No start at starter button.

[Guest]

Fellas-

It seems like it's one thing after another with this bike! Anyways, had the bike idling for a couple of minutes, then she shut down for what I assume was low idle. Tried starting it back up, and nothing! Checked all the fuses, and they are good.

When I push the starter button, I do not hear the relay click. Is this the problem? How do I diagnose where the problem is? The service manual is not very helpful, and I searched this forum and found nothing to help.

[Larry D]

It may be the starter button itself not making good contact. If you decide to take it apart, be cautious, there are little bits and springs that will shoot across the garage and be lost forever.

[salty_monk]

Also check the fuses again... Glass fuses can look good but in reality be blown. I found this out the hard way too..

[Curly]

You check it by touching a screw driver across the two big terminals on the starter relay. Make sure your kill switch and ignition are on, and the bike is in neutral. If this makes it start, it's either the relay itself or the switch.

Unplug the relay. Jam your multimeter probes in the two terminals and switch it on to continuity (the setting that beeps when the two probes touch). Touch your starter button, and it should beep as long as the kill switch is on. The ignition can be on or off for this test.

If it doesn't beep, it's your switch, and you should clean it as the above posters have said. If it does beep, it's the relay. Replace it with a John Deere unit for $12.

[IanDMacDonald]

Here is what I found!

Fellas-

I took apart the starter switch and this link is pics I took. Is the gap in the contact points supposed to be like that? https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx...uSNhelBDJvc%24

Can I solder those back together if those are burned out?

Second, I started the bike via the two big screws (pos/starter screws). I have not tested via mm to see if it's the switch or relay. Gonna do that now.

[bietau85]

if it the relay you can get one from lowes in the lawn mower section for 10 bucks or less. I had the same problem as you but the switch under the clutch was corroded and wouldnt let it start. thought id throw another idea ur way.

[IanDMacDonald]

Bike Does Not Require Clutch to Start

Yeah, the bike does not require the clutch to start it. I could not find where to stick my mm probes. There is only the yellow/green wire that has a bullet connector. What connectors was Curly referring to?

[nooblet]

I had pretty much the same issue with starting problems on my '86 550ES. Sometimes the solenoid would click when I hit the start button and sometimes it didn't. Cleaned start button contacts and checked all connections. Still had same issue. Replaced the starter solenoid with the one from Lowe's, cost me $12.98 and so far all my starting issues are gone.

[bietau85]

I had pretty much the same issue with starting problems on my '86 550ES. Sometimes the solenoid would click when I hit the start button and sometimes it didn't. Cleaned start button contacts and checked all connections. Still had same issue. Replaced the starter solenoid with the one from Lowe's, cost me $12.98 and so far all my starting issues are gone.

I love how that works. I almost bought one on ebay for 35 or 40 bucks until someone on here told me about Lowes.

[IanDMacDonald]

Sometimes she starts, sometimes she does not!

Yeah, so I went to Auto Zone and Advance to return some things, and sometimes she started at the starter button, sometimes not.

Does anybody have the specific solenoid sold at Lowe's? What about the green/yellow wire? What does that connect/solder to? Thanks for all your help fellas.

[Curly]

Mine has a green wire with a yellow stripe, and a black wire with a yellow stripe. All the starter button does is touch these two wires together. You can trip the relay if you jump them, or you can bypass it by jumping the two big bolts coming out of the top.

[nooblet]

The relay I got at Lowe's has the two posts for the + battery cable and the other one goes to the starter motor I believe. There is also a male spade on the bottom. On my bike I connected the grn/yel sense wire to the spade and connected the blk/wht wire to a frame ground. It does not matter which post the battery or starter motor cable get connected to. Can go either way, I connected the battery cable to the right post and the other to the left post because that was the easiest for me with the length of my cables. The outside metal frame of the solenoid is ground so make sure you have a good connection where you mount it. I sanded the paint off the frame where I mounted mine. I will take a look at Lowes website and post a link if I see the one I have.

[nooblet]

Arnold Tractor Solenoid

Item #: 16125 | Model #:OEM-725-1426


Here is the solenoid I have on my 1986 GS550ES

[IanDMacDonald]

Went to Sears.

I ended up going to Sears today and picked up a Craftsman tractor solenoid, as my Lowe's did not carry the Arnold solenoid. Will install tomorrow. Do you suggest yellow/green wire to one of the spade terminals, and a ground wire going to the frame on the other spade terminal?

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_07124688000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1

[Steve]

Do you suggest yellow/green wire to one of the spade terminals, and a ground wire going to the frame on the other spade terminal?

Yep.

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