Electric start problem

[bushhead311]

Hi folks,

Before I put my question out, thanks for the help earlier this year with my bike. This forum has been a fantastic resource for me, and has saved me a good bit of cash by avoiding the shop. I have a 1987 GS450L that I found in mint condition that a fellow had in storage for several years. It wouldn't start and he didn't want to fool with it(aka his wife wanted the garage back:-D) After cleaning the carbs I had it running great, with only 9,000 miles on it! My recent trouble has me rather perplexed, and any help would be greatly appericated, as I feel it is an easy fix.

The trouble started when I absent-mindedly left the key in my bike, on the on position for about 4 hours while I was at work(thanks to the silly kickstand safety circuit, you put your kickstand down and you can hop off without even realizing the key is still stuck in it). Anyway, of course the battery was absolutly dead when I realized what I had done, so I got it home a clutch-pop start. I charged my battery(which is relativly new), however when I put it back in my start button refused to function. For the last week I have been pop-clutch starting it, and it's getting old quick(why oh why didn't they put a kick-start on this bike? :-D)
This is what I have done:
1) Tested battery output, which is healthy at 12.5 volts and stays at that voltage even while I am pressing the start button
2) Done initial testing on the starter button, kill-switch, kickstand switch, and the clutch-switch.. the circuits work and I zero out on ohms with all those switches.
My solenoid has 4 wires, two thick black and red and two small black-white and yellow/green.
Note : My solenoid is not even clicking when I press start... and I know I have plenty of juice flowing from the battery.
4) Main fuse is good
5) I bridged the black/red on the solenoid and my starter did indeed crank.

I am suspecting a bad connection or a bad solenoid.. however the bike worked flawlesly and cranked right up until the point that my battery drained... and all I did when my battery drained is take it out, charge it, and re-insert it.
Could it be a bad ground?
I would be suprised if my solenoid just happened to die randomly when my battery died, all this to say I am at a point where the next step would be to do some heavy-duty electrical system diagnostic.. and I'm wondering if I missed something easier, and thought I would check with ya'll before I went bananas on the bike. Thank you for your help!

Ben

[justmount1]

get a new button and change it out the button seems to have gone bad

[BassCliff]

5) I bridged the black/red on the solenoid and my starter did indeed crank.

Then I think you've done a good job at troubleshooting. It must be the wires leading to the switch, either the hot wire or ground wire. Loose ground? Is there a starter circuit fuse with a flaky connection at the terminal? Sorry, I don't have a wiring diagram for the GS450 so I can't get any more specific. Please pardon the profound glimpse into the obvious.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Steve]

My solenoid has 4 wires, two thick black and red and two small black-white and yellow/green. ...
5) I bridged the black/red on the solenoid and my starter did indeed crank.

OK, you have already done most of the troubleshooting. \\/
The two thick wires...one goes to the battery, the other goes to the starter.
The two thin wires...one goes to the starter button (probably the green/yellow), the other (the black/white) is a ground.
Use a jumper wire or a screwdriver to jump from the battery terminal to the starter button terminal. If it cranks over, the problem is in your starter button. If it still does not work, run a jumper wire from the ground terminal to a good ground and try again. It is not unheard of for the starter button to get dirty and not work. Cover all your paintwork and spray the starter button area with contact cleaner. You can also use WD-40 to clean the switch area, but be sure to follow up with contact cleaner. If it still does not work, you might have to take the switch housing apart and investigate.


.

[scotto58]

Ben

If you haven't already, disconnect the yellow/green wire from the solenoid and check for voltage at the end when you push the starter button. No voltage-bad/dirty switch;voltage-bad solenoid.
Another possibility--does your bike have a clutch interlock switch(look for 2 wires coming from the clutch lever. If so it may have gone bad. I just realized today that my 79 GS850 has 1-apparently it's shorted, or disconnected by the PO, as I don't have to pull the clutch in to start it.
Happy hunting

Scott

[bushhead311]

Fuse

Where would the starter circuit fuse be located? I only found one fuse on the bike.

[BassCliff]

Where would the starter circuit fuse be located? I only found one fuse on the bike.

I asked my buddy, who has a GS450, and found out that there is only one 10amp fuse for the whole bike. I'm sorry if I misled you earlier.

I'll give myself a BSOD now.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[bushhead311]

Starter Button

I did test the starter button, at the points of contact on the actual switch itself, and it zeroed out when I pushed it in.

Could it be on the line between the starter button and the solenoid?

I also took the clutch interlock out of the equation, by disconnecting it and connecting the two wires without it in the circuit.

Are there any other possibilities that would be caused from my battery drain, even it has been recharged?

[chef1366]

Did you try jumping the solenoid?

[twistedwankel]

OK, you have already done most of the troubleshooting. \\/
Cover all your paintwork and spray the starter button area with contact cleaner. You can also use WD-40 to clean the switch area, but be sure to follow up with contact cleaner. If it still does not work, you might have to take the switch housing apart and investigate.


.

The little spring under the contact surface of my original switch actually rusted/rotted away and I got a new one with a contact surface/switch from BikeBandit as they came together. Not alot of money.

[bushhead311]

Update

Ok I checked the yellow/green wire.. it is getting juice.. I inferred from that the starter button is ok.. does this mean the solenoid is shot? I bridged the gap on the solenoid and the starter did crank.. chef when you said did i jump the solenoid.. do you mean bridge it or jump it from another power source? I am confused as to what jumping the solenoid would be.. I guess I am just gonna try and get my hands on another starter solenoid...

[bushhead311]

Update

The yellow-green wire is getting juice.. however it is in the 10V ballpark... should it be just as strong as the battery current(12.5)? If 10V is too low.. that means I have a whole lot of wiring to go through.. as my yellow/green hot lead to the solenoid runs through all the cutoffs, starter button, and headlights etc.

[gremlin]

check your local supplyer for lawn mowers. I bet thay have a starter solenoid for around 10 bucks or less. thay work wonders when you need to truble shoot a starter problem.

jumping the starter solenoid. is the same as briging.

[txironhead]

The yellow-green wire is getting juice.. however it is in the 10V ballpark... should it be just as strong as the battery current(12.5)? If 10V is too low.. that means I have a whole lot of wiring to go through.. as my yellow/green hot lead to the solenoid runs through all the cutoffs, starter button, and headlights etc.

Try running a jumper wire from the positive terminal of the battery to the hot wire on the solenoid (the one to the switch, not the starter or battery ones) If the solenoid works then, it's your switch or related wiring. If it doesn't, new solenoid.

[simon_C]

thats what happens when you put all those fancy-shmancy gadgets like electric start on a bike

(ok i kid, my gs400 has kick only)

but it does sound like a toasted solenoid