start button dead 💀 pics included

[blank slate]

i have not ridden this bike on the road in three years due to a "texting while driving a car" conviction, which made me uninsurable for 3 years. so this bike sat in a shed, and from time to time i would turn it on for fun to see if it still worked. every time it started up just fine.

then all of a sudden one day i hit the start button and nothing happened. silence.

the horn is working, the green neutral light works, the headlight was working, but then today i tried the turn signals and they were hit and miss, clicking sounds, and then no more clicks, no more signals, no more headlight. all that works now is horn and green neutral light.

i think the battery is fine because once a month i put it on a trickle charger to avoid it going dead on me.

i checked the blade fuse box, all is good. i wasn't sure which is the black ground wire so i cleaned two of them (see yellow arrows in pics) and added a light coat of dielectric grease.

spark plugs were carbon rich black, so i cleaned them best i could with toothbrush and baking soda, i tried to barbecue them on the flame, anyway they still look like crap but they're probably not my issue with the start button. it's a future issue.

i opened up the start switch compartmemt and cleaned as much of the contact points, i even cleaned the handlebar underneath in case grease was interfering with metal.

the stator was replaced by MMM to a fully charged one maybe 5 years ago, and the brushes were replaced.

unfortunately the kickstarter is useless for starting purposes because i tinkered with it and haven't gotten it back right.

so im thinking 1) i need to open up the headlight and trace wires from the start button, to the headlight, under the gas tank, to the battery, and find the ground to be sure ground is clean. 2) find the legend of zelda aka the solenoid 3) use my multimeter to test contact points (but i need to know what setting to put the multimeter on example ohms 200) 4) the old stick a screwdriver into my engine 5) have a beer


XS650SE 78 Special

 

[nj1639]

Batteries do fail even if kept on a trickle charger.
Some auto parts stores will do a load test for free and/or you can jump it with a car battery as long as the car isn't running. I'd confirm the battery is good before chasing spooks.

 

[member43148]

I’d confirm that your handlebar switch ground contact is in correct position meaning it isn’t sunk (bent) so that it is in fact making contact. It looks both dirty and recessed on screen .

 

[gggGary]

Confirm you have well over 12 volts at the battery 12.6 or so is healthy.
Check battery electrolyte levels.
Peal back the big black insulators and jam a big screw driver between the terminals like you mean it. Does it crank?
If so put a jumper wire in the circled blue connector and short it to the frame/ground, does it crank? if it does, problem is in the starter button or wire to it. try grounding the blue/white wire up at the handlebar switch. (it's solder blob is just visible in your pic of the handlebar switch.
If blue/white wire doesn't do it check that you have +12 at the small red/white wire with the key on.
If you don't go back to the fuse box and check both sides of all fuses for +12 with the key and kill switch on.
What's up with that connector that connects the red white to a blue black wire?
And why is the stator? unplugged?

 

[Wingedwheel]

Dirty battery terminals can cause those issues as well. I’m onboard with the battery is the issue.

 

[nj1639]

I will say that bike is a nice survivor......

 

[blank slate]

"Peal back the big black insulators and jam a big screw driver between the terminals like you mean it. Does it crank?"

No crank when i stuck a screwdriver in that place, with key on, and neutral green light showing

 

[Its been a long time]

"Peal back the big black insulators and jam a big screw driver between the terminals like you mean it. Does it crank?"

No crank when i stuck a screwdriver in that place, with key on, and neutral green light showing

The start relay that you just shorted must be faulty, pretty much. You shorted everything else out of the circuit with the screwdriver.

 

[5twins]

It looks like you've eliminated the headlight/starter safety relay (bad) but left that silly RLU in place (worse)?

 

[gggGary]

"Peal back the big black insulators and jam a big screw driver between the terminals like you mean it. Does it crank?"

No crank when i stuck a screwdriver in that place, with key on, and neutral green light showing

Confirm you have well over 12 volts at the battery 12.6 or so is healthy. ????

Check battery electrolyte levels. ????

When you push the button can you hear the relay click?
If so then the starter it's self is the likely problem.
Someone did a neat job but either the solenoid or it's connectors have been changed. Does the neutral light go out when you push the start button?
Have you changed removed anything from the wiring, components?
Remove and check the battery cables, wiggle look for loose connectors, gray powder (corrosion) A bad ground cable can do this.

 

[gggGary]

The start relay that you just shorted must be faulty, pretty much. You shorted everything else out of the circuit with the screwdriver.

You don't need anything on for this to work. To be completely clear; you are using the screw driver to short between those two big bolts and supply battery voltage DIRECTLY to the starter wire.

 

[WideAWAKE]

Confirm you have well over 12 volts at the battery 12.6 or so is healthy. ????

Check battery electrolyte levels. ????

When you push the button can you hear the relay click?
If so then the starter it's self is the likely problem.
Someone did a neat job but either the solenoid or it's connectors have been changed. Does the neutral light go out when you push the start button?
Have you changed removed anything from the wiring, components?
Remove and check the battery cables, wiggle look for loose connectors, gray powder (corrosion) A bad ground cable can do this.

I’d add test the battery under load. Meaning put a multimeter on it and hit the start button to see if voltage drops.

 

[blank slate]

multimeter on 9v - i get 12.38
multimeter on 1.5v - i get 12.25


isn't my battery 12v and i need to have higher setting than the battery?


also, after cleaning more of the right handlebar wiring housing, i have a working headlight and my right turn signal works, but the left signal is just solid yellow

 

[member43148]

have a working headlight and my right turn signal works, but the left signal is just solid yellow

Is that with the engine running? If you increase the rpm’s does that left flash ?

 

[gggGary]

Is that with the engine running? If you increase the rpm’s does that left flash ?

i hit the start button and nothing happened. silence.

unfortunately the kickstarter is useless for starting purposes because i tinkered with it and haven't gotten it back right.

 

[Its been a long time]

Next step is remove the starter motor and test it?

 

[gggGary]

Next step is remove the starter motor and test it?

Can be done. it's not fun. You gotta drain the motor oil first.

 

[Wingedwheel]

You can test it in place….

 

[gggGary]

Removing the cable from the starter terminal lug can make things worse. it's easy to twist off wires inside the starter.

 

[Its been a long time]

Removing the cable from the starter terminal lug can make things worse. it's easy to twist off wires inside the starter.

Oh, that's useful to know. Thanks.

The rubber boot is missing from the stater motor terminal on the bike I have. I want to fit the rubber boot on to protect the terminal from road grime. Maybe I can disconnect the cable at the starter relay and feed the boot down the cable without disturbing the terminal on the starter motor. I'll try it next time I work on the bike.

Apologies for the thread hijack.