where is the starter relay?
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Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Northeastern Indiana
The starter relay on my '96 is located under the fairing ... once you remove the outer fairing and stand in front of the bike my relay is located on the right hand side ... not sure if your '05 will be in the same location ... as far as cleaning, I don't know of any directions ... all I've ever done is remove the end cap with the 3 screws and use a wire brush in my dremel tool to clean the contacts ... also clean the bottom side of the ring on the plunger ... afterward I usually coat the surfaces very lightly with electrical contact grease I picked up at my local HD dealer ... I use a cheap watercolor type paint brush to apply the grease just enough for a film ... this usually will last me through the year and then I do it again during the winter ... and if I need it I have the push button ... OH, before you do the cleaning ... unhook the battery!