motorcycle starter relay clicks but no crank

Its an easy fix, but it takes time, and you may need to make other transportation arrangements. If you hear your relay letting off a rapid-fire of clicks, but the bike never cranks over, chances are the starter motor isnt getting the juice it needs from the relay to start your bikes engine. Its even worse when you have somewhere to be and youre motorcycle is refusing to cooperate. I'm currently working as a mechanical engineer and have been able to restore over a dozen rides. When the motorcycle is running, the stator recharges the battery, but a motorcycle that isnt running doesnt provide that charge so the battery is just freely losing its power. Youll need to put the motorcycle in the highest gear (usually 4th or 5th gear) and roll it forward. Press the start button to try and start the engine. M mav Let the car run for five minutes then give the bike starter a go. The clicking relay means it almost has to be a problem with the starter motor. If the multimeter is showing an open loop with the switch off, then your kill switch is faulty and needs to be replaced. If the wind is too low, you could need a new battery (which is convenient because youre already at a parts store). Turn the ignition on, kill switch off, transmission in neutral, etc. you know the drill. The solenoid in the starter has power and ground but it sticks. Starter solenoid electrical connections. Yes! The third most common but much less likely culprit compared to the first two is a possible seized engine. This symptom can show a starter relay is bad, but also a dead battery. As you will notice, all involve starting issues. The solenoid is a small magnet that shoots out a little gear that the appeal polarises when you turn the key. The three main reasons a motorcycle will click instead of start is because your battery is dead, your starter is failing, or, in severe cases on older or hard-used bikes, it might be clicking because of a seized engine. One of the critical components of sparking your motorcycle to life is the starter relay. Mar 12, 2011. Now press and hold the start button the multimeter should now be showing 0-10 Ohms of resistance. Jun 18, 2017. I connect it.. the starter relay just clicks .. no cranking at all relay just clicks and the dash fades,. sighs . any help would be greatly appreciated how do I know relay is good???? Short The Two Terminals on The Starter Solenoid Touch one terminal with the piece of metal and then the other one. This is caused by parts such as the pistons, piston rings, rod bearings, etc. The primary and most usual reason is that the battery has died. Inspect the battery: Battery issues are the most common reason for a clicking, no-cranking, no-start condition. Its all about redundancy when it comes to motorcycles. Jump the starter at the post with a long flat head screwdriver. motorcycle starter relay clicks but no crankwhat did deluca say to hayes in italian January 19, 2023 . Cannon Entities LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If you don't, the relay isn't working. Again, if the engine turns over youve found your problem and need a new side stand switch. Also make sure you didn't accidentally push the kill switch. Share Improve this answer Follow edited Aug 2, 2016 at 15:51 DucatiKiller battery connections are good & tight, properly lubricated, no corrosion. Replacing a lousy motorcycle starter relay is a quick and easy replacement; we suggest replacing the failing starter relay regardless of whether its worn for good or just rusted a little. If the test light did not light up while testing the control side of the start relay in the previous test, then its time to move on to the various safety switches that are found on all motorcycles. A good way to test this is to wait until it won't start. Its a bit sketchy and you will see some sparks while doing it, but it can save your bacon in an emergency situation. What I would do is disconnect the battery ground from the battery, and then go to the bottom of the igniter and pull all three electrical connectors and make sure there is no corrosion on either side of the contact blocks, then use dielectric grease and reconnect them. So, in review, why is your motorcycle clicking instead of starting? Sep 1, 2010. Your bike wont start unless youve got 12.2 volts in your battery. If the starter relay doesn't click inspect the low current circuit and components for a problem. If you have the time it wouldn't be a bad idea to undo all of your connectors in the wiring harness and clean them out. Read the labels to tell which is which. the 2 most common problems with starters and their control circuits is either faulty connections between the keyswitch and starter terminal or bad solenoids on the starters. Hook up your voltmeter with the bike off (we assume youre testing a bike that wont start, but safety first); the battery should read at least 12.5 volts. Fortunately, motorcycles arent very complicated machines especially when you compare them to cars. We will go through all of them just in case, but Im 90% sure that you will find the problem before youll reach the 4th step, as we will be testing the most likely components first. Learn how your comment data is processed. I get a used relay off ebay .. Over time, the internal components of the starter begin to wear. If the magnet that polarizes the gear to turn the flywheel isnt magnetizing appropriately, the equipment wont turn the flywheel at all. Turn the ignition on, transmission in neutral, etc. A lousy starting could be the second explanation. