Starter problems - click click click then starts immediately (video)

[adgergewh]

Here is a video of what happens. Funny thing is the bike was sitting for a week previously and when I went to make the video the bike fired up on the first try.



Is this the starter motor itself or something else? Fuel and spark are good obviously and the electronics work fine (switch/button wise).

Also, is it bad for me to repeatedly push the start button like I did in the video? The fuel pump primes each time it fails to start, but I don't know if that is bad or not.

[Howie]

First charge the battery and have it load tested.  Then check the connections.  If that doesn't help get back to us.  

The fuel, assuming all works properly, returns to the tank, no harm done.

[adgergewh]

It's a new battery from Advance Auto. Which connectors are you saying to check? The battery terminals?

[live2ride]

that's quite peculiar.  if its the battery, why would it start so smoothly after a while?

i would double check the connection.  that is, all cables at and between the battery, starter motor, and starter solenoid.  i would suspect the starter solenoid. it sounds like that's what's clicking each time you hit the button, meaning the switch itself is good. 

but all this could be caused by a weak or oxidized connection so you should check that first. 

just my 2 cents

[adgergewh]

I will check the connections tomorrow.

A friend of mine who has some car knowledge said that when a starter motor starts cold but won't start hot (recall it started on the first try before the video) it is locking up or seizing or something. I will be googling around for general issues not specific to monsters to see if anything comes up.

[adgergewh]

I have found this:

If it is intermittent solenoid, single click but no turn over then try again and works, solenoid is bad as above.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_could_cause_an_occasional_starting_problem_the_car_will_start_when_i_hit_the_hall_sender_switch_on_the_top_of_the_distributer_cap#ixzz1bkVcsg2o

Does the monster have an intermittent solenoid?

[live2ride]

if you are feeling ballsy, you can always turn on the bike and jump the terminals of solenoid (thus bypassing the solenoid altogether).

i just reread that and i'm confused by my own words so let me rephrase.  skip the solenoid.  power the starter directly.  if it starts each and every time, solenoid is the issue.

if the starter works intermittently when powered directly, look at starter and/or other issues.

[bond0087]

To echo what others have said, it seems to me like either the starter solenoid is bad or some connections related to the starter solenoid are bad.  I'll do my best to explain how the starter solenoid works (so that you better understand how to troubleshoot it), and go over how I'd troubleshoot it. You might have a perfect understanding of how it works, and if so, feel free to skip my explanation, but trying to troubleshoot it without understanding what's going on is a tough proposition.

How it works:
There are four connectors on the starter solenoid, two big connectors (screw posts I believe) and two smaller ones (red/blue and black if yours is the same as mine). One of the screw posts goes straight to the battery, and the other goes to the starter motor.  The other two are on either side of a coil, which is wrapped around a metal rod, as I've attempted to draw with text below. When +12V is applied to the red/blue wire, the magnetic field of the coil pushes the metal rod upwards, connecting the two screw terminals, giving your starter motor plenty of juice to get going. Essentially, it is nothing more than a switch that is activated by applying 12V to the coil.

<---To Battery -----]     [---------To Starter--->
                             ||||
Black Wire GND     ---||||)
                             |||/   <--My attempt at drawing a coil with text
                             ||/|
                             |/||
                             /|||
                            (___ Red/Blue wire (+12V when starter button pressed)

So there are two conditions that would make this system fail:
   1) Applying 12V is no longer enough to make the rod move up and connect the starter motor to the battery (in which case you need a new starter solenoid)
   2) A faulty connection is making it so you aren't actually getting 12V to the coil, instead, you're getting maybe 9V or something, and therefore it isn't enough to actuate the solenoid.

To test this, get a multimeter, and read the voltage across the two small wires when the button is pressed.  How much is it?  Compare that voltage difference to the voltage difference across the battery terminals when you press the button.  If it is substantially lower (say more than 1-1.5V lower), then you very likely have a bad connection somewhere.  Get a wiring diagram and start checking connections

If the voltage to the multimeter is fine, disconnect the wire to the starter, and either check the resistance across the two posts when the button is pressed (it should be zero), or check the voltage (with respect to ground) of the post that the starter would be hooked up to (It should be roughly the same as the voltage across the battery when you press the button).  If there is a substantial amount of resistance between posts or there isn't adequate voltage at the disconnected post, then you probably need a new starter solenoid.

PS: The quote "If it is intermittent solenoid" is meaning to say "If there is an intermittent problem with the solenoid," I believe.

[Howie]

Dunno, when I listen to the video I hear the solenoid click and the starter try to move.  Eventually the starter spins and the engine starts. 

First place to look is the battery.  Is the battery fully charged?  Are the connections at the battery good?  Does the battery pass a load test?  Shade tree method; jump the bike with a known good battery.  A car battery is fine as long as you do not run the car.  A new battery does not mean fully charged or good, that is why they come with warranties.

After that you start testing for voltage drop of the starter circuit.  To save my fingers here is a video.  It is for a car, but the same applies.

[adgergewh]

I will check all of these when I have the time.

As somebody mentioned, the solenoid does click every time the button is pressed, it can be heard in the video if the sound is up pretty high. It still could be bad though I guess so I will check the voltages everywhere.

[Monster750ie]

I had the same issue not too long ago. Click click every time I hit the start button but the starter wouldn't turn.

Easy way to test is put bike in neutral, turn the key on, kill switch off, connect a battery to starter directly. If bike cranks your starters ok. If nothing happens (which was the case for me) you need a new starter.

[live2ride]

i worked on a boat once that wouldn't start.  the solenoid clicked (loud enough you can hear it from the controls about 10 ft away) but wouldn't start.

it was still the solenoid.  it might click but not make a good connection.  


i'm still gonna vote for the solenoid.  i'm hoping it is for your sake since its a 5 minute job (just need a screwdriver and adjustable wrench).  i replaced mine in the parking lot of the shop.  my solenoid was the opposite.  it wouldn't turn off.

but like i said, jump the starter directly and you'll find out quickly.  just use thick gauge cables

[Latinbalar]

ummm....did anybody notice the security light was on?

[adgergewh]

It's a flashed ECU the immobilizer should be inactive. I actually didn't notice, I can check to see if it throws the code.