Starter relay hook-up

[Guest]

I need to know which wire goes to the starter relay, looking at the relay facing the panel. Does the + from the battery go to the right front threaded stud and the - left rear threaded stud go to the starter?



_ +


To starter To Battery

A true picture would help since I didn't take a photo!!!!

[Steve]

A true picture would help since I didn't take a photo!!!!

That's OK, you didn't tell us what bike you are working on, either.

.

[kdupont]

Battery cable goes to the right threaded stud, starter cable goes to the left threaded stud. The case itself is the ground. Your starter relay has two circuits, a power circuit and a control circuit. The control circuit brings power from the starter button into a coil and then grounds through the case. when you apply power to a coil it creates a magnetic field which will internally connect a switch inside the relay which then activates the power circuit. when that switch closes it allows power to flow from the battery through the relay and then to the starter motor.

[kdupont]

The red cable on the right goes to the battery, the yellow on the left goes to the starter motor, the little yellow wire goes to the starter button.

[posplayr]

The red cable on the right goes to the battery, the yellow on the left goes to the starter motor, the little yellow wire goes to the starter button.

poor choice of wire colors. The black should definitely not go to ground.

[kdupont]

The black wire with the yellow cap isn't a ground, it goes to the starter motor.

[posplayr]

The black wire with the yellow cap isn't a ground, it goes to the starter motor.

Yes most people know that despite the color coding. Some unfortunately don't.

[jbird7262]

Let me give an update to those who don't know whats up, recently I had slow starting problems, then the + wire heated up from too much cranking. ( I guess), but I was told that I should clean all connections, so over the last few days, I've relaced the battery cables, I've been cleaning all bullet connections, all connections I could get at, rectifier, fuse box front and back, igniter connections. hit them with a small wire wheel on a dremel, q-tips with thinner to get rid of gunk, small daps of bearing grease on all contacts before plugging back connectors. (made sure all snapped). Hooked up starter relay as per members photo, just as I thought, red to + battery -to starter. battery is at 12.57 volts, I know its not full charge but it should spin the motor. Turned the key and nothing, no lights, no signals, no start button, but I have power to the starter relay, I tested my R/R with a multimeter and its fine. I can jump the starter relay, and it spins fast, so theres power going to it. On the + cable from the battery there is a thin gauge red wire mated to the + cable that had a bullet connector that I believe goes to the fuse box which had a bullet connector as well. I know one red wire also had a bullet connector that was in the harness behind the mounting panel that I had to relpace the connection, which I did, I checked all bullet snaps, they were tight. The bike ran fine before I cleaned all connectors, it just started slow, I know its something simple, but I'm loosing patience, I know there are some members that are not too far away from CharlesTown, WV. I'll pay $$ for a quick look over or shes going to the shop up in Clearbrook for a check up.

[posplayr]

Let me give an update to those who don't know whats up, recently I had slow starting problems, then the + wire heated up from too much cranking. ( I guess), but I was told that I should clean all connections, so over the last few days, I've relaced the battery cables, I've been cleaning all bullet connections, all connections I could get at, rectifier, fuse box front and back, igniter connections. hit them with a small wire wheel on a dremel, q-tips with thinner to get rid of gunk, small daps of bearing grease on all contacts before plugging back connectors. (made sure all snapped). Hooked up starter relay as per members photo, just as I thought, red to + battery -to starter. battery is at 12.57 volts, I know its not full charge but it should spin the motor. Turned the key and nothing, no lights, no signals, no start button, but I have power to the starter relay, I tested my R/R with a multimeter and its fine. I can jump the starter relay, and it spins fast, so theres power going to it. On the + cable from the battery there is a thin gauge red wire mated to the + cable that had a bullet connector that I believe goes to the fuse box which had a bullet connector as well. I know one red wire also had a bullet connector that was in the harness behind the mounting panel that I had to relpace the connection, which I did, I checked all bullet snaps, they were tight. The bike ran fine before I cleaned all connectors, it just started slow, I know its something simple, but I'm loosing patience, I know there are some members that are not too far away from CharlesTown, WV. I'll pay $$ for a quick look over or shes going to the shop up in Clearbrook for a check up.

Tell me this is a joke?


Bearing grease?

[kdupont]

If your relay looks like the one in the picture I posted there is a way to test it. Take jumper cables and attach the negative cable of your battery to the case of the relay (its easier to do if you take the relay off the bike) take the positive cable and attach to the little wire coming off the relay, you should hear a click. If you hear this click take an ohmmeter and attach it to the other two studs, you should see a reading of 0.0, if you see an OL reading then the switch inside the relay isn't working. If you don't hear the click at all you need to replace the starter relay.

I had issues where my relay wasn't grounded because the mounting plate it was on wasn't grounded. You may have this issue as well. If your relay works off the bike then you might add a ground wire to one of the relay mounting bolts.

[jbird7262]

No, not a joke, is that the problem? I know dielectric grease is what to use or vasiline ( not perfered) but from 4 wheeling days we put bearing grease on connections. Is that breaking the connection?, I can clean them off with thinner and start over. The bike was pretty much fine until now. I know nothing about these electical systems but ask me anything about paint and body repair I can help you all.

[jbird7262]

That black ground wire that went somewhere ended up on the - side of the relay post, same as where the starter ground is, maybe it should go to the relay mounting barcket? cuz it charred when I jumped the starter between the contacts. But the starter spun faster than I ever heard it before, could this be because there is no load on it on account that there is no juice going to any handlebar circuits.

[OldVet66]

First of all there is no starter ground wire, it is the body of the starter itself bolted to the grounded transmission case. The two wires on the solenoid terminal post are both positive, one feeding 12V+ and the other going to the starter motor positive terminal. The solenoid just makes, breaks that connection. If you put the thin black with white tracer wire with the big terminal ring terminal on one of those posts, you will fry your grounds. Oops, I see you already did that. Follow that ground into the cable bundle and see what damage you have done, repair it and put it where it belongs. Then the solenoid will work with the starter button.

[posplayr]

First of all there is no starter ground wire, it is the body of the starter itself bolted to the grounded transmission case. The two wires on the solenoid terminal post are both positive, one feeding 12V+ and the other going to the starter motor positive terminal. The solenoid just makes, breaks that connection. If you put the thin black with white tracer wire with the big terminal ring terminal on one of those posts, you will fry your grounds. Oops, I see you already did that. Follow that ground into the cable bundle and see what damage you have done, repair it and put it where it belongs. Then the solenoid will work with the starter button.

That is why I was saying the color selection for the solenoid to starter HOT was poorly made.

[OldVet66]

I should have posted earlier, I had a feeling you didn't understand posplayr when he was talking about the color coding on the solenoid. You also do not read everything that is posted and ask questions before you create smoke. Listen this time and inspect that ground wire as far back as it is damaged. I hope you got lucky, but connecting the battery directly to your grounding system could do a lot of damage. By the way, welcome to the forum.