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Make a quick inspection of the battery first: Check the case for damage. There are ways to fix a motorcycle starter but that should be a task for people who know what theyre doing. Stay on top of your oil changes and make sure to use the right kind of oil specific to your motorcycle. coming from. Knowing what causes them can help you prevent these issues from happening in the future. Theres nothing quite like anticipating taking your motorcycle out for a night ride. Next day same problem no crank no start (PS: We read ALL feedback). Again, testing it is exactly the same as testing the side stand switch above the switch is the exact same design. Get a terminal brush and a few wrenches and you can clean then yourself. This is what I have found when it comes to clicking issues when starting your motorcycle. Third, remove your primary cover (follow the step-by-step instructions in your manual) Fourth, remove the compensating sprocket nut and clutch hub lock ring. Youll have to improvise with this one. It does not store any personal data. Keepin' all the left over parts. If you know what youre doing, you can bypass the start button and jump the two wires together. Pull twist and generally make sure the ends are not corroded or loose. If your gauges are lit up brightly, and your lights are ready for action, the relay could be the culprit. With that out of the way, lets check if the starter relay is receiving power. Another component to inspect is the starter relay, which is located in the electrical fuse box underneath the side cover on the left side of the motorcycle. If your bike doesnt have a kick-starter, you can diagnose a seized engine by rolling it around. The negative (ground) at the battery and the ground point. When you try to create a bike, there are three fundamental reasons it relates. Another symptom of a failing starter is intermittent starting. Check the electrolyte level (on removable caps batteries). Its very rare for a kill switch to go bad, but it might still happen if youre unfortunate enough. Start with the most accessible or most likely factors to eliminate. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". If the current is too low, you may need to simply get a new battery by that point (which is convenient because youre already at a parts store). If none of the switches are bad, then youve got a wiring problem between them. How To Downshift On a Motorcycle Swiftly? After a few turns on the key it frees up and engages the starter motor. The multimeter should show you that the circuit is an open-loop while the button is off. Wayne S. Motorcycle Mechanic. A motorcycle battery must have 12.6 volts to be considered wholly charged. Kyle currently works as a mechanical engineer and graduated with a minor in automotive engineering. Also make sure to connect your battery to a battery tender if its going to be a while until your next ride. Outside of work, youll find Jake restoring and riding rare street bikes and ATVs. No Clicking Noise When Trying to Start the Engine For the rest of us, the first step to diagnosing a seized engine is to roll the bike up and down the block. The best offense is a good defense; routine maintenance per your bikes OEM-suggested spec intervals includes frequent oil changes and inspections. Unfortunately, we riders, do not carry any tools with us (usually). Re: Starter clicks but won't turn. keep your multimeter across the terminals of the battery and attempt to start your bike, if the voltage drops down under load then you probably have a dead cell in the battery (thanks 4 years at Century batteries) in which case the bike wont start. Even if you test the voltage on a battery and it reads 12.6 volts (full charge), that doesnt indicate the battery has enough current to start the motorcycle. If your battery read at 12.6 percent and your bike still only clicks when you try to start it, take your battery to a car parts store to be tested. The starter relay should click. Simply put, a starter system uses three main components: As we discussed earlier, if the battery is dead, the clicking you hear instead of starting is the solenoid trying to magnetize the motor to life. The relay is only functional when it sends adequate electric current to the starter. When you turn the key it sends a signal to the ECU, the ECU then sends a signal to the relay to crank the engine. If you have power coming from your start button it should be measurable. R2. If your bike has inconsistent starting patternsif theres a secret trick to start your motorcycle like pushing the starter button over and over again until the bike startsyou might have a bad starter relay. . I have ran into this problem many times myself through the motorcycles Ive owned these past few years. