Positive lead to battery gets hot any suggestions?

[Anonymous]

My gs 850 (1982) has recently stopped firing completely. I changed out the CDI Unit, and I got it to start once, and it ran great. Since then it has gone back to not firing. The engine turns over fine, and the vacuum pull from the engine is normal. The only reason it won't start is no fire. I have noticed yesterday, that when I turn the motor over after two or three cycles, the positive terminal on the battery gets so hot that it will burn you if you touch it. Is there any reason that anyone know why this is happening? Any suggestions would be welcome.

[Hap Call]

Three things could cause that that I can think of...1). High current pull through the terminal (you will see that if you crank a long time on your starter), 2). a loose or dirty connection that is causing some resistance and thus heating up like a cigarette lighter, or 3). an internal fault in the battery that is causing the terminal to heat up.

Disconnect the wire lug and clean it, clean the terminal and put it back together and see if that helps.


Hap

[SqDancerLynn1]

Clean the grounds also

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the suggestions, I will try those. Any ideas on what could be causing it to not fire?

[Bill + Karen]

Thanks for the suggestions, I will try those. Any ideas on what could be causing it to not fire?

Not enough juice getting past the bad connection to have enough leftover to work the coils while cranking.? Just a guess. Also slower cranking for the same reason. Bill

[Anonymous]

It sounds like either your starter solenoid is shorting out, or your starter motor is shorting out. It won't be a complete short in either one as the thing is still turning over, but check both.

The only way that I can think that you will draw that much current is a very high drain through the starter system. Anything else and it will blow a fuse. The starter motor and solenoid are not on a fuse curcuit.

Kim