Starter Solenoid just clicking !

At the beginning I had problems with my starter motor so I bought a spare. I've just put the bike back together with fresh wiring so all contacts are good. When I press the starter button the solenoid just clicks but nothing happens at the starter motor.

When I measure the voltage at the post terminal of the solenoid I get 13.35 at the one that's connected to the battery & 4.5ish at the other one when the starter button is pressed, if I remove the starter cable it goes back up to 13!!, does this seem too low? Even when I jump the solenoid terminals the starter doesn't turn!

1/ The starter solenoid earth is good.
2/ the battery will turn the starter motor OFF THE BIKE
3/ Battery voltage is good
4/ The starter clutch had new springs fitted 6months ago before stripping the bike
4/ The bike started yesterday with the kick start
5/ The lead from the starter solenoid to the starter motor is good.

When I disconnect the lead to the starter motor & press the starter button it shows nearly the same voltage as the battery, when I reconnect the lead & test at the same place (starter motor + post) the voltage reads just over 4. Does this suggest a bad starter motor earth? I can't see how it does as the voltage is being tested in the same place, it's just all I can think of!

It just seems that when I reconnect that lead to the starter motor the voltage drops considerably


I should add that i've not wired in a clutch switch in my new setup.

(PS..i've done a search already)

Steve, I think it could be the starter or the battery. Keep in mind that the starter is looking for a fair amount of watts to work correctly. I do not know just how much but would think somewhere between 700 and 1000 watts. So each time you press the starter button the starter is looking for somewhere between 58 and 83 amps (volts x amps = watts). The starter does not care how it gets this total only that it gets it. If there is not enough voltage it will attempt to pull more current (amps) and like wise if there is not enough amps it will attempt to pull more voltage. If your battery is not up to snuff it will not be able to meet this requirement.

What happens if you jump the starter directly to the battery, will it spin? If so then to me the problem is in the relay or wiring. If not then it is either the starter or the battery. What shape is the battery in? You could try jumping the battery with a known good one (car battery - car not running) and see if the problem goes away. If it does I would look at the battery as the problem. If the problem does not go away - I would look at the starter motor itself.

Hiya erm....Bruce!!!! :laugh:

The battery is brand new, its a SHORAI Battery & its values are the same as the stock unit only the Cold Cranking Amps are more, my battery's case is smaller but it still has the same values as the linked one.

The battery does spin the starter when off the bike & so does my car battery. The starter solenoid is new as well. When i pull the starter motor lead off the solenoid & put it straight to the battery it does not spin (with the starter motor on the bike).

That would indicate to me that it is the starter motor wire BUT when i disconnect the wire from the motor & measure the voltage when the button is pressed it comes out as nearly the same as the battery, if i reconnect the wire & press the button then about 4.5v is shown???

On advice i connected my voltmeter to each terminal of the solenoid, it measured 13V, when the starter button was pressed it was 0.05V.......that im told is the voltage loss across the solenoid.........im busting to know where the other 9V have went!! :blink:

If you can bridge the heavy duty terminals on the starter solenoid, and the bike cranks, I'd replace the solenoid. Most riding lawn mower solenoids may fit, but might need a ground or Earth wire to work. The cost might be under $20.00.

Here's an expanded explanation:

Starter Solenoid/Motor Checkout Procedure

Some simple steps to determine what is working and what's not:

1.Fully charge and test the battery(most bike shops can load test the battery, and then use a floating ball hydrometer to check specific gravity in the charged cells).

2.Clean all battery terminals of corrosion.

3.Tighten all starting related connections(Positive RED(+) battery terminal, Negative BLACK(-)terminal) and from the terminal to the engine case. All connections must be clean and tight. If the cables feel “Crunchy” when flexed, they may have corrosion inside the insulation, requiring replacement.

4.Clean the cable from the starter solenoid to the starter motor.

5.Clean and check the "bullet connectors" going to the coil side of the starter solenoid.

6.Try again to start the bike, keep in mind some Kawasaki’s have a clutch interlock to prevent cranking the engine while it’s in gear, so the clutch lever must be squeezed.

