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Help - Starter relay bad?

15K views 16 replies 8 participants last post by  wadhams666 
#1 · (Edited)
OK, so my weekend is pretty much shot now as the bike is down. My '06 won't start at all. The starter won't even spin. I rode the bike to work on Friday, took it to lunch, and when I went to leave for the night, it wouldn't start. I had to bump-start it to get it home.

So, here's my deal. The starter motor won't turn at all. I hit the starter button and the relay clicks, but nothing. So I checked the fuses and the usual switches (sidestand, stop, neutral, etc) and they're all fine. Cracked open the manual and started tracing electrical lines. The only thing between the battery and the starter motor is the dang relay. So I decided to test the motor before I went any farther diagnosing it. It took the starter motor wire off the relay and touched it to the battery side. Wham! The starter motor starts turning just fine. Reconnected it to the relay and double checked all the connections: "Click - click - click" for each starter button push, but nothing.

Is it possible for the relay to fail like this? Still actually work, but not really make contact? That little magnetic switch is $73 to boot!!! Should I just order up a new one or am I missing something all together???

PS - Warranty expired in Feb. Figures, right?
 
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#2 ·
Make sure the battery has a good charge to it. Other than that check the starter switch on the handlebars. It could be a bad/dirty contact. If all that is good then get a new relay.

Tread
 
#4 ·
Battery is fine. Been on a charger all weekend and didn't show any signs of being weak when it ran on Friday or when I bypassed the starter relay.

I didn't specifically check the starter switch because it activates the relay when pressed. Could it still be bad even if this is happening?
 
#5 ·
Hooking a jumper battery will tell you if its the battery, you don't need the other vehicle running if you choose to use jumper cables. Most likely it is the relay, but if the battery is weak, has enough power to turn the starter from a direct jump but loses power thru the relay I would recharge the battery or use the jumper battery, if that does allow it to crank then change batteries and check the charging system. If it doesn't crank, change the relay.

Tread
 
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#7 ·
Yup, definitely not the battery. The relay only clicks once per starter button press. Guess I'll have to order up a new relay. Thanks for the help guys!
 
#9 ·
...don't know about the GEN2 bikes but the GEN1 bikes have a wire under the seat that you can ground and it will show what the ECU thinks is wrong by flashes of the FI light.

Your problem sounds exactly like what happened to me shortly after getting the bike out for the riding season this year. I did the FI light thing and it said the relay was faulty so I ordered a new one and that fixed it.
 
#10 ·
Unfortunately, the ECU isn't reporting a problem here. There's no indications of a problem other than the starter motor not spinning when the button is pressed.

Good to hear that someone else had a problem with this relay as I'm not sure how such a simple device can fail like that and still give the appearance of it working properly :dontknow:

I have used relays I can sell. If anyone wants one, send me a note at ted47dsr@sbcglobal dot net
Man, I noticed this to late! I ordered one online yesterday and I'll get hit with a 25% restocking fee if I cancel at this point. Oh well, thanks for the offer anyway!
 
#12 ·
Yeah, that's what I thought to. Cleaning them and verifying that the connections were tight were one of the first things I did. Didn't affect my problem at all. The only thing I can think of is that it arced internally and created a carbon build up or a hole in the contacts that I can't see. :dontknow: The only physical indication of a problem is that the fuse cap plastic is slightly warped on the battery terminal side. Something got a little warm there evidently, but not drastically.
 
#13 ·
No problem SD. I hope the new relay fixes the problem. Since you're gonna remove the relay (or already have), you can check the relay for operation by putting +12V to one of the two connectors right next to the fuse, and grounding the other. If you get a click, put an ohmmeter across the two main battery/starter screws to check for continuity. No continuity = bad relay.

Did you have have an occasion where you cranked it over for quite a while before it lit off? This situation might cause a heat buildup that might have melted the plastic and damaged the relay.
 
#14 ·
Did you have have an occasion where you cranked it over for quite a while before it lit off? This situation might cause a heat buildup that might have melted the plastic and damaged the relay.
Nope, that just it. I could see that as a cause for the failure, but it started up normal in the morning and then at my lunch break. Both times (and for the last several rides that I can recall), the starter button has not been depressed for longer than 3 sec at most. Hit the button and she fires right up. For the life of me I can't figure out what would cause it to fail like that.

Oh well, should have the new one soon and I'll try out the ohm meter on it like you suggest. I tried that while it was on the bike, but couldn't get a good reading because it was still connected. I knew it wouldn't read right, but I had narrowed it down to this as the problem. Thanks for the response!
 
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