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. In addition, if you dont properly winterize your motorcycle, the battery can potentially freeze and lose most of its capabilities. At 12.2 volts, 50% charged, and so on. So it won't crank. the 4P* starter switch works = starter relay switch clicks only (noticed a tiny connection spark) R3. How long does it take for gas to go bad in a motorcycle? Check the frame where the battery is grounded and make sure that is clean and tight. Related:Motorcycle Clicks Instead Of Starting: 3 Reasons (Solved). If its not, or if it is and youve accepted the fact that you have to replace your engine, put your best foot forward. Previous Post Next Post That said, its a much more difficult situation than anything weve seen on the list thus far regarding repair time and costs. Starter Clicks Rapidly, But Bike Never Ignites, 4. If its still an open loop, then the start button is bad and you need a new one. Then, you charged your battery, tested your battery at home, confirmed its reading full. Now its time to try to start your bike again. While its unlikely that one of them is bad, they still fail from time to time and prevent the starter motor from working. Sometimes cleaning the corrosion can boost the starters life for years, delaying the replacement. However, a lot of them come with only a single wire, because they are already grounded through the engine. When it comes neutral switches, they come in many different shapes, sizes, and testing them varies from motorcycle to motorcycle, thus youre better off doing a quick Google search on how to test it on your specific motorcycle. I started my 2001 Honda shadow ace 750 up just to let it run. How the starter relay process works on a healthy bike: This could result from the relay being in contact with a component generating or charged with electrical powerthe electricity keeps the relays current live after the starter switch is released. Related:12 Reasons Your Motorcycle Wont Start In Gear (Explained). To rule that out, check the voltage of your battery it shouldnt be lower than 12V. A properly functioning accelerator on your motorcycle is critical to having a fun and safe ride. Mar 6, 2012. Motorcycle has Intermittent Starting Problems. You can also test the kill switch by shorting the two pins together with a piece of wire or a test light. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. If you have a kick starter engine, a good way to tell if the engine is seized is the fact that the kick pedal will not move at all because the components inside the engine are stuck in place. Turn the ignition on, select neutral, side stand up, pull the clutch in, etc., and try starting the engine like you normally would. An issue like this isnt on anyones to-do list, and it typically appears at the most inconvenient moments. This is different from a "won't start" issue. Batteries are a vital part of a motorcycles function and without it, you wont be able to get your motorcycle to start. But the flywheel is failing to turn the pistons because theyre fused to the parts around them, to the point of placing immense pressure on the flywheel. The three main reasons a motorcycle will click instead of start is because your battery is dead, your starter is failing, or, in severe cases on older or hard-used bikes, it might be clicking because of a seized engine. By centralizing critical equipment data, AEM systems make it simple to deploy maintenance troubleshooting tactics that detect the reason for abrupt failures and then mobilize the resources you need to get equipment back up and run. You need to have at least 12.2 volts, or a 50% charge, to get the motorcycle started. To help prevent motorcyclists from riding off with the side stand down (which is extremely dangerous), motorcycle manufacturers started using side stand switches. REVIEW: R1. Two important clues you have given. The starter motor and is very easy to swap out. Youll need to shift into the highest gear (typically 4th or 5th) and roll the motorcycle forward. Your email address will not be published. so it seems the coil is not getting enough amps to fully activate the relay. First, disconnect your battery. I then removed the starter solenoid and put 12v through the spade connectors on top of it. By aiding the magnet, the starter aids the polarization process. Essentially, their Can A Loose Motorcycle Chain Cause Vibration? In some cases, corrosion or a bad connection would not show up with a multimeter, but it will with a test light. How Do You Test a Starter Relay on a Motorcycle? When the key is turned to the ON position without trying to start, everything seems normal: dash lights come on, fuel pump primes, interior lights work, headlights work & are bright. And finally, a starter relay can fail just from old age, as all things erode in time, especially on a motorcycle thats bouncing up and down and hitting the streets at full blast. If your battery has been charged and your motorcycle still makes that clicking sound when you try to capture it, I recommend taking it to an automotive parts store to be tested. Those clicking noises can rapidly spoil someones day. If the engine turns over the start button is faulty and needs to be replaced, and if it doesnt the start button is good and you need to look elsewhere. Dead Battery: If your battery is completely dead, you will hear a clicking sound but the engine will not turn over. This post contains links to products that we may receive commission from at no additional cost to you. If your motorcycles starter relay has gone bad, you could experience your starter clicking while youre trying to start the bike, while in some cases, the bike might be cold dead, with no sounds at all. If the the starter still clicks, clean ALL the battery cables and try again. Reconnect it and try again. Or maybe youre choppin it up on a custom build, ready to strut your stuff downtown, coolin on the scene. It can also be a sign that the solenoid is not functioning correctly. 