Starter woes
Starter woes
Haven't been on the bike for a while. Been using it for the last couple of days now and starting is a bit hit and miss. It sounds like a fooked battery but I've replaced that in the last day or so. Basically I press the starter button and if the starter catches it'll fire up. Sometimes the starter will catch and it won't turn the engine over. It just makes a whining noise as if its not getting enough juice. I'm thinking brushes, whaddya think?
Re: Starter woes
Check the conection to the starter, down on the front of the engine under the rubber boot. Its right in the way of all the cack that comes off the front wheel & gets all cruddy & coroded, clean it up to make sure you have a good conection you may have to trim up the wire a bit if the wire has started to corode. Slap on a coating of grease & replace boot. See if its any better.
Mac
Mac
Making up since 2007, sometimes it's true...Honest...
- Phil-VTwin
- Posts: 348
- Joined: Mon May 11, 2009 11:21 am
- Location: Olney, Bucks
Re: Starter woes
If the starter is not engaging it could be the sprag clutch. I believe a few others have had the same problem, try a forum search.
Ride Safe
Phil
Phil
Re: Starter woes
I've looked at the starter clutch. All seems ok there. Next step is to check all the wiring from the batt to the starter. If I have no joy there then I'll strip the starter. If it spins when I press the buttton it'll start. It does sound as if the starter isn't getting the juice which led me to think that its the electrickery rather than mechanical.
I'll sit in the sun today with a few beers and check it all over. Rather be riding it though. If I get it sorted I'll have an early ride tomorrow for brekky on the coast......fingers crossed!!
I'll sit in the sun today with a few beers and check it all over. Rather be riding it though. If I get it sorted I'll have an early ride tomorrow for brekky on the coast......fingers crossed!!
Re: Starter woes
Have you checked the reg/rec?
If that's gone and taken your battery with it, just replacing the battery fixes it once, but then as the battery isn't being charged properly it'll still have starting problems.
Check by (temporarily) running jump leads from a known good battery, car will be fine. If it starts fine, then it's battery-related, and as you've just changed that, charging circuit, probably reg/rec.
If it's not that, run a bit of cable from the bat +ve to the starter relay and try to start it that way- this checks whether it's the start button or associated wiring.
Assuming no change, try running a BIG (cooker 30 amp stuff, preferably doubled) cable direct from battery to starter motor, this bypasses the relay and so you can check if it's that at fault.
If that doesn't get a result, strip the starter motor.
The connection bolt is a known weak point, but I've also had a part-burnt-out cable about an inch up from the lower starter motor connection, internally in the main lead.
You can't see it, but it gets really hot when you try to start it.
Post results, pls.
If that's gone and taken your battery with it, just replacing the battery fixes it once, but then as the battery isn't being charged properly it'll still have starting problems.
Check by (temporarily) running jump leads from a known good battery, car will be fine. If it starts fine, then it's battery-related, and as you've just changed that, charging circuit, probably reg/rec.
If it's not that, run a bit of cable from the bat +ve to the starter relay and try to start it that way- this checks whether it's the start button or associated wiring.
Assuming no change, try running a BIG (cooker 30 amp stuff, preferably doubled) cable direct from battery to starter motor, this bypasses the relay and so you can check if it's that at fault.
If that doesn't get a result, strip the starter motor.
The connection bolt is a known weak point, but I've also had a part-burnt-out cable about an inch up from the lower starter motor connection, internally in the main lead.
You can't see it, but it gets really hot when you try to start it.
Post results, pls.
It's not falling off, it's an upgrade opportunity.
Re: Starter woes
Reg/rec is ok. It was changed not that long ago for a yamaha item. I checked it before I started looking at the other stuff. I've stripped the starter and its fine. All the brushes are in good condition and it spins up no problem. When the starter is pressed the starter spins but doesn't always turn the engine over. This leads me to think its either the starter sprag clutch or the starter idle gear. Looks like I'll be stripping the lefthand side of the engine today. Odd thing is when I put it all back together yesterday the bike was starting every stab of the button, about 10/15 times in a row. Great I thought! Took it for a ride for about an hour. Stopped for a cuppa and when I went to start it , it happened again. It seems to be heat related for some reason. The bike is cold now and it starts no problem. Pound to a penny if I take it out for a run it starts sodding about again/ Getting a bit pissed off with it now.
- benny hedges
- Posts: 6110
- Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2009 5:09 pm
- Location: Warrington
Re: Starter woes
i have a spare if it turns out thats the problem...Phil-VTwin wrote:If the starter is not engaging it could be the sprag clutch. I believe a few others have had the same problem, try a forum search.
more likely to be brushes imo tho or burnt connectors / insulation.
You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when posting something which you later rely on in quote. Anything you do say may be ripped to sh*t.
Re: Starter woes
Well its not the starter. It spins everytime the starter button is pressed. Had the casing and flywheel off this afternoon. Took out the starter clutch and its showing signs of being fooked. Wonder what the local honda stealer will want for one. I'm going off bikes rapidly!
Re: Starter woes
Mine decided not to start the other day after half a turn and then all the lights went out. I thought it'd be the main fuse but that, and all the other fuses were fine.
However, the connections in the main live wire where the main fuse is, were corroded once cleaned up it starts and runs much more efficiently.
However, the connections in the main live wire where the main fuse is, were corroded once cleaned up it starts and runs much more efficiently.
Happy ridin'
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98 Honda Firestorm in black for tarmac grin's
98 Yamaha WR250z for green lane grin's
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98 Honda Firestorm in black for tarmac grin's
98 Yamaha WR250z for green lane grin's
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- benny hedges
- Posts: 6110
- Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2009 5:09 pm
- Location: Warrington
Re: Starter woes
read your pm lolBarryH wrote:Took out the starter clutch and its showing signs of being fooked. Wonder what the local honda stealer will want for one.
spare sprag clutch assy sat here doing crouton all.
You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when posting something which you later rely on in quote. Anything you do say may be ripped to sh*t.
Re: Starter woes
Here's an update if your interested. Its still fooked. T'aint the starter motor and it t'aint the sprag clutch. If it wasn't a fire storm it would have a gallon of petrol in the tank and I'd burn to fooking thing. On the upside I did get to browse tool porn and pick up and air impact driver! Still pissed off though so I've cracked a beer and am now going to get comfortably numb. 
