Starter Problems

[Scooter Trash]

I sold my 1996 Tour Classic to a Friend of mine 3 years ago. The bike still runs great and in fact he and I rode to Sturgis and back putting on 3000 miles round trip. At times, the starter circuit goes bad. We have had the starter out twice and had it in to a reputable shop for repair. aside from new brushes being put into the starter, it is certified fine. Also, we have replaced the relay that is under the batwing. We have rang out the associated wiring with an ohm meter tugging and pulling on the wires to see if there is a break. The problem is so intermittent that we never know if the bike is in condition of fault. Sometime, it take a few days or even months to get it where it won't start (starter spinning). It always seems that  you can wait a while and it will eventually go  This is getting to be a real bear.

[tinkerman]

So starter spins but won't engage? or starter doesn't spin at all.


tink

[Scooter Trash]

No. Does not do anything at all. Ocasionally, the relay starts to click. It won't be long and then eventially starts.

[bob56]

The same problem has plagued my 1997 FLHT.  I replaced thee relay, but on my bike it is under the seat.  I replaced the starter and run/off switch on the handlebars.  When ever mine does the click, I can take a jumper and jumper from the positive of the battery to the little plug on the solenoid and it would turn right over.  I also replaced the battery, had the cables checked, checked the grounds on everything, removed fuses to isolate it.  The only thing in the circuit besides the wires that I have not replaced is the ignition switch.  It is probably it.  To quickly fix it I added a manual solenoid button to the back of my starter.  It always work.  Note:  there was a recall on the ignition switches on the 1997 that I know of.  Just never went in cause it never gave me trouble.  The button I ordered from JP cycles.  But most Indys would have or be able to get one.

Just my .02 worth.  YMMV

[Porkchop]

My 96 flht has the same problem, I put the push button on the starter and go.   I think there is something like 18 different connections on the starter wiring system and anyone of them could have a little corrosion that keeps the solenoid from engaging. I know the voltage at the green wire will drop to 7 volts at times.  So some where in that circuit it's losing voltage. Should be at least 12v I would think.   Wish I knew the answer.  When I get back from the sandbox that's one of my missions to dig into.  I also Know Samuel fought this problem and gave up.  He just wired a second fused switch directly from the battery to the green wire terminal on the starter.

PC 

[JohnS_Rosamond]

For what it's worth.  1997 FLHT, intermittent no start.  Repeatedly looking at the starter (that's not it).  Relay's (no), ground wires (no).  Here's what I found.  In the wiring loom at the steering head, where the loom starts to turn upwards as it goes into the fairing, one of the three power wires only had about 1/2 the strands it should have had at the up-turn (and those had finally cracked).  I had to cut open the plastic wiring loom cover, then look through the wires.  Once I was in there though, it was clear where the wire "got skinny" that something was wrong.  Inside, the wires that were left were all broken.  I have heard of this happening with 2 other FLHT's.  Until the bike got really bad (and the no-start happened more often) I would have never guessed to look there.  It appeared that the wire breakage happened at the factory when the wiring loom was first put together (all other wires were fine).

[Scooter Trash]

All,
Thanks to all for the replies. It will give us something to look for! When we find the problem we will let HTT know what it was! we will find it.

John S.,
We traded threads a few times on the old site and I was hoping you'd answer! My old scoot went right around the corner to a guy I went to high school with. Still runs strong if you can start it!
You had mentioned a similar problem with a FLHS you (or your dad) had some time ago and found a broken wire after a couple of years.

Thanks,
Gary

[JohnS_Rosamond]

Yeah, the 1997 FLHT was Dad's.  Dealerships, Indy's (even me) thought it was the starter or the starting circuit, but until it got real bad, I never could figure it out.  One day when it wouldn't start, I start turning the handlebar back and forth and could get it to fail on command.  But that was after we'd tried for over a year to figure it out.  In fact, just about a month before I finally did figure it out, I really thought that I had fixed it with some extra ground wires.... ha ha... but then it failed again.  That's when I cut into the loom at the steering head.

[Scooter Trash]

I remembered the extra parallel ground thread.
I had a 1980 Kaw 1000 LTD where most wires seperated near the steering head. Lots of solder and heat shrink.
We will have a look there maybe this afternoon!!

Thanks again.

[Evo160K]

My problem turned out to be a broken wire in the loom coming from the handlebars (softail custom).  Guess the constant movement of the handlebars and flexing of the wires caused one to break.  When it wouldn't start, I could move the bars left and right and find a point where it would start.  Eventually replaced the broken wire.

[bob56]

Johns, thank you for the info about the busted wire in the wire loom. Luckily with the manual button on the starter I will use it until this winter.  Then because of what you said I will check the wire loom.  To fix it did you slice in a new wire or did you completely replace the wire?

[Scooter Trash]

I have fixed broken wire in the past by solder and shrink wrap, black tape or liquid insulation. If the wire is fairly large and stranded, I tin the wire with solder and try to twist the two pieces of wire head on then heat the two ends with the solder iron tip to put them together. Then I have even used #18 and wrap the joint together like a coil. Then insulate it. It's all got to be pretty clean or you will have a resistance.
What do other do?

[Evo160K]

What do other do?

I disconnected both ends of the broken wire, pulled it out of the loom and fished a new one in.  It was simple on my softail custom, no fairing to get in the way.

[bob56]

Well, I took JohnS. advice and looked for the wire in the loom running up to the steering head.  First, I will say that I took the  pages of the electrical schematics in the back of the Maintenance manual and traced the BK/R and the Wht/Bk. wires from the starter switch thru connector 22A/B  to connector 2A/B and connector 1 A/B, to connector  8 A/b to the electronic ignition module ( for the Wht/Bk    wire} and to pin 86 on the starter relay for the Bk/R wire, then on to the  solenoid. disconnected at each connector and checked the resistance of the wire and move  the wire around trying to get it to change... no luck...so, I took electrical contact cleaner and cleaned each connector and blew it out with the compressor.  Got all the way to the solenoid and nothing changed.  still hit the start switch and there was a lag before the starter starts.  When I put the spade connector back on the solenoid, I noticed that it went on real easily... Though it might vibrate loose, so I pulled it and squeezed the two rolled sides together more so it would fit tighter on the spade connection.  Guess what... that is where my voltage drop was.  I have started it at least 50 time since tightening the the connection and the starter starts as soon as I push the button.  So really JohnS you got me to the right place.  So thank you!! 

Let see, new battery, new circuit breaker, new starter relay, new starter and on/off switches (yes I cut the old ones out and spliced in the new ones soldering the wires and insulating the connections)  manual solenoid button on the back of the starter.  Let see it took about 30 seconds to fix the problem once I got to it.