SirBieber Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 I tried to do as much reading from earlier posts as to not repeat other peoples cases, but I'm just not as knowledgeable in electrics to understand what was going on. For 2 weeks there were no problems starting up my xs400 or running long distances. Keep in mind, my electric start never worked.. when I pressed the start button something would just spin freely, and from earlier posts I guess something wore down. But the kick start until today has never failed me after 2 kicks. I also read that people had difficulty kick starting in the cold. Its getting below freezing at nights to give you an idea. I went to test the starter button just to see if it even did anything to try and start the engine, but instead today I just get a buzzing sound from the solenoid. I had a problem with the solenoid couple weeks earlier and found out I had a bad connection with the battery, and as soon as I fixed that it started right up. This time its still connected firmly and with clean contacts to the battery, and I still get a buzzing sound from the solenoid when I press the starter button. Nothing tries to start, just the buzzing sound. Any ideas? Please give simple instructions 3 days of potential riding on the line before I leave my baby for the season....Drewps I know you got an answer for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duaneage Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 Here are some things to check. Some are obvious, others are not. But you have to follow through and do them all. Check the resting voltage on the battery. After driving the bike it should be up around 12.9, if it is below 12.5 it's probably got a weak cell. Batteries go bad quick on bikes, buy a good quality battery not the 29 dollar special. If the battery is not being charged check the charging voltage with the engine running. You should see 13.9 or so about 2500 rpms. If not, determine if the stator or Regulator rectifier is bad. Fix whichever is bad, although I would suspect the stator and the 3 wires that come from it past the front sprocket as having a problem. If the battery is charging and not defective, inspect the terminals on the solenoid and clean the connections. Replace the large wires if they are frayed, green colored, or otherwise tired out. Not expensive, just get some 8 gauge wire and matching connectors and make new ones. The solenoid gets power from the start button but the other lead goes to the frame and is grounded at some point. Trace the two wires to the connector and determine which one is the ground. You can measure resistance between the frame and the pins to see which one is ground. If this has more than a few ohms of resistance the solenoid will buzz. In all likely hood the solenoid is not defective, just a victim of bad connections. You could have a weak battery or weak charging system that fails to keep it charged, also not the fault of the solenoid. Owning an old bike sometimes means dealing with these age related conditions but at least they are simple and once corrected you are good for another 30 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirBieber Posted October 18, 2009 Author Share Posted October 18, 2009 I replaced 2 of the connections of the solenoid and sanded down all other connections. I charged up my battery for a good 2 hours as well. I didn't have a voltage meter on hand so not sure what it reads. I pressed the starter button again just to see if it would do more than make a buzzing sound at the solenoid. It actually tried to start the engine again, and more successfully than ever (even though it didn't actually start it). So sign of progress there. I tried kick starting a bunch of times, and the engine consistently started and didn't stay on for more than a second or two. I finally just started kick starting with all the throttle I could, a got a loud backfire and it started. Its freezing out so I let it run for a few min to warm up. I put it in gear and with a full throttle I was going 5mph. If I accelerated slowly I could get a little more speed. It also died as soon as I pulled on the clutch. I can get it started consistently now if the choke is off, but I haven't had more than a 5 sec ride yet, out of the 3 attempts I gave it. It does stay idle without dying. It seems so strange that my bike was working perfectly until I parked it, and a few days later it just decides not to start. They only thing that has changed is the temperature by 20 degrees. Can freezing outdoor temperatures play any role in explaining these symptoms? Tomorrow I plan to get it started and let it run for a good 10 min to warm up before I try it again, plus whatever suggestions I get Thank you duaneage for the help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator drewpy Posted October 18, 2009 Moderator Share Posted October 18, 2009 your battery does sound like its on its last legs. this will affect the ignition and starting. the way you describe the non start with electric as opposed with the kick also points in that direction. can you borrow a spare battery? I had bad running last year and a 2 month old battery had given up one of its plates, i thought it were my charging at first. you could invest in an AGM battery, they are smaller(use colsed cell foam to pack out) but last ages and are sealed!! as a test connect up a car battery with the old battery in place (using jump leads) and see what happens drewps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtmf Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 i had a problem just like that kinda . my bike was runing tip top so i set out for along ride. i stoped for gas and guess what click click click for the solenoid . what i found to be the problem was the ground wire from the batt . i cut it and i found the inside was all green even tho the outside looked fine . lucky me i had enuff wire left to make a temp ground to get home . then i also realized that for week's it would run real rough till warmed up and would cut out and backfire then stall out for the 1st few min's of riding.i thought i still needed some more carb tuning. i have now replaced the ground and it run's alot better . no more problem's at all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts