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TOSHA
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Posted: Fri May 9th, 2008 08:35 pm | 1st Post |
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HELP! New here and thanks already for all the help. Here is my delimma, and my whole history.
Last weekend my husband bought A 1978 gl1000. It's a pretty nice bike...looks good etc...he even rode it home. Well, after he got home with it we noticed that the starter was very sluggish...then i looked down. The starter wire was frying it's self against the starter wall, when I tried to remove the wire I (of course) broke off the stud. So, I removed the starter, pain in the buttola, took it to the starter guys and they fixed it...put it back on with a new wire and new connectors...still sluggish. So, i then went to the solenoid. The solenoid that was on it looked like one that came off of a Murray riding lawn mower no joke! I couldn't figure out why no power was getting to the starter...so I found you guys...where I then found the thread on using a FORD solenoid...did it...finally got it seated and all neat and tidy, pushed start...NOTHING. Called a friend, told me to ground the solenoid...did...cranked up and started the first time...yeah! finally now i can plant my garden. WRONG. when i put the battery cover back on ....nothing, saw some smoke coming from the front left side...jerked off the tank cover and there it was a green/red wire frying...I had hooked that wire to the I side of the solenoid...should have been grounded. duh SO, I grounded the green/red wire and all i could get was still that sluggish starter. Oh, I turned the kill switch to off and cranked the motor...starter cranked fine...nice and fast and strong, then when i set it to run...sluggish??? So, I thought that maybe I ran the battery down. Went and got the Jeep, hooked up the jumper cables...started great, put the battery cover back on, nothing. Tried to short out the solenoid with the hot jumper cable...sparks, neutral light came on ...getting some kind of growling noise now, tried to rock the starter (in gear), still getting a neutral light and starter won't do anything...have I killed it? Please help...I am so frustrated right now that I want to  cry.
That damn green/red wire is gonna be the death of me.
thanks,
tosha
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Life’s journey is not about arriving at the gates of Heaven in a perfectly preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways; body totally used up, exhausted, muddy and screaming Wow!! WHAT A RIDE!
Well behaved women rarely make history. –Anita Borg.
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nomados
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Posted: Mon May 12th, 2008 06:41 pm | 2nd Post |
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It looks like the green / red wire goes to the starter disconnect switch. I've heard of those things going a little "funny" especially when there's been some shorting going on. Have you checked the full colour wiring diagram in the FAQ section? The sluggish starting with the kill switch on run may be caused by your timing being too far advanced. It can make quite a big difference in starter performance. This would explain why it works better with your car hooked up. When I look at the schematic it looks like the green / red goes from the solenoid, branches off to the diodes and continues to the starter disconnect switch. The other side of the switch is grounded.
It sounds like it might be time for a new battery.
Added:
If you scroll down here there's a simplified version showing what it takes to start and run.
Last edited on Mon May 12th, 2008 07:31 pm by nomados
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Derek
1975 gl 1000
Chicken Little was just a helmet marketing meeting gone terribly awry.
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TOSHA
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Posted: Tue May 13th, 2008 02:11 pm | 3rd Post |
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THANKS FOR THE INFO. LAST NIGHT I TRACED DOWN THAT GREEN/RED WIRE. IT WAS BURNED UP FROM JUST PAST THE CONNECTOR THAT COMES FROM THE CLUTCH WIRES. IT WAS BURNED FROM THAT CONNECTOR THEN THROUGH THE JUNCTION BOX.?. THEN INTO THE DIODE...THE TWO WIRES THAT GO INTO THE DIODE WERE MELTED TOGETHER. WE SEPERATED THE WIRES LT.GREEN/RED AND GREEN/RED, NEUTRAL LIGHT WENT OFF AND THEN WE PRAYED FOR A SIGN FROM THE STARTER AND HIT THE START BUTTON. STILL NOTHING BUT A CLICK. THEN WE TESTED THE DIODE...GOT A FULL READING BOTH WAYS. I HAVE THAT DANG THING IN MY PURSE..GONNA TRY AND FIND ONE SOMEWHERE IN TOWN TODAY (SMALL TOWN, SO IT'S DOUBTFUL) LUCKILY I WORK WITH THE WIFE OF THE OWNER OF OUR LOCAL RADIO SHACK!!
