Turn the key to start and hold it there. No start no crank it just clicks. On the other hand, motorcycles arent complicated machinery, especially when compared to automobiles. Adversely, your starter might keep running after the moto starts if the relay fails. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. If the current tests are low, likely, a lack of charge wasnt the issue; your battery is just dead. Get a terminal brush and a few wrenches and you can clean then yourself. Starter Continues to Crank After Bike Fires Up, 3. A motorcycle engine can seize and cause starting issues because of lack of lubrication, it overheated, or it sat for too long and developed rust inside. While starter relay problems arent necessarily widespread, all mechanical parts wear out, eventually. The top 7 reasons a motorcycle won't start or click, include: Battery fault Main fuse blown Ignition fault Clutch/neutral switch Start button fault Solenoid failure Starter fault In this post, you'll learn all about the most common causes of a no-start without even a click sound. Its very rare for a kill switch to go bad, but it might still happen if youre unfortunate enough. First, unplug the two wires that go to the switch and short them with your test light. Get the battery connected either to a normal bike battery charger, or even better, an optimiser. The second reason could be due to a bad starter. Its even worse when you have somewhere to be and youre motorcycle is refusing to cooperate. Ford and Chrysler products usually have a relay in the circuit. If you plan on letting your bike sit unused, hook your battery up to a battery tender to keep it charged, and so the next time you get in the saddle, you dont have to worry about your motorcycle clicking instead of starting. When its time to ride out to the meet-up spot, I sit on my motorcycle, hit the start button, and nothing. You can find model-specific installation instructions online or in the service manual for your specific make and year-model motorcycle. A blocked air filter will cause trouble starting your motorcycle. By doing this, were completely bypassing the side stand switch. That said, in some situations, you can repair your solenoid on the fly simply by cleaning off some corrosion: Spending the money at the first sign of starter failure provides the added safeness of a brand new starter, a fix thats much less temporary than replacing the small starter components one at a time as they start to break down. First, disconnect the two smaller gauge wires that go to the relay these two wires are on the control side of the relay. I tried tapping on the starter with a hammer and that doesn't seem to have any affect. If it doesnt, move on to the next switch. Leading to the repeated clicking. Second disconnect your cable from the starter motor and the green wire to your solenoid. Testing a kill switch is very similar to testing the start button, and they most likely share the same connector. The service manual guides the dealership techs use; it will have the exact set-up of your bikes wiring harness, including the starter system. Shorting the two wires together should engage the starter, so be careful! Still, the engine will also overheat, causing its components to weld together and seize. One of the two terminals comes straight from the battery and has +12V going to it at all times with the ignition on. There are a lot of reasons why a motorcycle would not start, however, the fact that you cant hear the starter relay clicking, most likely means that the starter motor itself is not the problem. It does not store any personal data. Crank-no-start condition - when the engine cranks normally (or faster than normal) but doesn't fire up. Next day same problem no crank no start If you have power coming from your start button it should be measurable. With the help of YouTube, you should be able to get on your way without any further issues. At the end of the day, the starter relay is a pretty simple part of the ignition or starter system process; simple components dont fail often. If you replace the battery and that still doesn't fix it, then it's probably your stator. Over time, the internal components of the starter begin to wear. If you don't, the relay isn't working. just like you normally would when starting your motorcycle. A motorcycle battery might take anything from 8 to 20 hours to set. Fortunately, it will start on ensuing tries - sometimes it's the very next turn of the key, sometimes it's the 4th or 5th. Heres the Short Answer to Know When Your Motorcycle Starter Relay Gone Bad: How to Tell When a Motorcycle Starter Relay Has Gone Bad, 2. You go out to your motorcycle, put in the key, and try to start it only to hear those annoying and dreaded clicking noises instead of the rumbling of the engine. I try to restart clicks come from the starter relay then the fuel pump relay clicks and the dash dims with no numbers or anything.. WTF I m going to try to run line directly to starter to seee if its not the starter will the fuel pump relay cause bike not to crank? Kyle currently works as a mechanical engineer and graduated with a minor in automotive engineering. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. He loves restoring motorcycles, has a vast knowledge of how they work, and has sold his restoration projects to customers from all over the United States. Luckily, two out of the three likely culprits to a clicking motorcycle are easily fixable by you in the comfort of your own garage. PREVIOUSLY REPLACED: starter motor, starter relay switch, fuel cut-off relay . Validate the solution and keep a record of it. You can definitely do that, as long as you have the key in the ignition switch. 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. Some engines have a ground strap and some don't. The solenoid is a small magnet that shoots out a little gear that the appeal polarises when you turn the key. 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. . Turn the key again and the car fires right up. Examine your running and instrument lights to ensure its the relay and not another starter system component. Motorcycle has Intermittent Starting Problems. Related:Motorcycle Clicks Instead Of Starting: 3 Reasons (Solved). The quickest way to kill your batterys charge is by running an electrical component like a headlight, blinker, gauge lights, LCD, and other electronic aftermarket add-ons while the motorcycle is off. become too hot and essentially weld together. You removed it and worked on it so likely something went wrong there. If you have a helper turn the ignition key to start, you'll be able to trace the underhood click. motorcycle starter relay clicks but no crankwhat did deluca say to hayes in italian January 19, 2023 . To rule that out, check the voltage of your battery it shouldnt be lower than 12V. 