Frustrating starting issue....

1541 Views 28 Replies 13 Participants Last post by wda-83wing, Jul 25, 2009

Digs IT

Discussion Starter · Jul 11, 2009

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I’m trying to help my buddy get his ’82 Wing running so we can take it to Alaska in 2 weeks.

Its very low km’s, around 50K. It started and ran great until we put it in storage. It was well prepped but basically just in a shed. In the spring – no start! Does not even turn over.

We tried a lot of things as you can see from the list below. As I have an ’81 and lots of extra parts we were able to swap batteries, starters etc.

Please review the list of things we tried and any help with the questions at the bottom would be greatly appreciated!

Bike Model - 1982 Honda Goldwing GL1100

Symptom - Does not start. Does not turn over. Starter has been diagnosed as functional.

Completed
Starter button tested.
Kill switch tested.
Battery tested - good strength, appropriate power ratings?
Battery switched out with proven good battery.
Tested relay - good
Connections tested.

Full Power to starter – YES

Starter turns if not connected - Yes
Appropriate rating of power to starter? – We believe so
Starter replaced, starter switched with proven good starter. Starter seems to try to turn.

Questions
Is there something PAST the starter that would prevent the bike from running? Chain? Starter clutch? Something electrical?

Why on my bike, does it only start if you crack the throttle? Couldsomething like this be the case withVik's bike? Is it some sort of internal electrical issue?
Someone in the forum mentioned dogbones??

Any help is Appreciated!

Ron

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Hobie1

· #2 · Jul 11, 2009

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Welcome to the forum.:waving:Have you tried pulling the spark plugs out and try to crank the engine then? I'm wondering if it is hyro-locked. Did you shut off the petcock when you put the bike in storage? If not, the motor might be full of gas. BTW, if you haven't tried what I described, don't have your face in front of the open spark plug holes. You might get a face full of gas.

Regards,

Hobie

plainmech

· #3 · Jul 11, 2009

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check ground connections must be clean:action::waving

oh good one hobie. dog bone fuses one on start relay and one main out from bat. right by start sol.

agnogel

· #4 · Jul 11, 2009

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hi ron and welcome to the forum i am not up to speed on the 1100 but will the engine turn by hand say in gear and spin the back wheel

wda-83wing

· #5 · Jul 11, 2009

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have you tryed a jumper wire from plus side of battery to the starter relay? im talking about the lead that comes from the starter switch.that engages the relay for the starter to turn. did it click ? it should. thats what passes power to the starter. hope you can make some sence of this.

morriscatt

· #6 · Jul 11, 2009

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I vote for still bad starter button contacts or it needs the sillynoid contacts cleaned. (inside contacts) Give the Sillynoid a light whack with a rubber hammer then try to start. really if contacts are bad, you may hear the click or starter then.

Bike...and Dennis

· #7 · Jul 12, 2009

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Hobie1 wrote:

You might get a face full of gas.

Oh, I love it when that happens.

Welcome to the forum Digs It.

I'm with Hobie on this. Something internal may be keeping the motor still.

Have you tried a simple bump start?

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Big Cahuna

· #8 · Jul 12, 2009

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Here's what I would do, make sure key is on, fuel is on, kill switch in normal position, choke all the way on, with an old screwdriver short the solenoid and battery terminals to make the starter turn the motor over.if the battery is good, and fully charged it should spin like a top.As long as there's fuel and your getting a good spark, it has to fire up.If it will turn over with the screwdriver trick, that means your solenoid is shot or your stater button is bad. a flooded motor will be hard to start,and a motor that has sat for months will take some cranking to fill 4 float bowls.

Hobie1

· #9 · Jul 13, 2009

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So, any luck??

Hobie

Hobie1

· #10 · Jul 18, 2009

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I wonder what happened to this question? I would like to know what he found out, wouldn't you??

Hobie

Bike...and Dennis

· #11 · Jul 18, 2009

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Yeah, I'd like to know.

plainmech

· #12 · Jul 18, 2009

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inquiring minds want to know:action::waving:

RayandTracy

· #13 · Jul 18, 2009

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Welcome to this Great Site!

Pull up a chair and join on in!

Ride Safe, Ray

:waving:

Hobie1

· #14 · Jul 18, 2009

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I PM'd him. I know that he and his buddy have to be busy getting ready for their trip but the problem intrigues me.

Ride on brudders and sisteren.:action:

Hobie

Digs IT

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jul 20, 2009

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Thanks for the PM Hobie

Thanks for all the responses Folks! Very greatly appreciated.

Soo sorry I took so long replying, life has been very crazy, so here's an update!

As the bike did not start it ended up sittingawhile sowe had to get it out and clean it up, charge the battery etc. This took a night...

Then we ran some more basic tests...again another night.

Within all of this we have both been super busy with our respective careers. And yes getting ready to take a few weeks off makes it even more busy.

Long story short,,,, we didn't get into the depths of this before my buddy anounced he was taking his new bike on the trip instead of the Goldwing. In the meantime I insured, cleaned and tuned my own bike. So yeah I was abit pissed.

Anyway, we leave Friday... and his bike is still not running so I'll be back. THis problem is intriguing me too.

ROn

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Digs IT

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jul 20, 2009

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Some responses:

YEs the click is there, again everything seems to work except turning over.

The engine runs great, its easy to bum start, the purrs nicely.

Battery tests well, starter is good....

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Mohawk

· #17 · Jul 20, 2009

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I really like on his first post how he spelled out all the steps and results they went through already.

Makes it much easier for us Arm Chair Mechanics to jump in.

Ok Here's Mine.

I had this happen to me just the other day.

Drove me nuts and I lost many hours for a 10 second fix. And I still can't quite believe it worked so well.

Mine happened over night. Started great one day then the next, All I got were clicks.

Then it would start fine, Happened a few more times during the day and I was worried my battery was low. So I charged it when I got home, As we all know that if the Battery is not at top form, starting on these wings suffers first.

I still had trouble, SO I took EVERYTHING apart and cleaned and checked all connections.
And I mean EVERYTHING. It looked like a Tupperware Party Exploded in my Shop.

I did the starter button too, But just a continuity check. Not an Ohms Check.
Starter button checked out good.

BUT.....

After many searches and reading posts and a couple of suggestions from other arm chair mechanics.

I sprayed the starter switch with contact cleaner and it FIXED EVERYTHING.

So a 10 second fix worked for me.

Even though the starter button checked out. It was a different matter under full voltage.

Can't hurt and I hope you are as surprised as I was.

Good Luck

Mohawk

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Digs IT

Discussion Starter · #18 · Jul 21, 2009

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Actually upon reflection, this does not explain why there is full power to the starter....

NOt a solution I am afraid.

terry_208

· #19 · Jul 21, 2009

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Digs It. Welcome to the forum. As you have noticed the members here are very will to give advice, not just any advice, great advice. When you get it sorted out it'll probably be one of the simplest things.

I was going for the hydro-locked cylinder (gas filled). You proved me wrong when you said bump starting it and it purred right along.

When all else fails check grounds, then check the voltage at the starter. Sometimes, a circuit will test good and when a high amp draw, like the starter, is engaged the circuit will fail.

I wish you and your friend a safe and enjoyable trip.

Terry

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Digs IT

Discussion Starter · #20 · Jul 23, 2009

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LOL, now MY starter is screwed!!!!

I have mine plus my buddies, his did not kick over my bike either. Would the fact that my main chain needs to be rebuilt cause the engine to be really hard to turn over?This would explain why the starter will not turn it over.

Going to try rebuilding them both tonight.

I think both these bikes are going on the sale block after this trip.

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1 - 20 of 29 Posts

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