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Starter Won't Disengage

14K views 29 replies 9 participants last post by  sfair 
#1 ·
2006 900LT.

It started with bike dying. Here's what I've done so far:
Stator bad....replaced...no charging of battery
Regulator replaced....still no charging
Battery bad and replaced....charging!

Looks good right? .....Nope!
Bike runs great and I decide to ride to work (90km one way). I get to the coffee shop close to where I work and hear an unfamiliar sound....starter is engaged! Wasn't when I left the house and think I can narrow it down to a hesitation I felt about halfway on the commute. Turn off the bike and haul out tools. Disconnect the starter lead and hold it on the solenoid, push starter, bike starts, remove the lead and bike runs minus the starter noise. Get to work, curse the bike all day and do the same thing to get the bike home that night. Read the "Frustrated and Confused" post hoping for insight and thought I got it....lol. Replaced relay pack and solenoid. Start bike, works great. Not confident so turn off bike and start a couple more times. All seems fine. "Honey, go get your helmet, we're going for a ride!" Finally get my lovely "fender fluff" on the back to go out for a ride. Ten minutes into the ride as I'm slowing for a traffic light, my lovely passenger says "what's that noise?" I hear it too as slow and I pull off into a parking listening to my starter whining away again! Needless to say, ride is over and my bike is pulled into the garage. Am I missing something here guys? I'm thinking that since I cured the charging problem that the second problem is unrelated and just a coincidence but not convinced. I'm pretty handy with a meter and have no problems understanding wiring diagrams and schematics (electronics tech) but this one has me somewhat baffled! Any ideas?
 
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#3 · (Edited)
Yes, it was. Before the new relay pack and solenoid, bike started fine and then seemed to "kick on" the starter after about twenty minutes of riding. After the new parts, same deal only the starter engaged after about 10 minutes of riding. I have the bike in pieces right now with connectors open looking for bad contacts or chafed wires. Have taken apart the start switch and cleaned (believe it or not) a spider's nest and a spider corpse from inside it. Makes me wonder. Contacts were dirty but switch operated correctly (meter checks) before cleaning.

The new starter solenoid is definitely toast. Measured across the starter contacts and they are short with or without power applied.
 
#4 ·
Yes, it was. I have the bike in pieces right now with connectors open looking for bad contacts or chafed wires. Have taken apart the start switch and cleaned (believe it or not) a spider's nest and a spider corpse from inside it. Makes me wonder. Contacts were dirty but switch operated correctly (meter checks) before cleaning.

The new starter solenoid is definitely toast. Measured across the starter contacts and they are short with or without power applied.
Funny, I was going to suggest spraying wd in the starter switch......seems like the blinker switch corodes rather easily.....I bet the rain AND insects love the close quarters of the starter switch too.....
 
#7 ·
since the headlight doesn't come on.
Oooh, you forgot to mention that....

When you get starter solenoid installed, do the following:

1. Remove plug from reg/rect.
2. Label three white stator wires "A", "B" and "C"
3. Set your meter to read AC volts
4. At fairly fast idle, take reading between "A" and "B", "A" and "C" and "B" and "C".

Post back with your results.
 
#8 ·
Yes I did forget that...sorry.

I tried to anticipate a little bit about where you were going so i did a few extras....

With the burnt out solenoid attched I started the bike and watched the yellow-red wire go from about 8vdc down to virtually zero.

Battery: 12.8vdc bike off, 14.5 bike running at idle, 14.7 @rpm.

Stator wires (Reg disconnected) engine running:

A-B 22.2vac, A-C 22.3vac, B-C 22.2vac @idle
66.5vac, 66.5vac, 66.4vac @rpm

Stator wires (Reg disconnected) engine off.

A-B .3 ohms, A-C .3 ohms, B-C .3 ohms.
Checked all 3 wires to ground....infinite reading.
 
#13 ·
With the burnt out solenoid attched I started the bike and watched the yellow-red wire go from about 8vdc down to virtually zero.
This is not correct, I missed it.
Key on, voltage should be at zero, push start button, voltage goes to 12v, release start button and voltage goes to zero.
To test, remove heavy cable on start solenoid that goes to starter and try again.
 
#15 ·
You have a problem there. Should be 12v.
Is the solenoid still bad? If so, that could be the problem.
Replace the solenoid and try again.

What may have happened is with the starter running all of the time, it may have damaged the starter solenoid and now "it" is the problem, not the junction box.

Post back.
 
#18 ·
dadacom....I haven't replaced the solenoid yet. Still waiting for the part to arrive. After i replaced the battery, stator and regulator the first time all was good. When I had my starter not disengaging, I replaced the solenoid and relay pack and it seemed to cure my problem....only to have it occur again! Somethng else was wrong. As soon as I get the new solenoid I will be doing some more testing to try and figure out the original cause of the problem if possible. I've spent a lot of time tracing wires and cleaning contacts. There were some slightly corroded and dirty contacts along the way...including a spider's nest and dead spider inside the starter button enclosure!Every contact I could get to has been checked and cleaned and am hoping the new solenoid will cure all my problems. Will post when I get more info.
 
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