Replacing (checking) Starter Solenoids

[bietau85]

Now ive browsed and ive seen answers to checking the relay for click to see if its good. now see im thinking that i have some bad wiring going on and i am no guru on circuitry. all i need to know is what connections need to be made to hear this click ( because im not hearing one but my start switch may be junk but it used to work and is kept in a dry environment) also on top of the solenoid i have the green w yellow tracer hooked up, the starter motor wire (black Thick gauge) hooked up adjacent to the battery power... am i missing a connection? the answer might already be out ther but i cant spend 2 hours going through all my search results, sorry i will say i was browsing for a good hour. (maybe im blind)

[Steve]

First, you need to ensure that it is properly grounded through its mount. They are usually bolted to the battery box, which is rubber-mounted to cushion the battery a bit. Therefore, there is a wire that is usually attached to one of the solenoid's mounting screws and leads to either a chassis ground or the battery negative terminal.

Look on top of the solenoid, you will see two large terminals and a smaller wire that is soldered in place. One of the large terminals goes straight to the battery, the other goes to the starter. Use a jumper wire to connect the battery termiknal to the coldered connection, the solenoid should CLICK.

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[bietau85]

okay so the only wire i have on here Steve thats soldered is the yellow green wire that is connected up to the clutch switch i believe. now you want me to jump from batt + post on the relay to that wire correct? dont wanna fry it for sure so i figured i should ask. now as for the ground i recall the solenoid having clean brass rivets for the mount going into the airbox and i grounded that already, but as to there being a ground actually on a screw or solder point i dont have one in place. i have a screw with nothing on it diagonal of the soldered wire and there is a blank spot rectangular shaped next to that vacant screw that looks as if there may have been a solder point there at one time but i am unsure. this wouldnt be so difficult for me since i have a photographic memory thats decent but the nimrod owner before me put the starter on a switch completely bypassing the solenoid which in turn burnt my starter on my first motor i do believe.

[Big T]

That's right -power up the yellow wire and see if it clicks

Run a wire from one of the mounting screws to the battery negative (temporarily)

It should give you a nice click

[bietau85]

yup its the solenoid its toast. i hate ebay. lol. but hey besides that i finished up the rest of the bike! ( im was swapping motors cause my old trans was trash) i got this motor for $80 bucks on a gamble cause the guy bought 4 vintage suzukis from a guy who was losing his house, sad but reality, and he would not tell him anything about the bikes other than the katana was a rebuild that was never fired up. well let me tell you the pistons and valves were shiny thats all i could see, brand new ngk's, fresh oil, the works, i just repainted to a sweet high temp gloss black, i rebuilt my carbs slapped it all together and the baby sounds so sweet with my exaust i have. i had no idea my bike could sound like this. not a tick to the motor, its harmonic as all can be. idles steady and started with minimal choke. great compression, solid trans shift. im exstatic ( if you cant tell). this is my first bike so i didnt want to sell it for parts just because of the trans. Glad i didn't. im glad theres a forum like this in existance.

[Steve]

yup its the solenoid its toast. i hate ebay. ...

What does one have to do with the other?

You don't have to get a solenoid from eBay.

Go to Lowe's, Home Depot, or your local Troy-bilt store and get one for a garden tractor. Perfect fit, probably less than $20.

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[bietau85]

yeah well cut me some slack here im a noob.lol. i didnt know that until about 3 hours ago when i was browsing pages looking for my issue on the solenoid. Im going there tomorrow. i just got it because i was looking for a motor at the same time and wound up getting this broken crap of a solenoid for cheap so not a big deal.