Age old troubleshooting problem

[JerbGas]

As we all know the issue of "bike wont start" is an age old, never ending question...

So far here is what is probably not the problem as the part is new or in excellent condition:
-Regulator/Rectifier (new)
-Battery (new)
-Carbs (immaculately clean)
-Spark Plugs (new)
-Fuel & vaccuum lines (new)
-Fuses (all look fine)

Electricity works, bike honks, lights go on, shows gear and gas gauge reading etc. But when i hit start, i get nothing. Nada, zilch. No sounds, no nothing.

So I suppose it's either the starter, or one of those other gizmos such as the ignition box?

Is there any possibility that I simply wired it up wrong? The only thing that needed to be wired was the regulator, and the aftermarket wiring colors were a bit confusing.
Which part should I test first in this troubleshooting phase I will be on now for some unfortunate length of time?

 

[posplayr]

Start with the basics Air,Fuel,Fire; got them all?

 

[bccap]

Could be the solenoid. Turn the ignition on and put a screwdriver across the two terminals. If it starts replace the solenoid.......

 

[JerbGas]

Could be the solenoid. Turn the ignition on and put a screwdriver across the two terminals. If it starts replace the solenoid.......

two terminals of the battery?

 

[JerbGas]

Start with the basics Air,Fuel,Fire; got them all?

at this point, fire is the only thing lacking as far as i can tell. no sound on start, not even a click.

 

[bccap]

two terminals of the battery?

No, the solenoid........

 

[JerbGas]

No, the solenoid........

Awesome! it turns over now but still no start. I think it's a fuel issue, perhaps i dont have the petcock in the right position, as it only has prime and off.... and it was sitting for 5 years so...

 

[chuck hahn]

Or just unplug the yellow wire going to the selinoid and use a jumper wire directly to the positive on the battery. And be sure the grounding to the selinoid base is good. If the selinoid is good, soon as you touch the wire to the battery it should make a clicking sound and the bike should crank.

 

[chuck hahn]

Crack a drain screw on a carb and see if theres fuel in the bowls to see if the petcock is delivering any fuel.

 

[silverhelme]

Sounds more like his handle bar on-off switch has gone bad ( corrosion? ) or possibly come unplugged while working on it. I have had both happen.

 

[Steve]

Have you tried pulling the clutch lever before hitting the START button? :-k
There is an interlock switch that can be bypassed easily, but that is up to you.

Your fuses all LOOK good, have you used a meter or a test light to VERIFY that they are good?
The stock glass fuses can fail under the metal cap, where you can't see it.

.

 

[2BRacing]

Hi Steve, you've got mail.

To the OP, you could have a faulty earth connection at the solenoid, so check for loose/corroded Black/White wire.

The key to successful troubleshooting is to ask yourself the question: If it worked before, and now it does not work, what did I work on that could have caused that situation?

Go back and check what you did, as the fault is most probably there and not some other random place.

 

[JerbGas]

Hi Steve, you've got mail.

To the OP, you could have a faulty earth connection at the solenoid, so check for loose/corroded Black/White wire.

The key to successful troubleshooting is to ask yourself the question: If it worked before, and now it does not work, what did I work on that could have caused that situation?

Go back and check what you did, as the fault is most probably there and not some other random place.

That is very hard to say because the bike was not working when I purchased it haha. At this point I'm looking into a fuel delivery issue. The gas in the tank when i bought it could have been sitting for up to the 5 years it was sitting in the PO garage. I know him through a friend so I trust he was honest when he said it used to run. I'm planning on looking into the petcock and fuel filter, just to get it running. Then, yes I will look to see if the switch on the handlebar has simply gone bad because the front master cylinder reservoir has a slow leak that gets all over that area, so it's entirely likely.

Cant tell you all how appreciative I am for all the input and help. Honestly I dont know where I'd be on this project without you guys!

 

[JerbGas]

Have you tried pulling the clutch lever before hitting the START button? :-k
There is an interlock switch that can be bypassed easily, but that is up to you.

Your fuses all LOOK good, have you used a meter or a test light to VERIFY that they are good?
The stock glass fuses can fail under the metal cap, where you can't see it.
.

Yep, tried starting with the clutch pulled in. As I mentioned, the screwdriver over the solenoid gets the starting motor to turn, but the bike doesnt fully turn over to a run. I will grab a voltmeter to do a full test on the electrical system to rule out a fuse before I go replacing anything electrical, however it SHOULD run given this screwdriver cheat....right?

Been working on this bike since august, the bike sounds like it really really wants to turn over to a run. It's so close, that I'm thinking it's not getting fuel. So I'm thinking I didnt properly prime the carbs or the fuel filter is gummed up from sitting so long. Once I can get the engine to turn and idle, I'll sleep better this winter knowing I can at least go out once a week and let her idle to keep everything flowing so I'll avoid potential problems come spring.

 

[Fjbj40]

Yep, tried starting with the clutch pulled in. As I mentioned, the screwdriver over the solenoid gets the starting motor to turn, but the bike doesnt fully turn over to a run. I will grab a voltmeter to do a full test on the electrical system to rule out a fuse before I go replacing anything electrical, however it SHOULD run given this screwdriver cheat....right?