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. The starter motor will still make a clicking sound, but the engine will not start. 1988 Heritage Softail will not crank. Unfortunately, we riders, do not carry any tools with us (usually). This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. If, however, you heard the click when the start switch was pressed, just the starter relay is bad. Also check ground strap from engine to frame. JavaScript is disabled. When an engine holds, the engines internal components lock up, preventing the crankshaft from turning the bearings. Your email address will not be published. Yes! There are many, many safety switches that wont allow the starter to turn over if they arent closed, for example: neutral switch, side stand switch, clutch switch, etc. WHen I turn on the ignition and hit the starter button I get a "click" from the junction/fuse box but the starter will not crank. Fixing a failing starter solenoid could be as simple as rejuvenating the connectors. To test the relay, get your test light out. 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. With that out of the way, heres how you diagnose a motorcycle that wont start and does not click. Check the relay contacts for signs of burning or melting. Unstabilized gas in a motorcycle can start going bad in about 30 days. By doing this you will bypass the start button. Not to mention, if you have an exposed wire generating the charge, thats hazardous all on its own. The solenoid in the starter has power and ground but it sticks. Usually, this points to an air/fuel delivery problem, a spark delivery problem, or a lack of compression. At 12.2 volts, 50% charged, and so on. When it comes to your starter, theres really not a whole lot you can do to prevent its aging. It is important that you're holding the key at start here so that the circuit 2 will energize relay 5. EXPERT TIP Jason Shackelford Auto Technician (PS: We read ALL feedback). That said, you dont want to go through the same thing again any sooner than you have to; lets take a look at the root causes behind that bad battery. There should also be power on the heavier cable on the relay from the battery too. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Learn how your comment data is processed. How Do You Isolate a Bad Starter Relay on a Motorcycle? If youre overwhelmed with the electrical components on your motorcycle, I have created an entire videos series about restoring a motorcycle that may be helpful for you. A forum community dedicated to the Suzuki GSX-R motorcycle. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Now just because the relay doesnt click doesnt mean its the fault. You need to have at least 12.2 volts, or a 50% charge, to get the motorcycle started. If the solenoids pulse isnt strong enough to activate the starter motor and crank the flywheel, your bike wont start. You can google Starter Relay Test for your specific make and year-model motorcycle for some tips on how to locate the relay and conduct the testwell provide a general guide in the section below. The ignition relay itself is often very cheap, and you can expect it to cost under $10, depending on if you want to buy an OEM original one or aftermarket. Take your test light, or a piece of wire, and short the two wires coming into the start button. Even if you test the voltage on a battery and it says 12.6 volts (a full charge), that doesnt necessarily mean theres enough current in the battery to get the motorcycle started. Old oil or lack of oil will cause your engine to seize which makes it so you cant start your motorcycle. Took both the starter and relay out and tested them. 5. Outside of work, youll find Jake restoring and riding rare street bikes and ATVs. No Clicking Noise When Trying to Start the Engine These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. (Explained), How To Tell If A Motorcycle Fuse Is Blown (Explained), Motorcycle Clicks Instead Of Starting: 3 Reasons (Solved). As we said, bikes are pretty straightforward machines; even the most innovative ECU regulated bikes are straightforward when it comes to starting. If you have ruled out your battery as your issue, the second most common culprit is the starter. No-crank-no-start condition - means the engine barely turns over or doesn't turn over at all. The third most common but less likely reason the motorcycle is clicking could be due to a seized engine. If its any lower, you wont be able to start it at all, so you hear the clicking sound. Motorcycle Starter Relay Clicks But No Crank There's nothing quite like anticipating taking your motorcycle out for a night ride. When it comes to clicking troubles when starting your bike, Ive discovered this. 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. Batteries are a vital part of a motorcycles function and without it, you wont be able to get your motorcycle to start. The battery could be so drained that it doesnt have enough power to make the clicking sound in the first place. When the starter solenoid is energized and works correctly, the solenoid will connect the two terminals together and allow electrical current to pass through them into the starter. You can tell if your starter relay is bad if your motorcycle has problems starting, whether no crank at all, a clicking, or it starts, but the starter motor keeps running. First, you must check your battery and other components. 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. This can lead to it intermittently working. Motorcycle Battery WontCharge While Riding: 11 Reasons (Solved), 9 Reasons Motorcycles Wont Start When Hot (Explained), 12 Reasons Your Motorcycle Wont Start In Gear (Explained). 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. , likely, a lack of charge wasnt the issue ; your battery is just dead isn #... Time I comment solenoid in the service manual for your specific make and year-model motorcycle Ive discovered this,! Which makes it so likely something went wrong there a record of it key again and car! Second most common culprit is the starter begin to wear feedback ) you clean... 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