GS 750ES- Starter/Solenoid Problems

[DannyMotor]

... have you tried taking a ball peen hammer and lightly hitting the starter on all sides and lightly on the base (the non-shafted side)... I am dead serious.

I've fixed many a 'broken' golf-cart with this approach.

Starters can become locked up over time... constant dust, low to no oil, and heat will cause the brushes to become deposited with all sorts of ugly crap that can prevent the charge from getting to the shaft. Whack it lightly all over it... give the starter a couple spins by hand... try pushing the button.

OH, and the starter is self-grounded. So it should be bolted to the motor or have a lead running from it to the negative on the battery when doing testing.

Here's a little setup test I did to test my solenoid and starter:




Bolt the solenoid directly to the ground... clip a wire from the solenoid lead to the positive... attach one end of the solenoid to the starter post... attach another lead from the negative to the starter body... connect positive from battery to empty post on solenoid...

If it doesn't spin... attach positive cable directly to the post with the wire going to the starter.

If that DOESN'T work... you need a new starter.
If that DOES work... you need a new solenoid.

[old_skool]

... have you tried taking a ball peen hammer and lightly hitting the starter on all sides and lightly on the base (the non-shafted side)...

Starters can become locked up over time... constant dust, low to no oil, and heat will cause the brushes to become deposited with all sorts of ugly crap that can prevent the charge from getting to the shaft. Whack it lightly all over it... give the starter a couple spins by hand... try pushing the button.

OH, and the starter is self-grounded. So it should be bolted to the motor or have a lead running from it to the negative on the battery when doing testing.

Here's a little setup test I did to test my solenoid and starter:




Bolt the solenoid directly to the ground... clip a wire from the solenoid lead to the positive... attach one end of the solenoid to the starter post... attach another lead from the negative to the starter body... connect positive from battery to empty post on solenoid...

If it doesn't spin... disconnect lead from solenoid lead, attach positive cable directly to the post with the wire going to the starter.

If THAT doesn't work... you may need a new starter.

I know this method might work with an old Ford pick-up, but I'd advise against striking a 30+ year old small starter, as you chance unlodging the magnets, and cause more problems than you started with, hammer not friendly... I know I've done this with old clunkers, but never a bike, starters too costly.

[DannyMotor]

I didn't say 'whack the bajezus out of it'... I said "lightly"!!!

Use a ball peen and whack it lightly...
Use a rubber mallet and whack it medium...
Use pudding and hit it as hard as you want....

Ok, ok... how about take the starter apart and inspect for any electrical scoring on the brushes, and any debris on the magnet surfaces.

Honestly... have you not jumped the solenoid prongs yet?! What's taking so long?

Did you use a non-insulated rod and you died?

[Marshall498]

Alrighty so ill check the starter tonight when im done work. but for now maybe you guys could help me out with some other electrical problems.

These are the ends that come from the stator they are yellow, just dirty.



These are the wires that come from the regulator that ill assume plug into the stator.



This is where it gets confusing for me anyways, I have no idea what these are for...



And I have no idea what plugs into these

[koolaid_kid]

First pic - those are ugly. I would cut them off and then use quality spade connectors, double-crimped with shrink tubing for weather sealing and stress relief.
Second pic - really need a pic of all the wires on the R/R. For example, if it is factory it should have 5 wires. A red one that is 12V out. A ground, I think it is black but tracing it's path will tell you. The other 3 go to the stator. Those look like way too small a gauge. They should be 18 gauge minimum.
Third pic - those are not factory connectors. They look like they plug into the current stator connectors, but who knows, they are not factory.
Fourth pic - no idea.

[cowboyup3371]

I'd recommend removing your wiring harness plus most of your electrical components and go through every connector. It'll save you a lot of headache in the future.

[Guest]

Relay

If the solenoid clicks when you push the starter button, it's very unlikely that the problem is the solenoid but it is very likely that the problem is with the starter.....provided that your connection between the solenoid and the starter is good (and it most likely is).

It's possible that your battery is sending a signal strong enough to engage the solenoid (that's the click) but not strong enough to turn over the starter.

Also, it's really easy to see if you're getting adequate voltage to the starter when you push the starter button. With your multimeter, it will just take a second and that will also rule out a problem with the solenoid.

EDIT: I just took another look at your first post. Did you run your starter too long when you were trying to start the bike??? Starters are fairly rugged but they're not designed to be under power for an extended amount of time.

[kpotter16]

I have a 83 gs 750 es that had the exact same problem. when pushing the starter button the solenoid would click and nothing would happen, but all the light and electrical still worked. i new it was the solenoid because i could use a screwdriver to jump across the connections on it. i replaced it with a generic aftermarket one and it cleared up the problem.