Been working on this bike since august, the bike sounds like it really really wants to turn over to a run. It's so close, that I'm thinking it's not getting fuel. So I'm thinking I didnt properly prime the carbs or the fuel filter is gummed up from sitting so long. Once I can get the engine to turn and idle, I'll sleep better this winter knowing I can at least go out once a week and let her idle to keep everything flowing so I'll avoid potential problems come spring.

If you have not drained and flushed the tank yet then that would be your first step.

Once you getting running properly put it bed properly!

running it at idle once a week will cause more damage than good. Put stabilizer in fuel, teaspoon of oil down cylinder if you wish and call it good. Starting it up and letting it idle will create moisture inside the engine, in other words the engine will not get hot enough to burn of the moisture just by idling it.

 

[JerbGas]

If you have not drained and flushed the tank yet then that would be your first step.

Once you getting running properly put it bed properly!

running it at idle once a week will cause more damage than good. Put stabilizer in fuel, teaspoon of oil down cylinder if you wish and call it good. Starting it up and letting it idle will create moisture inside the engine, in other words the engine will not get hot enough to burn of the moisture just by idling it.

tank has fresh fuel but i dumped it out the top, idk why i didnt just drain it through the petcock. im surprised to hear that running the bike once in awhile would be bad for it, i've always done this with cars i wasn't using much.

 

[chuck hahn]

Shorting across the posts with a screw driver just simulates what the normal operation of the selenoid would do. When you push the starter button the current is sent to the selenoid via the yellow trigger wire. Now two things must be in order for the selenoid to actuate when you press the starter button.

First, the selenoid has to have a good ground.
Second, the coil must be working in the selenoid and the rod is not stuck.

You MUST verify the selenoid is working. By disconnecting the yellow wire and going directly to the positive on the battery ( and maybe adding a ground wire from the mounting bolt to the battery negative also) will instantly tell you if the selenoid is good or not. If you have a for sure solid ground and you run a jumper to the yellow wire and it doesnt crank the bike the selenoid is bad...No way around that.

If it DOES cranks the bike..then hook the yellow trigger wire back to the harness and retry the starter button. If it wont crank then the problem is in the starter button or the wiring from the fuse box thru the button that feeds the power to the trigger wire.

I repainted the frame on my 78 1000C and when i hit the button it was dead as a rock..which it was fine when i took the harness out. An added on ground wire directly to the battery negative and it fired right off again.

Its impairative to have sure good grounds on the componenets mounted to the side battery box panel.

 

[chuck hahn]

If the bike has to set a long winter period heres what I would do to winterize it so it fires up in the spring.

1) Fill the tank to the very bottom of the filler neck and add a few ounces of fuel stabalizer.
2) Undo the vacuum and main fuel lines so if the petcock goes bad during hibernation it doesnt fill the crank case with gas.
3) Drain the carb bowls and leave the drains out overnight to ensure the air gets a chance to dry the bowls and jets. Close drains the next day so bugs cant get into the bowls.
4) Put a battery tender that has the automatic on / hold feature on the battery and be sure the battery is topped off if its a servicable battery.

Doing these few things takes little time and will make the start of the next riding season much more pleasant for you.

 

[JerbGas]

Shorting across the posts with a screw driver just simulates what the normal operation of the selenoid would do. When you push the starter button the current is sent to the selenoid via the yellow trigger wire. Now two things must be in order for the selenoid to actuate when you press the starter button.

First, the selenoid has to have a good ground.
Second, the coil must be working in the selenoid and the rod is not stuck.

You MUST verify the selenoid is working. By disconnecting the yellow wire and going directly to the positive on the battery ( and maybe adding a ground wire from the mounting bolt to the battery negative also) will instantly tell you if the selenoid is good or not. If you have a for sure solid ground and you run a jumper to the yellow wire and it doesnt crank the bike the selenoid is bad...No way around that.

If it DOES cranks the bike..then hook the yellow trigger wire back to the harness and retry the starter button. If it wont crank then the problem is in the starter button or the wiring from the fuse box thru the button that feeds the power to the trigger wire.

I repainted the frame on my 78 1000C and when i hit the button it was dead as a rock..which it was fine when i took the harness out. An added on ground wire directly to the battery negative and it fired right off again.

Its impairative to have sure good grounds on the componenets mounted to the side battery box panel.

Holy crap I just realized I have it grounded to a part of the frame that it wasn't grounded on before. That could be the obvious problem with the electrical system. Ill try grounding it to a different place and see if that works. If not I'll try what you said about the solenoid. That still doesn't address the reason it wont idle when cranking though lol.

 

[JerbGas]

If the bike has to set a long winter period heres what I would do to winterize it so it fires up in the spring.

1) Fill the tank to the very bottom of the filler neck and add a few ounces of fuel stabalizer.
2) Undo the vacuum and main fuel lines so if the petcock goes bad during hibernation it doesnt fill the crank case with gas.
3) Drain the carb bowls and leave the drains out overnight to ensure the air gets a chance to dry the bowls and jets. Close drains the next day so bugs cant get into the bowls.
4) Put a battery tender that has the automatic on / hold feature on the battery and be sure the battery is topped off if its a servicable battery.

Doing these few things takes little time and will make the start of the next riding season much more pleasant for you.

easy enough and i already have the battery tender!