Starter issue???
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Tourer
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 270
Likes: 9
From: Western PA
Starter issue??? (SOLVED!!!)
OK this will be a long post but I want to include as much of the detail and what Ive done so far to fix the problem to help try to identify some other things for me to try.
I have a 2008 Electragilde with about 42K miles on it that I purchased last July
When I first got it I noticed that sometimes when the bike was hot the starter would grind a little when starting.
I talked to my Indi and he recommended a new battery first. Based on reviews from this site I purchased and installed a Battery Mart Big Crank battery. This did not fix the problem.
After some research here I decided to replace the starter with an All ***** starter. I installed it and the bike fired right up and I thought my problem was solved. I went out for about a 150 mile ride and when I tried to start the bike after lunch it acted like it could not turn the motor over. The starter just dragged and hummed. Even after the bike cooled off the starter would not longer turn the bike over.
I called All ***** and we did some trouble shooting and he told me to send it back to them for replacement. (Great customer service by the way)
While the All ***** starter was out I put the stock back in, it would turn the bike over but again when it was hot I get the grinding noise, but the bike always starts.
The replacement starter came and I installed it, again just like before the bike started great until I took a long ride and just like before once the bike was hot the starter just drags and hums. I put the stock starter back in and it starts the bike but the grinding is back when it is hot.
At this point Im kind of at a loss. I thought about purchasing a HD starter but I really do not think the starter is the issue.
Im going to try and pull the primary this week to see if I see any rub marks on the inside that might be causing the starter to bind.
Anyone have any ideas? Any help would be greatly appreciated
Greg
I have a 2008 Electragilde with about 42K miles on it that I purchased last July
When I first got it I noticed that sometimes when the bike was hot the starter would grind a little when starting.
I talked to my Indi and he recommended a new battery first. Based on reviews from this site I purchased and installed a Battery Mart Big Crank battery. This did not fix the problem.
After some research here I decided to replace the starter with an All ***** starter. I installed it and the bike fired right up and I thought my problem was solved. I went out for about a 150 mile ride and when I tried to start the bike after lunch it acted like it could not turn the motor over. The starter just dragged and hummed. Even after the bike cooled off the starter would not longer turn the bike over.
I called All ***** and we did some trouble shooting and he told me to send it back to them for replacement. (Great customer service by the way)
While the All ***** starter was out I put the stock back in, it would turn the bike over but again when it was hot I get the grinding noise, but the bike always starts.
The replacement starter came and I installed it, again just like before the bike started great until I took a long ride and just like before once the bike was hot the starter just drags and hums. I put the stock starter back in and it starts the bike but the grinding is back when it is hot.
At this point Im kind of at a loss. I thought about purchasing a HD starter but I really do not think the starter is the issue.
Im going to try and pull the primary this week to see if I see any rub marks on the inside that might be causing the starter to bind.
Anyone have any ideas? Any help would be greatly appreciated
Greg
Last edited by kitehog; Apr 22, 2014 at 04:00 PM.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,664
Likes: 184
From: Indiana, USA
Old starter grinds but will start hot, new starter does not grind only hums when hot and will not strat hot....
Just in Case -
1 - Have you confirmed the battery cables are clean and tight?
2 - The starter connections are clean and tight?
Sounds like early timing is creating difficulty in getting hot bike over top dead center. Have you recently made any changes to your ignition timing?
Just in Case -
1 - Have you confirmed the battery cables are clean and tight?
2 - The starter connections are clean and tight?
Sounds like early timing is creating difficulty in getting hot bike over top dead center. Have you recently made any changes to your ignition timing?
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
yes, check and CLEAN the cables connections- both ends...
tap the cables on the floor, any powder come out of the cable?
if so, it is breaking down and needs replaced
humming/whining starter- DON'T do that- that windings are burning...and if they burn through, you have an expensive ugly doorstop.
all this parts in and parts out- I think it would be smart to check the gear engagement of the starter and the clutch basket.
be careful, it is easy to get your fingers chewed off by the chain
the hot/cold thing works like this.
when hot, electricity does not flow as well- there is resistance in the wiring---all the wiring including the windings in the starter...so hundreds of feet of wire.
when wires are resistant...they create even more heat ( a light filament is an example of a resistant wire...makes light and heat)...
and that more heat creates more resistance.
eventually something will burn
mike
tap the cables on the floor, any powder come out of the cable?
if so, it is breaking down and needs replaced
humming/whining starter- DON'T do that- that windings are burning...and if they burn through, you have an expensive ugly doorstop.
all this parts in and parts out- I think it would be smart to check the gear engagement of the starter and the clutch basket.
be careful, it is easy to get your fingers chewed off by the chain
the hot/cold thing works like this.
when hot, electricity does not flow as well- there is resistance in the wiring---all the wiring including the windings in the starter...so hundreds of feet of wire.
when wires are resistant...they create even more heat ( a light filament is an example of a resistant wire...makes light and heat)...
and that more heat creates more resistance.
eventually something will burn
mike
Last edited by mkguitar; Sep 9, 2013 at 04:29 PM.
Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 270
Likes: 9
From: Western PA
Old starter grinds but will start hot, new starter does not grind only hums when hot and will not strat hot....
Just in Case -
1 - Have you confirmed the battery cables are clean and tight?
2 - The starter connections are clean and tight?
Sounds like early timing is creating difficulty in getting hot bike over top dead center. Have you recently made any changes to your ignition timing?
Just in Case -
1 - Have you confirmed the battery cables are clean and tight?
2 - The starter connections are clean and tight?
Sounds like early timing is creating difficulty in getting hot bike over top dead center. Have you recently made any changes to your ignition timing?
I have not messed with the timing but it has done it since I purchased it so that may be an issue.
I did Flash a stock map from Fuel Moto with my Power Vision so I think the timing would have been set from the map correct?
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 14,744
Likes: 402
From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
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Sounds like your compensater is shot. I had almost the same problem in my 2009 Road Glide. I had the grinding sounds, then eventually it would fail to turn the motor over unless I rocked the bike back and forth to unlock the compensater.
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Thread Starter
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Tourer
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 270
Likes: 9
From: Western PA
I did notice that my outer primary seems hotter than I would expect when Im riding for a while. It is definitely hotter than my 82 shovelhead. How hot should the primary on these twin cams get? I can put my hand on it but I would not want to leave it there for a long period of time.