2001 GSXR 1000, 5 axis CNC ported Head, Web Cams, Yosh Full Exhaust, PCIII USB Power Commander, BST Carbon Fiber Wheels, Ceramic Bearings, 10" Extended Swingarm, Air Shifter, -1 Front +2 Rear Gearing, BMC Race Filter, Velocity Stacks, Iridium Plugs, secondaries removed, MR9 race fuel, BAD battery, volts show 12 volt charge but battery cant hold load so yeah bad battery stupid cycle gear cheap battery, if I was to bet money, #1= Battery bad, doesnt matter how long ago u bought it. Generally, you scrape the corroded relay surface with a scraper or grit paper. The starter should now engage and turn over the engine. Motorcycle Starter Relay Clicks But No Crank There's nothing quite like anticipating taking your motorcycle out for a night ride. What if my motorcycle doesnt make any noise when I try to start it? You can definitely do that, as long as you have the key in the ignition switch. Now just because the relay doesnt click doesnt mean its the fault. Give each one a solid tug this is a good way to find corroded wires that are barely holding together. If the battery doesnt give enough power, that magnet doesnt have enough power to turn the flywheel of the engine. 12.4 volts is considered 75% charged, 12.2 is considered 50% charged and so on. urn it off and its dead, 2003 Suzuki GSXR-600 Blue/White Color Scheme. Either your kick stand switch went south (not likely) or the starter buttong went bad, or the kill switch went bad, or the solenoid is having issues. If necessary, add distilled water to the cells and charge the battery. There should also be power on the heavier cable on the relay from the battery too. As we mentioned above, the starter relay is the component in your starter system thatrelayspower from the battery to the starter motor. While holding the key, jump the solenoid contacts with a wrench. Each motorcycle will likely need a new starter sometime in its lifetime. Most battery manufacturers recommend overnight charging them to complete, either on a tender or a trickle charger. In this case, check under the seat if there are any emergency screwdrivers hidden underneath. Itll just make clicking sounds. First, you must check your battery and other components. The number one sign a starter relay is done for is that nothing happens when youre trying to start your motorcycleno click, no crank, no ticking; nada. Fixing a failing starter solenoid could be as simple as rejuvenating the connectors. If you get no response to your test light the solenoid contacts are bad. You didn't say you checked battery voltage at the battery while at rest and while cranking (or trying to crank) Then check voltage at the battery side of the rela,then again at the starter side of the relay while pushing the button. Hook your Continuity Testers wires up to your starter relays battery terminal and starter motor terminal. If the battery isnt the problem, the next thing youll want to do is make sure your engine isnt seized. Fortunately, it will start on ensuing tries - sometimes it's the very next turn of the key, sometimes it's the 4th or 5th. Now you understand why we had you start with the battery and the starter. The solenoid is a little magnet and when you turn the key, it shoots out a small gear that the magnet polarizes. #3. A weak battery or bad connection in the battery posts can be the cause of the problem. exact same thing happened to me about 3 weeks ago Click to expand. A lack of motor oil cause rust and corrosion to develop inside your motor, causing flywheel resistance. Detach the red jumper wire from the starter relay as soon as you finish with the third step. just like you normally would when starting your motorcycle. Steps and advice for troubleshooting equipment. You may have a seized engine if the tires give resistance and do not roll. When you turn the key and the battery is dead, you hear the magnet trying to magnetize the gear which is what makes the clicking sound. Monitor the gauge needle on the Continuity Tester to read if your flow is continuous. It is important that you're holding the key at start here so that the circuit 2 will energize relay 5. Failing to keep up with your oil levels and condition, or using low-grade or contaminated oil, are the main reasons a motorcycle engine seizes. Touch the 86 wire to the battery's positive post, and the 85 wire to the battery's negative post. Leading to the repeated clicking.

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motorcycle starter relay clicks but no crank