7.If no luck, go to step #8

8.Wearing eye protection, bridge with pliers or a screwdriver the two heavy duty(large)terminals on the solenoid. If the bike cranks, your solenoid may be bad.

9. If the starter won’t turn over, one of several things has happened; The starter motor has seized due to brushes binding up, lack of lubrication in the bushings of the motor, the battery is weak , the engine has seized or it could be a combination of any of the above. A website for starter motors is:

A. www.psep.biz/store/mitsuba_starter_motors_page_2.htm

B. www.nationsautoelectric.com/Kawasaki.html

C. www.whitedogbikes.com/cat--Kawasaki-Star...-Starter-Motors.html

D. www.ricksmotorsportelectrics.com/starters.php

E. www.dbelectrical.com/

10.The dealer may want $$$ for a new solenoid, but take your old one along and visit the nearest riding lawn mower shop. They have solenoids for about $15 that with a little work will fit. Be aware that the new solenoid from the lawn mower shop may require a ground wire for it to work.

11. I’d recommend upgrading from the existing battery cables to at least 6 gauge welding cables.
They are available in two colors(RED and BLACK) have more flexibility due to being constructed with finer conductors, and will fit in tighter areas.

12. The welding cable is sold by the foot, so take careful measurements or bring your old cables along. Most battery shops might be able to supply the cable too, so call to find out. The battery shop should be able to crimp/swage on the end of the welding cable the terminal ends or lugs using either a dedicated crimping machine or a tool that looks like a bolt cutter that has special dies to terminate the cable.

To me it sounds like the issue is in the starer motor itself.

Can you test amp readings - to see how much the starter is pulling? If you do not have an amp meter you can construct a high current shut and use your volt meter to get amp readings. Checkout this link (mike nixon's the motorcycle project - which has some very good info) www.motorcycleproject.com/motorcycle/text/shunt.html where he explains how to make and use one for testing both starting and charging circuits.

Thanks MFolks, during my searches i came across your adcice which i followed, all my stuff is new so i'm finding it hard to see whats wrong. Im thinking its the battery itself even though it is new as well.

Bruce - i can test amps, what do i need to set my multimeter to & where do i measure? The starter motor + post?

Erm.......scrub the Amp reading, my multimeter only goes up to 20A

You'd need a ammeter shunt to be able to read the current with out the majority going through your meter. Most electrical suppliers(I'd think) could get you one, or rent/buy a heavy duty ammeter.

Let's say the starting current is 100 amps(probably not,more like 80 or so), you'd need a meter to read at least in the middle of the scale(if it's an analog type, with the moving needle indicator)in case the current draw exceedes the estimate, to protect the meter.

Steve, If you think it is the battery, then jump with a known good battery and see if it solves the issue. If not then it is not your battery. We already know the starter will spin when not installed on the bike, but for some reason will not spin when installed. Keep in mind that is one thing to spin the starter without any work being required (tuning the engine over) and quite something else to get it to turn the engine over. It sounds like you have checked and double checked all the wiring and connections, and are using new parts, other than the starter itself.

As to measuring amps, I am not sure you can measure high enough amperage with your vom. Most of the vom's I have seen tend to only measure low amp valves if at all, but no where near the 60 to 90+ amps a correctly working starter will pull. But to measure amps you would use it in line with the load being measured. Attach one probe on the meter to the cable at the starter end and the other probe to the post on the relay. When you press the start button it should read how many amps the starter is pulling.

If your meter will not measure that many amps, then as I posted you can make a high current shunt and use the DC volts setting on your meter to see how many amps are being pulled. The high current shunt works through a simple but elegant application of Ohm's Law. It has exactly 1/1000 (0.001) ohm of resistance. As a result, every 1/1000 (0.001) volt drop across its length equals 1 amp of current.

Cheers guys, im reading about a 'shunt' now through Bruce's link, i've never heard of one before, i'll use google & see how i can make one.

Most ammeters read either through them directly, or use a shunt, to avoid heavy wires going to the meter(like on a control panel).