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Starter, Solenoid ??

  • Thread starter Thread starter Brian Massman
  • Start date Start date
B

Brian Massman

Guest
Here is my deal:

Bike: 83 GS 1100 GK

Problem: Went from starting rough, especially when it is hot, to not starting. The solenoid clicks when I start it but nothing from there.

Any direction on how to tell if it is the starter or solenoid that is out?

ps. The battery is charged

Thanks,

Brian
 
If you're getting a click then the solenoid is most likely not your problem. Take a screwdriver and arc it across the two big terminals on the solenoid to see if the starter spins up. You shouldn't even need the ignition on for that. If not you can usually bring the starter back to life by polishing up the commutator on the starter. The commutator is the part of the armature the brushes ride on. Use a little emery cloth to polish it and use a pick to clean the debris out of the slots. You'll need new brushes if they are getting down to about 1/4" long.
 
Great response

Great response

Thanks for taking the time.

I did what you said and it does spin.

I will do what you advised with the starter.

(With help from someone that knows what they are doing! :-D)
 
If the starter spun up after jumping the terminals then the starter is probably fine and the solenoid is suspect. Some guys use riding mower solenoids to replace the stocker. I think they run about $10 at Lowe's or Home Depot compared to who knows what for the Suzuki part.
 
$10 from Lowes

$10 from Lowes

:-D wow, that is something you don't read in the average tech manual.

I am going to give that a shot.

Thanks again!

Brian
 
Billy, question on the connections

Billy, question on the connections

:-D Hi Billy, you still there?

Hey, I went to lowes and they do have them solonoids.

It really looks like the same size. My only question is that my 83 gk
has 2 small round electrical prongs that attach to it and the tractor solonoid had one prong that was square connector.

Any thoughts on that?
 
solenoid tried

solenoid tried

I tried to replace it with a solenoid to see if that was the problem and it was not.

I forgot to note something.

1.When I turn my key on, I do not have any lights. When I jump the solenoid I then have lights.

2.Before it died, it was a slow growly start. It really struggled to start when it was hot.

Is this indicative of the starting motor?
 
The lights should come on as soon as the key is turned on.
Now, you say the lights come on when you "jump the solenoid" - but that circuit should only make the starter motor turn. Sounds like someone messed with the wiring in a major way, or when you "jump the solenoid", you're really "jumping" the fuse (bypassing it) that powers the lights/ignition.
Do you have a wiring diagram? Without one, you're going to have a rough time understanding what's going on.
 
wiring diagram

wiring diagram

No, I do not have a wiring diagram, and really would need to farm this type of work out, as I am not handy at all with this stuff. And I mean at all.

My concern is it chewing up more money than the bike is worth.

I think I am going to seek out someone that can go through the wiring for me. I am tempted to sell or perhaps give it away if I found someone that had a need and had the knowledge to fix it themselves.
 
Ah, now if only I lived within 5 hours driving distance of you I'd have a nice new project!!!
But seriously, I guess you have to decide if you're willing/able to invest the time and effort to learn.
Tool acquisition costs will probably be between $200 and $400, depending on what you've got already.
 
Last edited:
Jumping the solenoid should not brighten the lights, ever....if anything it may dim them due to the current being drawn by the starter.

A growling sound from the starter means a poor cable connection, which could be at the battery, or the starter end, but is most likely at the solenoid, as you probably have a second wire connecting there, and leading elsewhere on your bike, thus the change in lighting when you cross the posts.

If you intend to clean up the commutator on the starter, and/or replace the brushes, look at the starter body first. You will see small marks on the body and the end cap. They are supposed to match up when the unit is assembled.
 
about this tractor starter relay... What model are you getting and which terminals correspond with what on the bike. I've gone through a few used starter relays and they've all been bad. I'm ready for something new that doesn't cost $60
 
Alright , I went to lowes and found the $10 relay and it fits with no modification. Only problem is i still get the click and no start. When I arc the terminals it starts. Whats the deal??? I do have the relay grounded directly to the battery.
 
Clean the ground wire off the battery. Clean all the connections between the battery and starter. Bypass the clutch safety switch. Make sure the battery is good.
Do the old clean the connections game. Squeeze the female end of loose fitting bullet connectors.
 
take apart the starter to see what you can see, you might see a magnet that's supposed to be on the walls wreaking havoc. you can epoxy it back on with high temp epoxy
 
andrewclaycomb said:
Alright , I went to lowes and found the $10 relay and it fits with no modification. Only problem is i still get the click and no start. When I arc the terminals it starts. Whats the deal??? I do have the relay grounded directly to the battery.
Click to expand...

The fact that you can cause the starter to operate and bike to start means there's no basic problem with the circuit. Other information is needed though:

When you "arc" which terminals - the 2 large ones? If this is what you're doing, then try this......(in neutral of course!) temporarily jumper the large post connected to battery positive (on the solenoid of course) to it's small control terminal.....if the engine cranks here then the problem IS that you have excessive resistance (voltage drop) in your bike's start circuit......this circuit is comprised of (typically) the clutch switch, kill switch, starter pushbutton, and maybe the sidestand switch (check and follow your wiring diagram).

A METHOD to finding out where the problem lies, is to take your voltmeter and make progressive measurements as you continue to try to start while hearing the click (which is probably the solenoid only weakly trying to switch). Put your voltmeter negative lead on the battery negative and positive on the control contact of the solenoid (wire still connected).....try to start and read this voltage. Now move the negative lead to the solenoid base and compare by trying again......this will determine if you have significant ground connection problems. If still low (you should have 12V initially and should the solenoid actually make, this will drop to say 10 or so as the engine cranks), then move your positive lead back to the next connector or switch in the chain and repeat......at some point you'll find the spot where the drop is occurring. Note that circuit is probably fused (if original!) and a good tip is to check the voltage with your wandering positive lead at THIS FUSE FIRST (not ON the fuse itself but on the output side connection).

Hope this is clearer than mud at least!
 
I'm going to bring this thread back from the dead and report on what happened with my bike.

Today I remembered posting this so I looked it up. and reading that last post I realized that I had too many grounds. The terminal that was supposed to be wired to the positive terminal on the battery was hooked on to the negative terminal. I didn't think anything about it because i went through and grounded every component I could find directly to the battery.

Maybe that's a first in the GS forums, too many ground leads.

I also just got my carbs back from wiredgeorge (wgcarbs.com) so we'll see how she runs as soon as my battery charges up. They look incredible.

I also found where my oil leak is located. This bike might really be completely finished soon.
 
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