connecting my battery engages the starter

[redline_r]

On my '80 GS450E"

My E was running fine when parked for a few weeks.

The battery was low, but when I jump it, as soon as it gets power, the starter engages! I switched the solenoid from my L to see if that was the problem, but same issue.
Even if the key is out, killswitch in OFF position, and clutch is not engaged, power to the battery will immediately engage the starter. Without the yellow/green wire from the solenoid disconnected (goes to killswitch?) still the same thing. Power engages starter.

Help, please!
Thanks for any suggestions,

-ridwan-

ps. sorry no digits since I don't have a multimeter.

 

[Jedz123]

First off What kind of L is it?850, 750, 450, 1100???Is it the starter relay or the starter disconnect switch you tried from your L? Need to be more specific.
I'm looking at my wiring Diagram right now and it looks to be a Starter Disconnect switch that connects to your starter button and your starter relay.
This is how is the best I can illustrate it.

{Stater button}--------(Green/Yellow wire)--------{Starter Disconnect Switch}-------(green/yellow wire)-----{Starter Relay}------Ground

Starter relay has:
-A ground
-Black wire to the Starter
-Red wire to the Battery
-Green/Yellow Wire to the Starter disconnect Switch

I'll try to get a scan picture of the diagram posted for you...
It sounds like a faulty Starter Relay
Have you just tried replacing the battery with no jump?

 

[koolaid_kid]

Just to clarify, your relay has 2 posts with large gauge wires connected to it. Those go to the battery and the starter. it also has one 18 gauge plug in wire. This is the one that eventually goes to the starter button. Disconnect it. If the starter engages then your relay is faulty. If it does not, plug it back in and engage the kill switch on the handlebar and try again.

 

[Jedz123]

OH Redline I forgot... Welcome to the GSR forum!

 

[mike_of_bbg]

Yes, this. Sounds like a faulty solenoid.

Just to clarify, your relay has 2 posts with large gauge wires connected to it. Those go to the battery and the starter. it also has one 18 gauge plug in wire. This is the one that eventually goes to the starter button. Disconnect it. If the starter engages then your relay is faulty. If it does not, plug it back in and engage the kill switch on the handlebar and try again.

 

[SqDancerLynn1]

Go to your local hardware store, you can get a Solenoid in the lawn mower dept.. $15

 

[koolaid_kid]

On my '80 GS450E"

My E was running fine when parked for a few weeks.

The battery was low, but when I jump it, as soon as it gets power, the starter engages! I switched the solenoid from my L to see if that was the problem, but same issue.
Even if the key is out, killswitch in OFF position, and clutch is not engaged, power to the battery will immediately engage the starter. Without the yellow/green wire from the solenoid disconnected (goes to killswitch?) still the same thing. Power engages starter.

Help, please!
Thanks for any suggestions,

-ridwan-

ps. sorry no digits since I don't have a multimeter.

These are the confusing parts:
Did you mean to say WITH the yellow/green wire disconnected the same thing?
Did you also say that you took the solenoid from your L machine and it did the same thing?
I am asking because the L solenoid should work if the E solenoid is faulty. Otherwise more investigation is required before you start replacing parts.

 

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. redline_r,

Yep, it kind of sounds like a bad starter solenoid. Test as advised, replace if necessary.

Anyway, let me dump a TON if information on you and share some GS lovin'.

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Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", "Top 15 Tips For GS Happiness", the Carb Cleanup Series, and the Stator Papers. All of these tasks must be addressed in order to have a safe, reliable machine. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...

Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[redline_r]

thank you for the welcome!

thank you for the welcome!

Thanks for the warm welcome! I've actually had the two GS's for a minute here, but we were out of country for 2 of those years, and they ran without any issues for the year before! So here I am...

To clarify some of the things:

1. The L is also a 450-- it's from 84 (vs. the GS450E from '80 which is having this issue)
2. If it were a starter solenoid relay (same thing, yes?) problem-- then why would the same problem continue after using the solenoid from the fully functional 450L? --Even with the solenoids switched, the starter on the E engages the moment it gets power.
3. There's a smaller guage green/yellow wire--is this the 18 guage?-- it seems like it's the lead that will go to the killswitch-- with that disconnected, I still have starter engagement as soon as there is power.
4. a. With the killswitch on either ON or OFF, the same thing happens.
4. b. With the clutch IN or OUT, same thing happens.
--as soon as it has power, the starter starts to turn. Predictably, this does not happen when the thick wire going to the starter is disconnected.

Glad to be here, thank you for all the help and suggestions already.
-r-

 

[mike_of_bbg]

This.

Yes, that's the wire that should connect to the lead which comes from the kill switch. The solenoid should not engage unless there's +12V (roughly) being fed to this wire. Check for continuity across the big terminals with that wire disconnected. If there's continuity there, then the solenoid appears to indeed be bad. Either that or something is wired horribly wrong or shorting.

3. There's a smaller guage green/yellow wire--is this the 18 guage?-- it seems like it's the lead that will go to the killswitch-- with that disconnected, I still have starter engagement as soon as there is power.

 

[Cdnpt1]

Hi and welcome. I am going to show my own airheadedness here but maybe it will help. I had the same thing happen yesterday when I put my battery back in to do some work. I had wired the red battery cable and the yellow starter lead to the same post! Maybe check that there isnt a connection/short between the two posts on the solenoid? The upper outer post is for the starter cable and the lower inner post is for the battery cable.

 

[tkent02]

Got it wired correctly?
Show us a pic.

 

[redline_r]

I went back over the connections to the solenoid--
I realized the one big wire to the starter was kind of "reaching" to get to the opposite solenoid terminal, so I switched that with where there battery + was going, and made sure to put on the rubber boots just to make sure there was no touching.
This solved the problem! (so the battery and starter wires are each going to the point on the solenoid easily reached!)

BUT-- I have now come back to the problem I had before this whole "starter on" issue was happening-- to turning over!
When I push my bike around, it feels like the clutch is not disengaging fully-- so it travels much easier in N than in 1with the clutch pulled. I am thinking this is what's making it not start.

Got it wired correctly?
Show us a pic.

 

[Pendulum]

I went back over the connections to the solenoid--
I realized the one big wire to the starter was kind of "reaching" to get to the opposite solenoid terminal, so I switched that with where there battery + was going, and made sure to put on the rubber boots just to make sure there was no touching.
This solved the problem! (so the battery and starter wires are each going to the point on the solenoid easily reached!)

BUT-- I have now come back to the problem I had before this whole "starter on" issue was happening-- to turning over!
When I push my bike around, it feels like the clutch is not disengaging fully-- so it travels much easier in N than in 1with the clutch pulled. I am thinking this is what's making it not start.

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's normal. My GS550 has always done it, at least.

 

[cowboyup3371]

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that's normal. My GS550 has always done it, at least.

Than something isn't adjusted correctly.

 

[mike_of_bbg]

A little drag is normal in gear because of the wet clutch. Yes, mine, too is a little harder to push in gear with clutch out. However, that shouldn't keep your bike from starting!

So is the motor not turning over at all? Got a multitester? Are you seeing ~+12V at the small wire terminal on the solenoid when you try to start it?

 

[Guest]

Cold bike, cold oil, sticks to the clutch plates like glue. When my bike is cold and I get it started and its in neutral, the back tire will spin very slowly because of the cold oil on the clutch plates. When I let it warm up a bit and drop into gear, you can hear the engine pull down some and the bike move a bit forward with the clutch pulled all the way in. I found this more so with a conventional oil then with a syn type. The heavier the oil the worse it is. The oil just has to get hot then every thing is fine.