Starter solenoid

[peterengland]

Has just started to click when the starter button is operated, will work fine after a few prods at the starter but not every time. Have removed the solenoid and cleaned all the contacts and connections there are. As the solenoid clicks then is the likelihood of that being the source of the problem rather then further up the line? any help would be appreciated.

[Johnwebley]

Basic questions. What's the state of the battery?
Try charging it up.And see what happens.
Sorry if it's teaching granny to suck eggs

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[hairygit]

Check the heavy earth cable form the battery to the frame. Make sure terminals are clean, and the frame is clean/free of paint etc where the earth cable attaches. Try using a large screwdriver and shorting the big terminals on the solenoid across, the starter should spin even with the ignition off. If the starter seems slow or reluctant, could be a battery on it's way out, or starter brushes need cleaning/replacing

[peterengland]

battery good, just over 12v across it, likewise earth. Will try crossing solenoid terminals tomorrow

[deltarider]

battery good, just over 12v across it, likewise earth.

Peter, I don't know how you measured, but realise that a battery in rest that reads 12V, is about 80% depleted. I suggest to charge the battery, leave it alone for a couple of hours. Then, after some hours, battery should show 12,6 V or more. If lower there's a good chance the battery has reached the end of its lifetime. Another simple test is to measure voltage over the terminals whilst electric cranking. When voltage dips below 9,5, battery is no longer good.

[peterengland]

Battery fine and 12.7 v across it and cranks like a dream when it engages. Cleaned earth connection and works ok now but occasionally the solenoid will click, however when I cross the terminals it works and spins the starter every time without fail, so to me this points at an intermittent problem with the solenoid?

[hairygit]

Or possibly dirty contacts in the wiring to/from or the actual start button itself.

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[mike the bike]

It may be the start switch that's at fault.  Connect the yellow/red directly to the battery + and see if that improves.

[peterengland]

can it be the start switch? the switch 'activates' the solenoid every time without fail so would that not indicate that it's ok that end?

[Bryanj]

Carefull with the small wires as early bikes are different to later ones. If the starter button circuit has high resistance somewhere it may be dropping the voltage enough to not pull in the solenoid properly but still click, having said that from symptoms given i would suspect bat internal main contacts on the solenoid which is/was not common but these are all very old now so new and different faults are occuring.

[mike the bike]

Or it could be a cruddy start switch

[ka-ja]

If the solenoid clicks, it is a good guess it is operating but there is no flow of power past the contacts, bad contacts often work intermittantly before failing altogether, time for another solenoid