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starting probs on 97 softail

restlessgypsy

restlessgypsy

Member
bike would just click sometimes, mostly when hot, took out starter and had rebuilt, reinstalled and started fine for a month, everyday, started just making clicking sound again, ordered push button solenoid cover, worked for a while, when needed, finally had shop replace starter and battery, $813, that was about 6 weeks ago, now bike is clicking again sometimes, mech who replaced starter second time says those push button covers mangle and destroy solenoids. he now says starter relay could be prob. I can't throw any more parts at this, i need to know if its the relay or not now, is there anyway to be sure its the relay before i buy one? thank you in advance......
 
I would have started with testing the starter relay before I replaced the starter or solenoid. The push button will not harm the solenoid.
 
ive heard the push button would not harm solenoid, this mech is dead set against them, says i'm just mashing connections together in solenoid, i feel like i got took, guy seems cool enough, alot more ex. then me wrenching on bikes, relay is 15 bucks or so, i can try that and go from there, if thats all it is i'm gonna have a bit of a prob with this mech...
 
Put the relay in yourself. Don't bother with the mechanic. Then you wont have a problem
 
most def. do myself, but still prob with hot shot replacing 800 bucks worth of a 15 dollar prob from get go... I did starter replace the first time, when it acted up again i was second guessing my wrenching and took it to him for diag.
 
Put in the relay and if it cures the problem confront him with it. Make sure you have printed out this thread before you do. Then you can show him that he may have a 60,000+ strong problem with you.
 
The tech is wrong, the solenoid is an electro magnetic switch, it is no different than shorting cross the connections at the solenoid, that said pull the starter and bench test it and have a look at the contacts in the solenoid, some off shore manufactures use cheap components
 
i thought he was wrong about those push buttons, the starter and solenoid are supposedly genuine HD parts, I know they could be still made overseas. but I don't think I have a problem with solenoid. lemme ask this, this starts as a once in a while prob but gets progressively worse as time goes on, do bad relays act this way? I haven't had a chance to pick up a new relay yet, or even mess with bike yet, she started fine for me today, will see tomorrow

will a bad starter relay cause bike to not start once in a while or would bad relay not let bike start period, I'm trying to narrow down possible probs and can't throw any more parts at it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Time to start over.

Clean all electrical connections and make sure they are secure.

Have battery load tested, or replace it.

If the click is a loud metallic sound, it is most likely the movement of the solenoid you are hearing, (you can confirm this by putting your hand on the starter when you push the start button, you will feel it).

If this is the case, the problem is likely to be a bad electrical connection somewhere between the solenoid and the starter motor.

You can take the end off the solenoid and access the contacts with the starter on the bike.

If the click is faint, and you don`t feel anything on the starter when you push the button, it is probably the relay that you are hearing.

The push button on the solenoid won`t hurt the solenoid, but if the problem is downstream of the starter relay, the push button will not help.
 
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