GS300 Starter Issue

[old_chopper]

I stole the battery out of my wifes bike while working on another (store wasn't open yet and I needed to know the engine was ok). When I put her battery back in I went to ensure it would crank and it would not. Double checked all connections to battery and solenoid, good. Battery fully charged and good. I checked voltage going to starter and it's getting 12v. I notice the stud on the starter is loose, try to wiggle it while pushing the starter, no go. I got a little zzzz noise twice when I hit the button, not a big electric noise, just a little hiss. Couple of questions:
It cranked great last time so I'm not suspecting brush problems, opinions on brushes?
Do I need to remove the starter to tighten up the positive stud?
Could that keep it from cranking?
Is the starter removal as simple as removing two bolts on top and pull out?

 

[Guest]

Are you sure you heard a hiss and not a buzz? If the solenoid isn't getting quite enough juice to engage properly they can make a buzzing or vibrating noise as the solenoid tries to do its thing but can't.

If either terminal is loose, good chance it's not getting a good enough connection.

If the 300's like my 450, you should be able to just remove the starter cover and tighten the nut back up.

Also, again if it's like my 450, you will likely need to remove the cam chain tensioner to get the starter out.

 

[barnbiketom]

don't assume the battery is good. what makes you think it's just not dead? it sounds like it's dead to me , especially if it worked on that bike before???

What did you use it for and how did it work there?? maybe you drained it?

 

[old_chopper]

Battery is good. It was used 10 minutes prior to start another bike, plenty of power. Other bike cranked over maybe 3 times and fired right up. I know you've heard it 1000 times but I'm certain of the battery. It's also kept on a tender.
The noise came from the starter, solenoid is engaging sending 12V to the starter. Coming out of the starter is the copper stud. There is a nut, the cable, then the nut to secure the cable. All of that is loose. I will take the top nut and cable off, tighten the bottom nut which should snug the stud, then reinstall the cable. I'll do that this evening and see what I get.
Oh yeah, also bypassed the solenoid by jumping across the big terminal, still no crank. That rules out the solenoid.
Thanks for the ideas.

 

[Steve]

Sounds like a ground wire that used to be connected to the battery's negative terminal did not make it back into place.

It's easy to have one slip off without noticing. That is why I try to have only one cable going to each battery terminal, and everything else goes to the other end of that cable. Makes it a LOT easier when there is only one terminal to worry about locating when playing with the battery.

.

 

[2BRacing]

Coming out of the starter is the copper stud. There is a nut, the cable, then the nut to secure the cable. All of that is loose. I will take the top nut and cable off, tighten the bottom nut which should snug the stud, then reinstall the cable. I'll do that this evening and see what I get.

There is a plastic insulator around that stud coming out of the starter to prevent it from making contact with the starter case. Check to see if that plastic insulator has not cracked, or a piece broken off. That could explain why there is now "free play" allowing the nuts to be loose, or maybe the nuts just vibrated loose.

 

[Guest]

Sounds like a ground wire that used to be connected to the battery's negative terminal did not make it back into place.

It's easy to have one slip off without noticing. That is why I try to have only one cable going to each battery terminal, and everything else goes to the other end of that cable. Makes it a LOT easier when there is only one terminal to worry about locating when playing with the battery.

.

Good call Steve!

Look for a rather large diameter black cable coming from under the rear of the engine... if that's not back on the negative terminal properly the starter's going to have no easy grounding point.

 

[old_chopper]

Ground cables are hooked up, there is 12V going thru solenoid and present at the cable attached to the starter. I have 12V at the stud, no starter action. I'm guessing the insulator theory could lead to the problem.

 

[mpencegs]

Pull the Starter out and using jumper cables ground one of the Bolt pegs on the starter. Next Tap the positive cable to the Positive peg on the starter. If it turns then its good to go.. If no then the starter is the issue.

 

[hjacobmiller]

Check and see if any of the insulation has melted and is shorting the lead from the solenoid to the starter cover/anywhere.

It gets pretty hot down in there and if it melted past the wire coating it will short out against anything it comes in contact with. Kinda a bad design in the starter cover IMO but I dont know very much about these things.

 

[old_chopper]

I pulled the starter and found one brush totally shot, the other not far behind. I polished the armature, cleaned everything real good, installed 2 new brushes, and assembled it all. It cranks beautifully again. I called about a rebuilt starter, $165, the brush kit was less than $15!

 

[mpencegs]

Yeah I will always rebuild my own starter from now on.. Its just so cheap and easy..