Starter clicks no start!

[chas]

Hi All- When I hit the start button, I get a fast clicking noise and all the lights flicker with the clicking! Battery is new and fully charged, the jack shaft with come out and engage the teeth on clutch pack but starter( new) will not spin! I have sanded the ground contacts, replaced the positive and negative cables, replaced the starter relay and I still get the clicking.
What are your thoughts? Thanks in advance - Chas

[kd]

Year and model info?  Did the problem begin before or after the starter or battery change?

[Coff 06]

Possibly a bad new battery ?            Coff 06

[Armin]

The clicking starter noise is usually caused by a weak battery. Even a new battery can be a weak one after it was kept one the store shelf for too long. Give the the battery a full charge cycle of ten hours and try again.

Armin.

[Hossamania]

Possibly a bad new battery ?          Coff 06

My thoughts too.
Try jumping it with a known good battery (your car battery will work, do not start the car), or even a jump pack.
And Armin's response.

[Hossamania]

Answering kd's questions will also help.

[chas]

The bike is 03 ultra

[fbn ent]

Jump power to the green wire on the starter. IN NEUTRAL! If it cranks fine the problem is upstream is upstream..... If it clicks it is more than likely battery or cable/ground related.

[chas]

Battery is fully charged, reads 12.9 volts. I jumped the green starter wire to the positive terminal and i get the same clicking going on!

[Hossamania]

Jump it with another battery.
Also, measure voltage across the battery terminals while trying to start. (But not while trying to jump start it)

[fbn ent]

 

[kd]

The bike is 03 ultra

Year and model info?  Did the problem begin before or after the starter or battery change?

Got any answer to these also?  Check up under the rear of the fuel tank for a ground lug attached to the frame backbone and make sure it is clean and tight.  They are notorious for causing problems that mimic a low or dead battery..

[JW113]

Volts has nothing to do with the battery's ability to provide current (amps). If the battery has gone resistive, yes it will measure fine with a voltmeter under no load. As Hoss said, measure it while the starter button is being pressed.

-JW

[chas]

Wouldn't it make sense that it could be a ground issue with the lights blinking with the clicking? The dashlights headlight,and back running light all blink

[Coyote]

It could be either battery cable. Easy enough to check and that's the most likely cause given he has a new battery.

[fleetmechanic]

We've encountered a loose flange nut on the ground post in front of the battery several times.  Put a 10mm wrench on it and check.

[kd]

We've encountered a loose flange nut on the ground post in front of the battery several times.  Put a 10mm wrench on it and check.

Offered it up in post 11 but no response. A better description is follow the heavy wire paired at the negative battery cable to where it is grounded.  If it's loose or corroded it may be your problem.

It still might help to know when this problem started as asked in post 11.  Otherwise we're just throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks.

[cheech]

It could be either battery cable. Easy enough to check and that's the most likely cause given he has a new battery.

He claimed new cables also.

[cheech]

Hands down one of the best instructions for a voltage drop test. And way easier than typing it all out.
Notice (#8) the test for the ground side also.

[Hossamania]

Looking forward to more info and feedback from chas.

[FSG]

And way easier than typing it all out.

good use of imgur     

[jmorton10]

And way easier than typing it all out.

good use of imgur     

imgur is handy as he!!  I use it and recommend it all the time.

~John   

[chas]

Heres an update on what I have done since the other day, and trying out a couple things you guys have mentioned. I jumped the bike from another battery that was freshly charged and got the same no starter turning just the jack shafting out to engage the clutch teeth. Still doing the clicking and lights blinking in time with the clicking. I took off the ground to the top of the rear jug and sanded it really good pushed the starter and saw thing! clicking and lights blinking. Tomorrow I will remove the starter and do some test on it. Thanks Cheech for the diagrams of electrical system diagnostics, I will try and make some sense out of it! Starter is brand new but it could be a pos!

[apes]

Jump it with another battery.
Also, measure voltage across the battery terminals while trying to start. (But not while trying to jump start it)

I am having s similar issue, 12.97 meter reading when fully charged but when the start button is depressed it drops to 6.XX and clicks.....the battery was new last year...so with the drop to 6.XX it means that battery is bad?

[JW113]

That would be my vote.

I have been using one of those "Pulse" battery chargers for years, and for what ever reason, they seem to make the batteries last longer.

-JW

[kd]

Yup, that's why they are called maintainers.  I was getting a couple of years to a battery due to periodic hard charging cycles over the winter.  I was too lazy to turn off the security.    Now I am at 4 years on 3 of them (1 is an AG lithium) using maintainers.  Well worth the spend in my books..

[Coyote]

Jump it with another battery.
Also, measure voltage across the battery terminals while trying to start. (But not while trying to jump start it)

I am having s similar issue, 12.97 meter reading when fully charged but when the start button is depressed it drops to 6.XX and clicks.....the battery was new last year...so with the drop to 6.XX it means that battery is bad?

If you are putting each meter probe on the battery terminal itself (not the cable connector) then yes, dropping that much is a bad battery.

[Hossamania]

Yes, I would try a different known good battery.

[kd]

Yes, I would try a different known good battery.

Chas said in post 22 that he jumped it with a freshly charged battery.  No indication if it was checked.  Just freshly charged.    Still no response on when the problem started so we're still just throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks.

Did the problem begin before or after the starter or battery change?

[Dan89flstc]

Charge the battery and have it load tested.

[Coff 06]

Yes, I would try a different known good battery.

Chas said in post 22 that he jumped it with a freshly charged battery.  No indication if it was checked.  Just freshly charged.    Still no response on when the problem started so we're still just throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks.

Did the problem begin before or after the starter or battery change?

And if it's a bad connection all the batteries in the world won't start it.             Coff 06

[chas]

I did test the battery, when its just sitting connected in the bike it reads 12.6, but when I push starter and clicking starts it reads 6.6! So sounds like a bad battery?

[rigidthumper]

Sounds like a shorted cell. Most battery places can load test to ensure.

[Coyote]

I did test the battery, when its just sitting connected in the bike it reads 12.6, but when I push starter and clicking starts it reads 6.6! So sounds like a bad battery?

Make sure your meter probes are on the battery terminal itself, not the cable terminals when doing your test.

[Hossamania]

The battery would certainly be suspect.

[fleetmechanic]

Have you tried removing this battery entirely from the circuit and only connecting to a different one?  If this one is toast for some reason it might be acting like a resistor.