I AM STILL NOT CONVENCED THAT IT WILL START EVEN WITH THE NEW DIODE...I AM THINKING THAT I EITHER MELTED THE KILL SWITCH OR BURNED UP THE STARTER. BECAUSE WHEN YOU PUT A TEST LIGHT ON THE STARTER CABLE, AT THE STUD COMING OUT OF THE STARTER, AND PUSH THE START BUTTON IT LIGHTS UP, SOLENOID CLICKS BUT NOTHING FROM THE STARTER...MY DAD PUT HIS AMP METER ON THE SOLENOID AND IT SEEMED TO READ BACKWARDS...NOT SURE ABOUT THAT ONE EITHER...HE'S 76 YRS OLD AND WOULDN'T LET ME GET DOWN THERE AND CHECK IT FOR MYSELF...HE KNOW'S HIS STUFF; IT JUST TAKES HIM FOREVER TO GET IT DONE SOMETIMES.
I'LL KEEP YOU POSTED, AND IF YOU THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
TOSHA 
OH, IT HAS A BRAND NEW BATTERY ON IT, WE STARTED THERE THINKING THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. AND THAT 3 YELLOW WIRE PLUG THAT I KEEP SEEING HERE....I THINK MINE MAY BE MELTED...I'LL TRY AND TAKE SOME PHOTO'S TONIGHT AND POST THEM TOMORROW.
Last edited on Tue May 13th, 2008 02:15 pm by TOSHA
____________________
Life’s journey is not about arriving at the gates of Heaven in a perfectly preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways; body totally used up, exhausted, muddy and screaming Wow!! WHAT A RIDE!
Well behaved women rarely make history. –Anita Borg.
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Dubswing
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Posted: Tue May 13th, 2008 06:55 pm | 4th Post |
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I would be willing to bet that the starter needs rebuilding. The bushings are worn and allowed the armature to start rubbing. Pull it and have it checked.
Bernie
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Work for tomorrow, live for today.
Live life like you mean it!
GWRRA, Tenn. Chapter T
Patriot Guard Rider Member
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nomados
Very Active Member
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Posted: Tue May 13th, 2008 07:58 pm | 5th Post |
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Do you have a voltmeter? I'd check the voltage on that battery, even though it WAS new all that smoke and fire doesn't do a motorcycle battery any good. It could be ok, but I'd make sure you've got strong voltage going to that starter. That "click" is what happens when the battery is low. You might have a really serious leakage in the starter circuit. The fact that it turned well with the kill switch off speaks volumes in my opinion.
Let's simplify it. You said you put in a ford solenoid. Was this the thread you followed? ford solenoid
If so let's go ahead and simplify the circuit for troubleshooting.
First, remove all unnecessary fuses (headlight, front runners, etc. ) while you troubleshoot. If fact, just remove them all. We're bypassing the bike wiring anyway for this exercise.
Disconnect the wire from the solenoid terminal "s". (I imagine that's the green /red one.)
(if you have one) hook up your voltmeter so that your positive wire is connected to your starter lug, (the one you fixed) and the negative wire is connected to a really good ground. You can use the battery negative if you like. Make sure the voltmeter is set correctly (most likely 20V) and the terminals are plugged into the voltage ports on the voltmeter.
Take a hot 12v wire directly from the battery postive and with the bike on the centrestand and ensured that it's in neutral and with the kill switch "off" touch that hot wire to the "s" terminal on the solenoid. Something should happen. IF it's a click, check the voltmeter reading. If it's turning over we've gotten closer.
IF you don't have a voltmeter you can do this exercise anyway. What we are doing is bypassing the bike wiring to see if that's where the problem is. IF the starter behaves the same using the bike wiring as this exercise, and voltage is strong, then your starter is most likely to blame.
You don't even need the key for this exercise. I've just told you how to halfway-hotwire-a-honda.
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Derek
1975 gl 1000
Chicken Little was just a helmet marketing meeting gone terribly awry.
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TOSHA
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Posted: Tue May 13th, 2008 08:19 pm | 6th Post |
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You are awesome, i will check this when i get home...i just stopped by radio shack and picked up a multimeter and some diodes...i hope i have the correct ones. i'll fill you in tomorrow
Oh, and yes I partially followed the thread you refer to...unfortunately I followed another one as well and it told me to attach the green/red wire to the other side of the solenoid...as it started to fry i realized that it should be hooked to a ground. I have since grounded it to the frame, along with a ground wire that I rigged to the mounting bracket of the solenoid switch. I will take pics tonite, and get the ford part number.
Last edited on Tue May 13th, 2008 08:29 pm by TOSHA
____________________
Life’s journey is not about arriving at the gates of Heaven in a perfectly preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways; body totally used up, exhausted, muddy and screaming Wow!! WHAT A RIDE!
Well behaved women rarely make history. –Anita Borg.
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