Hi all !

I have had a small but irritating problem in my xj900, every now and the engine does not start:

-pressing start button only produces a click but the starter motor does not work

-the battery should be OK, quite new and voltage about 13.5v when engine not running

-hill-start ( is that right word in english ? ) works fine and after i have driven back home without stopping the engine, the problem is gone

Does any of you more experienced xj owners have any hint of a typical reason for the problem ? My only idea ( not a technician unfortunately ) would be to start to carry the multimeter with me and try to measure the starter relay, cut-off relays and what ever threre are ... when the problem hits next time

Thank for the help, Martti

Sounds like a starter motor problem, the clicking you hear will be the relay working, but still worth checking it out first.

Hi all !

I have had a small but irritating problem in my xj900, every now and the engine does not start:

-pressing start button only produces a click but the starter motor does not work

-the battery should be OK, quite new and voltage about 13.5v when engine not running

-hill-start ( is that right word in english ? ) works fine and after i have driven back home without stopping the engine, the problem is gone

Does any of you more experienced xj owners have any hint of a typical reason for the problem ? My only idea ( not a technician unfortunately ) would be to start to carry the multimeter with me and try to measure the starter relay, cut-off relays and what ever threre are ... when the problem hits next time

Thank for the help, Martti

Hi Martti

first off to the forum

perhaps the battery is at fault ... it may show the correct voltage but lacks capacity .. which may bear out as when the charging system has charged the battery the bike starts and when the bike is stood for a while the battery dies.

But you may have a starter motor on the way out without more info I can not comment.

Regards Jim

Thanks for the help, I somehow thought that the battery would be Ok and checked the starter motor and indeed the brushes were very used out ( sorry for my poor english :-), the commutator needed grinding and whole motor thoroug cleaning.

I'll do that today and let's see if it helps ...

Martti

Yes, that helped, works like new atleast for time being

Martti

Yes, that helped, works like new atleast for time being

Martti

Hi Martti,

Thats good then ! if you need a w/s manual for a type 31A XJ900 I happen to have one in pdf form.

Regards Jim

Hi Jim !

Thanks for the offer, the w/s manual would be very usefull ( you seemed to know that my bike is model 31A :-). In case it would be possible to mail it, my address is martti-r at suomi24 dot fi.

BTW, as the starter motor was in need of service, would you think also the alternator is in the same state ? I believe the previous owners have not done that either ( during the 100 kmiles they have driven with it ).

Martti

Hi Jim !

Thanks for the offer, the w/s manual would be very usefull ( you seemed to know that my bike is model 31A :-). In case it would be possible to mail it, my address is martti-r at suomi24 dot fi.

BTW, as the starter motor was in need of service, would you think also the alternator is in the same state ? I believe the previous owners have not done that either ( during the 100 kmiles they have driven with it ).

Martti

Hi Martti,

if the bike charges the battery the alternator/Generator will be working fine but if you also have those problems it may be worth having a look at the brushes ... (the bike did tend to eat them), which would cure the charging circut.

31A was the model code for that year across europe ... only difference was the UK ones were R/H drive

Regards Jim

it's the battery, take it to tech for checking.

22 minutes ago, alex101 said:

it's the battery, take it to tech for checking.

yeah he got a new one 8 years ago, !