free website stats program press starter button ,no start | Harley Davidson Forums

press starter button ,no start

1st cousins funeral last fall/winter, going to take last ride with him but bike would not start, I ran battery down trying to start, let trickle charge about 20 min. and ran battery down again, out of desperation and running out of time tried to jump using trickle charger connection on bike and trickle charger alligator clip to connect to lawn mower battery. As soon as connection was made the trickle charger wires melted. At this time I closed building and went to funeral in van. Next day I checked out bike and removed burnt trickle charger wires and found that the positive post was melted just a little, with new trickle wires tried to recharge battery but no good. NOW a coulpe weeks ago put on new battery tried to start bike but no start . All I get is a light thump from starter relay and from starter. checked relay with ohm tester and it is ok. tried to run jumper wire from positive battery post to starter and get it to turn over. No luck. Could this be anything other than the starter? If thought to be starter, can the starter be removed and leave drive in primary?
Want to try to repair myself, can't afford $60 hr. in shop. Bike is a 1990 Fxstc softail custom Evo 80cui, unfortuanly 88cui stroker kit installed before I bought bike. Had to install compression release in plugs so starter would turn over. Last starter installed was rebuilt (only drive unit )due to drive being twisted into. HELP!!!!!!!!
 
Welcome Softailscorpion to the HDTimeline forum and your first post...the most common cause of no starting is low battery capacity or bad connections under all the large primary cable terminals...battery positive and ground, the starter cable terminals and check fuses, relay contacts etc. by scraping clean with pen knife 'til shiny and coat with dielectric grease (HD has tube $10 or autoparts/RV dealer for less). Check that you are getting fueling, petcock to reserve or prime and try again, also check engine kill switch and other seemingly innocent things. Did you do something recent (filled up with unfamiliar gas), recent service (or lack of) etc.


Look at this extract from the Self Help Tab near the top of the page under Electrical...

http://www.hdtimeline.com/electrical_and_lighting_systems/25331-starter_system_trouble_shooting.html

Keep us appraised of your progress...
 
This is not that there is no gas or bad gas. At this time it will not even turn over to see if it will start. I was told maybe a bare ground or some type of electrical problem. Just concerned that it is only getting a thump ,kind of like getting elec. but locked up and just bumping.What I posted is what went down on that day. The day before I had started. Has always been cold natured in cooler weather.
 
Thanks Hobbitt - They now have comp releases that go directly into your spark plug holes. They are aluminum and they have special plugs that go into them. Run bout $300.00 set and these were installed after my starter drive was twisted into. Starter was actually O.K. rebuilder said he had not seen another starter built as well as this one and after drive replaced no other probs til now. will check all connections on starter though to assure o.k. Battery is new 300 cca
 
I took all connections from the Battery Positive and Ground and sanded ends and placed dielectric grease on all connections. However the original ground wire is bolted to the inner part of the primary ( inside the frame ) and cannot be disconnected without takeing 1/2 the bike apart. After completing the above the starter seems to want to kick in alomost like the battery is low, but after fully charging still the same. I have an additional ground cable already on my bike due to previous starter problems and was wondering if I could disconnect the original ground cable from the Battery and replace it with another in a locaton that can be easily reached for maintenance when neccessary.
 
Since the bike has been sitting, and it sounds like the starter is trying to engage. Put the bike in gear and rock it back and forth. Maybe a little corrosion has built up on the cyl. walls and the starter can't overcome it. If it only skids the tire, remove plugs, maybe a squirt of WD40 type stuff in the cylinders. If the pistons move, but the starter still won't turn, try hitting the button while rocking it, the starter could have some corrosion. It's all worth a try.
 
:57: Thanks for all the info: took starter off of bike and had it tested and it was fried. 1.5kw starter on a stroker doesn't work well. Have been told by a bike builder ( Eastern Performance cycles ) in Md. that I need their 1.4kw super tork starter to keep it going. They said this is what they use on their custom built cycles with 100cui. engines and they have had no problems and it has a 5yr. warranty.:s
 
Turned out that the starter was trying to tell me something was wrong with my bike and after a little troubleshooting found that the timing was out about 15 degrees causing my bike to be hard to start and therefore roasting my starters after so many starts. After adjusting timing I no longer need to use my compression releases...
 
I am glad to hear yo have it running again, too much advance can be very hard on a starter, especially if it barely has enough twist to roll it over with a higher compression engine.

I hope you get to enjoy the bike a little more than I can mine, raining here nonstop :(
 
Back
Top