There are a few very common HD Starter problems. It starts with pushing the start button on only hearing a "click". It's a quick summary of these problems and the fixes for them
NEEDED this video today. Perfectly explained and accurate to what was wrong. Starter was good, cleaned brushes and reinstalled. Power at starter was 12.8v, relay has crap ground wire and l replaced with much larger. Still a click click. Then replaced relay with known good. Cranked right up after 4 yrs of a no start. Now time to rebuild the carb. Thx bro
God bless you, sir! Swapped out all of the oil hoses on my brother's 85 sportster 1000 xlx and wouldn't crank over. Was that little ground wire. Thank you for this in-depth video it proved quite valuable!
Good video! I'm an old mechanic and will refer non-mechanics to this video. A heavier conductor is a very good idea. So are the pushbutton solenoid end covers, and the cheap ones (I've installed a variety) work fine. In emergencies you can safely remove the solenoid end cover and use the plastic end of a screwdriver to push the solenoid into contact to start the bike. Either pocket the solenoid core and the long spring which rides on it, or reinstall cover. Denso OSGR starters are metric. The cover screws vary (aftermarket starters often use socket head fasteners) with some being 7mm (that size has no inch-spec wrench interchange). Others look like Phillips but are really JIS on which Phillips drivers usually work. Keihin carbs also use JIS screws so if you work on those have a basic JIS set. Vessel make good ones which are cheap on Amazon etc.
THANK YOU!!! I just took three bolts outta the solenoid cover and used a platic thingy to push the solenoid in and it started!! Now I KNOW what the problem is!! Never knew you could do that!! The first time the plunger and the spring popped out Second time I held it in and she started!!! Thank you so much. sometimes I get more info from the comments like I did today!!!
You said you hope this video helps someone. I have shared this video 3/4 times to the FXR Alpha page . There are over 11,000 FXR fanatics on that page. Every once in awhile I see a guy asking about his FXR click. I share this video to the page. This video has helped me and at least several other guys on the FB page. So thank you once again.
I'm working on my father's 95 Harley Electra glide. This is exactly the problem I'm having, I thought it was the starter but the starter is actually working fine when I hot wire it. But this particular problem I have to look into as you say you can hear a click. Me too. So this has given me a lot of helpful information, thank you for posting.
So glad I found your video. You have same set up as me on my 1991 fxrs-sp.. I did a bench test on the starter and it engages great. Now to chase the others problems you mentioned..thks!
This is a 5-star outstanding video... thanks!!! You were crystal clear, easy to understand, didn't rush or waste time babbling. You were methodical and left no stone unturned .... however - I went through every step, rebuilt the solenoid, replaced the relay, checked and cleaned all wiring, and my bike still only CLICKS - very loud forceful clicks indeed. The starter simply won't engage.
@@tinbenderbear3248 Thanks but it ended up being one of the 6 connectors under the ignition switch. (chrome on/off gas tank switch has 6 post connections)
Really appreciate your time and effort in making this vid. I wish I had found it about 3 months ago before I had been able to get a ride to the Harley shop. Now Im out over 500 bucks and Im still stranded with no way to go because I was convinced that it was a problem with my TSSM module that has been OBSOLETE from Harley for years now so I was told. I paid 200 for one from up north Im in Georgia by the way. Now it still doesnt start up because I have to get it to the Harley dealer so they can marry the new part to my 2003 Dyna superglide. They have made the part OBSOLETE now like its unimportant but yet they require me to bring it to them to get it to ever start again when I have to replace the TSSM. IF YOU ARE JUST AS CONFUSED AS ME THEN PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND!!! THANKS AGAIN BRO FOR THE GREAT HELP AND KNOWLEDGE YOU OFFERED FOR FREE!!😊
Thanks for the info. I have a ghost problem. My bike wouldn't start. Can tell if a heard a click or not. Headlight on was running then stopped. Nothing from the start button. Monkeyed with stater relay mine is a round one with 3 nutted on wires. And I have an after market starter motor. Flag terminal was loose. Tighten connections it started rode for about a week and a half and boom. Same problem. The volt measure is a great help I'm gonna try. Thank you.
Thanks again for your video and knowledge and understanding. I have a 74 FLH and it will not start, no clicking nothing. The battery is brand new and fully charged and the starter relay is brand new. Along with brand new points and a brand-new ignition coil and the condenser. Just to be sure I even replaced the starter button as it is 50 years old. In desperation, I checked the grounding wire from the starter relay to the transmission stud and saw that it was very average at best and I'm going to replace that with a heavier gauge as you suggested and we will see if that works. Thanks again.
Starter relay went bad on my 83 FXWG when In Japan. Lucky I was still young. Kick Started it Japan and Philippines. Now I keep electric start good. Thanks for the video!
Great Video, Brother. Thanks. Saves, time , and good education, for this problem. Mine was nothing at the button on the handle bar. Comments welcome.. I will work this through. Stan, Big Island Hawaii
Great 1 of a kind video! Thanks. Now where do the other 2 wires go? I have a no click no start and Im thinking of bypassing the ECM and directly connecting my start button to a fused relay so I can use the handle bar button to star the bike again. 2005 RK EFI no alarm.
excellent video I have the exact same symptoms on a 92 Sporty xlh1200. New battery, new starter/new solenoid, new battery cables ... new relay .. and still click:click:click, sometimes the solenoid clicking other times the relay clicking. It sounds and "Feels" like a bad ground - hopefully I can follow that connector under the relay and replace that thin gauge wire. thanks for posting this - I was out of ideas till now.
