Starter issue

[SinisterMatti]

I recently made the monumental mistake of washing my 1978 XS650e. Since then, my electric starter will not work. It almost seems as if the button is not connected anymore. There is no reaction whatsoever when i press the starter button. I took the button assembly apart and cleaned all connection points with no results. This lead me to suspect a bad solenoid. Since that day I've also had a draw on my battery and have to disconnect it when done riding or I return to a dead battery.

I ordered a safety relay off ebay, which had no effect. I then ordered a new starter relay off mike xs, but still having the same issue. Does anyone have any ideas what I should do next? Also, is it normal for the safety solenoid to click when the battery is connected? It clicked with both the old safety solenoid and the new one.

I don't know if more background would help, but I'm also having charging issues. The details can be found at http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?p=411176#post411176

Just to be clear, i've verified the battery is over 12v with my multimeter prior to doing everything listed above.

 

[Brassneck]

I would check to see if any fuses have blown...also check that you have power to the starter switch...and check to see that you have ground continuity at the handlebars as well as on the button...perhaps the grounding tab on either the starter or turn signal housing's rusted and lost connection when you washed it? If you have power and ground, then follow the lines forward...if not, then trace them back to their source.

 

[XS650D]

I had a problem like that last season,ended up being a slightly loose connection on yellow wire behind right side cover,it was connected but needed to be tighter,how i found it was turned on bike key ignition and held the starter button on while i went around the bike and wiggled and pressed wires until i heard the bike crank,i doubt u fried anything with water,sound like a bad conn,give it a try,start with all the wires behind the left cover wer the starter solonoid ect is.

 

[SinisterMatti]

Thanks for the responses. I'll check it out!

 

[SinisterMatti]

So I checked all the connections I could find with no success. The wiring harness in the headlight is a mess, but everything was this messed up back when the starter was working, so i don't think the cut wires are the cause of the problem.

Yellow/black, Blue, Blue/black and blue/green are all cut. All the blues are soldered together. Should I reconnect everything based on color, or just leave well enough alone?

 

[retiredgentleman]

I recently made the monumental mistake of washing my 1978 XS650e. Since then, my electric starter will not work. It almost seems as if the button is not connected anymore. There is no reaction whatsoever when i press the starter button. I took the button assembly apart and cleaned all connection points with no results. This lead me to suspect a bad solenoid. Since that day I've also had a draw on my battery and have to disconnect it when done riding or I return to a dead battery.

I ordered a safety relay off ebay, which had no effect. I then ordered a new starter relay off mike xs, but still having the same issue. Does anyone have any ideas what I should do next? Also, is it normal for the safety solenoid to click when the battery is connected? It clicked with both the old safety solenoid and the new one.

I don't know if more background would help, but I'm also having charging issues. The details can be found at http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?p=411176#post411176

Just to be clear, i've verified the battery is over 12v with my multimeter prior to doing everything listed above.

You should stop buying new parts, until you do more trouble shooting to find out the real cause of the fail to crank problem.

The starter solenoid (starter relay) has 2 wires. Blue/white and red/white. The blue/white terminal must become grounded for the starter relay to operate. Select your meter to read 12 volts. Connect the meter + probe to the battery positive terminal. Hold the meter - probe on the blue/white terminal, and push the start PB. You should read battery voltage if the start PB is working and if it has a ground connection from the handlebars. The handlebars must be grounded..............test to see if they are grounded.

Have you confirmed that your main 20 amp fuse is not blown?

Yeah, your wiring looks to be a real mess. Not surprising that you have a draw on the battery. Unless you're good with wiring and reading wiring diagrams, you may need to buy a new wiring harness.

 

[chizler62]

Obviously check all connections.
unhook all negative leads from battery. Key off. Put meter in DC amps 20A setting. (Do not hit the starter button while doing this, or you'll think your meter just turned into a fireworks display) Positive meter lead to negative post on battery, negative meter lead to negative ground cable. How much draw do you have?
Now, start removing fuses, then connectors etc. When you see the draw decrease or disappear than you know you're in the right area of the draw.

 

[5twins]

Jumper between the two heavy cable connections on the starter relay. If the starter spins, the starter motor is OK and functioning. If not, the motor is bad or the cable connection on it is bad. When I got mine, the starter didn't work. That's all it was, the cable connection on the starter motor was all rusty.

For your headlight wiring, time to start tracing wires and studying a wiring diagram for your bike. Personally, I would hook everything back up as it was stock. The clipped blue/yellow, blue /green, and yellow/black are on the connector for the left handlebar switch. They hook into the high/low switch. I have no idea why the P.O. cut them.

The blue/black comes from the headlight safety relay and is what kicks your headlight on when the motor starts. I'll bet your headlight only comes on if your turn it on with the handlebar switch. Now, I think eliminating the headlight safety relay so the handlebar switch functions normally (all the time) is a worthwhile mod, but there's no need to be cutting wires in the headlight bucket. You simply unplug the blue/black wire back at the relay .....

The blues are power to the tail light and the instrument illumination bulbs. The tail light blue runs directly from the key. As soon as you turn the key on, the tail light comes on. The blues for the instruments run from the headlight on/off switch and can be turned on and off. I'm thinking the P.O. wanted that ability with the tail light as well so he bundled all the blues together.

 

[SinisterMatti]

Thank you all for the advice. Took the starter button apart again today, found that the metal piece that completes the ground when the button is pressed had broken off somehow. Such a relief to have a working starter again.