Looking for a little help. Pulled the bike out, charged up the battery, went to start, push stater buttom, NOTHING! No click, no dimming of the lights, no drain on the battery at all.

Pulled the button off handle bar, have power to switch and across as button is pushed. All other electrical componants are functioning.

where is the started relay located on this bike? This is what I am thinking is the cause.

any other suggestions or tests will be considered.

Thanks, Jim

 

I believe under battery tray behind chrome cover

 

Hi guys, I had a runaway starter on 1980 FXS. It was hanging up due to a low charge on the battery and a short in the wire at the handle bar starter switch. Any way I fixed the short and replaced the starter solenoid. Its not running a way but it sound like only the solenoid is working and not the starter. The wires did get very hot during the run away. I didnot replace the battery, but charged it and its holding the charge. Any thoughts?

 

JimmyD48...

I`d check for power at the selinoid..Your batt POS cable should go directly to one of the large terminals on your selinoid,, so try this...using a screw driver, jump that terminal with the other large terminal, and see if your starter spins..doing this test, will not actually kick over the motor, (when you jump them two terminals, your sending power to the starter, but the selinoid will not be kicking the bendix in)..

anyway, after doing the above, if you find the starter does spin, I`d then check the small terminal on the seliniod for POS 12 volts, when the starter button is pushed..

now, if the starter does spin (again, the motor should`nt roll over jumping them terminals) anyway, if the starter does spin..and you do have 12 volts at the small terminal on your selinoid when you push the button, then it would be your selinoid is bad...

if you do not have 12 volts POS at the small terminal when hitting the button, then it would have to be either in the switch (which it sounds like you have already eliminated), or it would be the relay..or a loose/bad connection of course..

wink`s shovel
I`d start by checking all connection to, and from the selinoid..
including the cable connection to the starter its self..

 

I get a whirling noise when I touch the two big terminals on the solenoid and also when I touch the skinny one and the top terminal on the solenoid together. However the motor is not turning over.

 

Okay, that whirling noise, can only be the starter turning/rotating...it`ll sound alot different then one is used to a starter sounding, as it`s just the starter motor turning over, and nothing else...

sounds like when you put the selinoid on, something went south..
are you running a wet primary? if so, I would asume you have the rubber boot/seal on your selinoid, which can get cocked/pinched on the plunger, causing the selinoid, to NOT engage the starter gear/bendix...

see, when that small terminal/wire gets 12volts+, it not only connects the two large terminals (in side the selinoid)..but it also jerks the plunger into the selinoid, which also is jerking/throwing the starter gear forward to engage the ring gear on your clutch drum/hub..

so if for whatever reason (like the boot being binded in there) the selinoid is new/good, yet nothing happens even when your getting juice (as evident by the "whirling"..then, only the two large terminals are connecting, but the plunger is`nt getting kerk into the selinoid like it should..

I`d suggest removing the selinoid again, and maing sure everything is good..

sorry if my explination is rough..I`m not sure how to really explain it, wthout rambling on for a month of sundays..LOL.here`s a couple pics..

ohh, just to add...even a totally dead battery, should`nt cause a starter/selinoid to stay engaged, but rather a binding issue is usually the cause of that..the starter is "dis-engaged" if you will, by a spring..once you let off the starter button, it`s the springs job, to dis-engage it..

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/3735/67935332.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/6364/47622894.jpg

 

Thanks FXRSBIGBORE, I will try that when I get home today.

 

ohh, just to add...even a totally dead battery, should`nt cause a starter/selinoid to stay engaged, but rather a binding issue is usually the cause of that..the starter is "dis-engaged" if you will, by a spring..once you let off the starter button, it`s the springs job, to dis-engage it..

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/3735/67935332.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/6364/47622894.jpg[/QUOTE]

Here's what actually happens..............

A low battery is the primary cause of starter motor hang on early type(which all shovels have) starter systems

A totally dead battery will not cause it, AS NOTHING WILL HAPPEN AT ALL

When the battery has enough power to throw out the solenoid, and just enough power to drive the engine slowly, but not fast enough to start(or voltage falls below ignition system requirements) then the starter clutch becomes trapped in the clutch ring gear, and it cannot release, as the weight of the resistance of the engine is loaded against it, as it is not firing. The spring, which works fine when the engine actually fires(thereby relieving the pressure on the starter clutch),
is insufficient to retract the drive.

So..... even when you release the starter button, the starter motor continues to drive, AS THE STARTER DRIVE SHAFT IS STILL EXTENDED AND ENGAGED, WITH THE SOLENOID STILL PASSING POWER.

A good way to try to release this is to operate the kick start enthusiastically and continuously (if you have one). This takes the weight off the starter clutch, and the spring can do its job. Unless...............

Sometimes, you get a little metal transfer on the solenoid contacts, which then leads to a second sticking problem.
(THIS IS AS A RESULT OF THE FIRST ISSUE. MANY SEE IT AND THINK IT WAS THE PRIMARY CAUSE, BUT IT IS NOT)

This must be dealt with after

battery runs flat and/or
earth disconnected

ohh, just to add... please take care when offering advice without experience

 

I replaced the solenoid and then poped the derby cover and watched as my wife hit the starter button. The starter drive gear comes forward but the teeth don't mesh with the starter clutch(?) and then retracts and spins. So what next? I do have a kick start but really want the electric to work.

 

well, that was`nt very nice..LOL
experiance?, you say I have no experiance? you don`t even know me?
I literally make a living out of working on bikes in MY garage..I have been working on bikes, in my garage for a VERY long time..I can probley dig ut pics of one of the first..which was a 1955 panhead, back in 1988..and I have been working on bikes every since..(I believe that would mean I`ve been working on harley`s for about 22 years..and you?)

now..not more then two weeks ago..i had a 1966 pan/shovel as some call them, here that did EXACTLY what was described in another post i believe..he hit the button, the bike did`nt start, barely turned over, and his **** started melting!!
guess what..it was NOT because of a low batt..he just out a BRAND new battery in it..NOR was it from bad connections, causing it to think the batt was low..
just to add..I`ve had my current shovelhead, a 1982, since 1995..over the years, i`ve had my share of dead, or low batteries, as i`ve had my rotor teeth strip out (loose compinsating nut helped that along), a regulator go bad, a fuse in my regulator wire to batt blow, and the list goes on..i can`t even count how many times over the last 15 years, I`ve hit my starter button, only to have my motor barely roll over, then nothing..but guess what..starter did`nt stick, no wires melted or got hot..hummm...and don`t think over the years of riding with MANY other shovelhead owners, I have`nt seen a few of them for whatever reason have a low battery, where I or whoever had to push start them..but guess what...when they first tried to start their bike with the button..NO hot/melted wires..no sticking starter issues..

so really man..before you go blasting someone, and talking about them having "No experience", atleast get to know who the hell it is first..WTF..
P.S..I`ve been the president of my club for the 6th straight year as of this year (been a member for 16 years)...guess who everyone brings their bike to, to work on..
ANYWAY...


winks...it sounds like your starter is good to go..but theirs an issue of some sort with your selinoid..it really sounds like it`s binding to me, which is preventing it from jerking the starter gear fully, or at all, into/enaging, the large ring gear..how do the teeth on it appear? and have you had a chance to check that rubber seal i mentioned earlier?
also, how did the plunger look?, it was`nt all funky with caked up oil/debri was it?