Good video sir, but the #12 ground wire to the start relay you put in is only there for the coil of the relay and has nothing to do with a ground to the starter or starter solenoid. The solenoid is grounded through the mounting of the starter as well as it's own ground wire. An 18AWG wire is plenty big enough to run to the relay ground.
great vid so the relay switches ground on the solenoid . ? because just grounding the relay coil wont make or break the high current switch ? anyway Im trying to deal with the same problem on a frinds bike the starter is brand new as is most of the bike the thing is my clicking is a repeated click click click .. perfect batt etc. the relay is the cheapest relay ever Ihoping its that and not the ecu or something
2007 Heritage here. These are my symptoms of starter problems. When I bought the Bike ( From Private Party) It started OK, sometimes kicking back on the starter and sometime weak starter motor. I am not a mechanic, Thinking this was normal. Then one day I stopped to take a break, turned the Bike off got something to drink. Got on the Bike and tried to start. (CLICK CLICK CLICK) Had to call TOW truck for a JUMP start, Driver said sounds like a bad ground connection. When I got Bike HOME, Took the seat off followed the ground wires to the frame. took them off, used some FINE sandpaper to clean matching surfaces. Reassemble and tighten bolts. The Bike starts like NEW. Symptoms, WEAK STARTER,KICK BACK ON STAERTER, Sometime clicking. Ground terminals were Black and corroded.
RLH 54,,,,99 Evo, Fat Boy here. Bought it from Harley and it very often would kick back on starter like timing was too advanced. Put new battery in and pinion gear tore up. Put in Spike starter, new jackshaft and gear and soon ring and pinion gears break teeth. Took it to dealer to get fixed. They said my work was good but didn't check timing like I asked. $700 + and 400 mi. later ring and pinion tore up again. Fixing starter myself now and putting in all new Harley ignition and time it. Thanks for info, I'll check the grounds. Did anyone else have these symptoms?
Thank you very much! I thought it was the battery. Had it checked. It was good. I changed the voltage regulator, main fuse, and new battery. Still having trouble. Found your video. So very helpful. I have a 1995 Roadking with screaming Eagle heads & big bore on a Evolution engine. And, S&S Super E carb.
Thx however i have this same problem my bikes a 1995fxsts softail all it does now with the new cylonoid pluncher i jnstalled, it just shoots flames out the ehaust and it makes a crazy poling sound then it wont start again it bas a S&s carb , then when i try the start button on the bars i get cljc cljc clic nothing s.os llease help where would my starter relay be located on thjs 1995
My starter is spinning but not engaging, had the same problem about a year ago, replaced the jackshaft, the bushing, and the starter clutch gear and the problem went away untill the winter months rolled in, I live in the south so winters don't really get too cold to ride, but I started having that problem again it spins but doesn't engage the engine, anyone got any suggestions?
having same problem, think it's the ground as well. What should i physically attach the ground wire to? Ground to frame? or ground to a bracket? looking in my clymer manual it doesn't say it's a frame ground and the lastguy grounded it to the starter motor which is what i think messed it up.
In my case it was a frame ground. When I removed the screw, I could see that the "star' washer had pushed past the paint is a few small spots. With enough years passing it slowly oxidized and didn't provide a good ground. Add to that a flimsy gage factory wire and it made things worse. You can try making it a good frame ground and see if that helps.. Make sure it is a "ground" wire.
The video did not fix my problem. Liking and subscribing because of the way you explained things. I feel less stressed than before I watched your video. :-)
Get a test light or run power to your headlight and use suspected bad ground wire as the ground and see if the light is bright. You can do a resistance check on the ground wire with a meter but the light is a better test because it load tests the wire.
Hey I have a 2000 heritage softail classic and when I hit the starter button I hear sizzling like bacon frying coming from the starter area. can you help me before I take this thing apart? maybe save me some time. thanks in advance!
I got a 2004 custom ,I can't find a starter relay anywhere on my bike,I have the clicking ,but no crank? Help ,all I can see is a flat black bid 4 inch long by 1.5 by l inch box ,with wires going into it
I have a 1988 Harley Sportster 1200 I replaced the starter it's been 5 months and no it doesn't start I live in Oregon so we do get alot of rain and water keeps finding it's way in the starter how can I fix this problem theres no drawn hole but on the top of the starter there's two holes that the water finds so it fills up and rust
I have a problem with the bike shutting down while riding. I turn the ignition switch and it restarted. I pushed the kill switch down and it restarted. The ignition switch worked then it broke contact again. I held the kill switch and it backfired once and then started running. I rode it to the store and no more problems. this has been happening once in a while when I go down to the store come out to start it and start riding and it will shut off. Fool with the kill switch or the ignition and it restarts. Sometimes it will take more than one try but it usually starts and takes me home. I'm wondering if it is a relay going bad?
I'm not even getting a click, what else could the problem be other than the obvious things? also, how would I bypass all ignition wires and Hotwire it,
I have an 04 road king. Non start situation, when i press the start button nothing happens, not even a click. I have power when I turn on the ignition switch. Could it be a bad start button?
I have the same problem with mt 1996 fxstc. Ignition switch on, all lights are on and work as they should. Press the start button and nothing, no click, nothing happens. Did you figure it out? I don't want to pay for someone to diagnose it and then fix something that could be simple. Thanks
@@shammydanzi I traced the wires and i found a pinch in the wires. try doing that. go from starter button on the bars all the way to the relay and see what you find
Hey so I went to start my bike today and when I turned the key lights came on and everything normal. Well I when I hit the start button it just shut off. Like everything off. So I took the key out and when I turned it nothing no lights no nothing. I thought it might be battery so I plugged it in to charge for 4ish hours came back still when I turn the key absolutely nothing. Do you have any idea what it might be thanks!
i have an 05 Ultra Classic, and my motor wont turn over, i get just the clicking and it does seem like clicking is coming from the relays, ground issue? solenoid issue?
