Click when pushing electric start button.
 

Hi.

Been searching on internet as to what it could be...

My dr650 1996 was doing well until i left it in the hands of my uncles friend who was trying to sell it for me.... great!

he didnt sell and a picked it up and it didn't start.
just a clicking sound coming from i think the solenoid.
i just clicks the once everytime i push the starter button.
i had the battery charge, and it made no difference.
i've checked fuses part checked wiring.

i was just reading that it could be a fault with the starter motor. :(

any advice.
any tips or tricks.

many thanks
mike

Hi Mike,

Sounds like a weak battery, dirty contacts, loose starter connection, failing starter button or bad starter solenoid.

If the bike started fine when you dropped it off and now it just clicks, that sounds like a bad battery. Try a known good battery to eliminate that first. Jumper cables and a car battery to see if the starting mystery is solved would be my first move. Charging a battery with a bad cell won't make it work any better. Followed by cleaning and tightening connections to the starter and battery, and bypassing the starter button to find the fault. Others may have ideas.

Good luck!
John Downs

Hi Mike, affraid to say it does sound like the starter is u/s.. Check the engine earth to the battery is making a good connection..Try gentle tapping the starter with a hammer whilst pushing the starter this may shake the brushes enough to make contact..

You may be able to strip the motor and replace the brushes, I'm not sure if its a sealed unit or not..

thanks guys.

ive not yet tried with car battery and leads so will try that tmrw.

ive noticed also just now, lisening close to the starter when pushing starter button a sound that sounds like pressured air tring to escape a very small hole that is partially submerged in water. bit like checking bike inner tube in water for a puncture.. and if i leave the button pressed long enough i here a slight clunck. some movement. it doesnt sound like a nasty clunck.

what you mean saying 'the starter u/s' ?/

Take John Downs advice and substitute another battery first before you start spending money. I had much the same problem about six weeks ago. Bike started fine and I rode one mile before stopping for fuel. It was then completely dead. Given that it was fine five mins earlier I didn't suspect the battery but that's what it was. They can and do just give up.

Just a shorty for unserviceable. As said check the battery or jump from a car as the starter does draw a lot of amps before reaching in your pocket.

Just a thought, put the bike in gear and rock it, it could be that the starter is jammed. That air noise is probaby the air expanding as the starter warms up - Not heard of it before though..

thanks jim.

just tried any is the same.

also ive tried bump starting it so i guess that would of free it if it was stuck.
will have to wait for tmrw to tried with car battery.

thanks all.

As I stated recently on a BMW tech thread, I had a stsrter motor problem and a jumpstart started the bike but vthe extra amps pumped into the starter temporarily 'masked' the starter problem.
John Downs seems to have the checklist for you pretty much covered.

The clicking you are hearing is the solenoid actuating to allow the main current through to the starter motor. This generally means that it (the solenoid) is working correctly.

Check your earth points. Clean up the contacts with sand paper. You should also check the standing voltage of the battery (it should be no less than 12volts really) but the important one is in the under load voltage which should be at least 11.5 but even that is a bit low.

I would try to jump start it with another battery and check the charging voltage to see if the reg/rec is behaving correctly. The jump start attempt will also show if there is something major wrong with the starter motor.


If you can't jump start it (no other battery) you could try push starting it with a mate.

Good luck.

ok.so

i've tried push staring it with a mate.
i've tried jumping with van battery.

and the problem (the clicking is coming from the unit which the positive supply from the battery is going to. where the 30 amp fuse is and another feed going from this unit to the starter motor.)
ive taken a picture.
i dont know where it is earthed.

should i buy i knew one of these?

cheers all