Help with Start problem please

[drj737]

Happy New Year. I have an 07 k-9. When I push the starter switch some times i get get nothing. It seems that if I press at a different "angle" it will engage the starter and all is well. Sometimes turning the key off and on will do the trick. It is an intermittent problem that seems to be getting worse. Anybody had the switch go bad? I took it apart and it seems to just be some sort of circuit board. ( as you can tell I am a rookie) The starter switch just does not feel as "solid" as say the run switch when depressed.

I did a search and did not find anything like this on this forum although my computer savvy is not much better than my trouble shooting skills.

Thanks for the help. You guys have been great for past problems.

D

 

[hockey fan]

I am not an expert by any form of the word but my opinion and recommedation would be to start by cleaning the contacts inside, with electrical cleaner and dielectic (sp?) grease the connection.. its a place to start. the real experts will no doubt help out they are great around here.

 

[phatchopper300]

Could be the PC board or a pinched wire. I have not had that problem but sure someone will chime in a lend a hand.

 

[woodbutcher]

sounds to me like the voltage in the battery is just too low for the starter to spin. new battery? on a tender? stored in warm/cold place? is speedo doing it's sweep? lots of question to ask before you start taking the controls apart.

 

[Bluesdog]

I am having the same problem as well. Bike started fine until I put it away for the winter, and placed the battery on a tender. Speedo does the sweep, and all seems to work well until hitting the starter and...nothing. Previous battery failures I've had shut all electrics off on the bike; ie speedo, lights...however looked at the EHC while hitting the start button and realized my Ignition fault light comes on everytime I hit the starter...

 

[drj737]

Good Battery. Live in Texas so it is pretty warm. Once it it gets a good connection it turns over real good. One start it is perfect the next you have to monkey with it to get it to work.

 

[Brew]

Check all your connections including to the starter and make sure they're tight. Load check your battery, could be too weak to turn the bike over even though it shows a good charge...

 

[RRRUFF]

Are you saying that when you press the start button nothing happens with the starter, sometimes or are you saying that the starter tries but will not turn the engine over?

 

[LARS]

I just went through a similar prob.,although when the bike did not start I heard a "click",originally thought starter,turned out to be "clicking" at the ECH which had a bad starter relay.Just my experiance.

 

[bruce]

If you can hook up voltage meter to starter and push button to see if you are getting anything at starter ( big wires ) and then go backwards to button. If you have power at button put not full voltage check connections and battery, I have seem several melted battery terminals because of loose connections. If you read threads here a lot of the problems lead back to battery. If you have a shop manual they have good wiring diagram, If not may want to get one it will pay for it's self quickly.
P.S. - bigdog did have a problem with the starter borads ( the switch on handle bars ) on 06 - K9s I no several who had problem with but do not no if 07 did.

 

[drj737]

When I hit the switch sometimes nothing happens. No click no dimming of lights nothing. But if I press the switch down at different angles then it will usually start. Sometimes I have to turn the key off and on to get it to work

Thanks

 

[BigDogBro1]

Sounds like the handlebar start switch except the thing about...

"Sometimes I have to turn the key off and on to get it to work"

Not familiar with that switch, but in another thread it was mentioned that the circuit board had a tiny crack in it. Remove and inspect the board and gently clean contacts with a soft pencil eraser if you can. I did find out that a DOME style contact is used. (photo below) Disconnect the battery and check the switch with an OHM meter. GREEN START wire gets shorted to GROUND when the START button is pressed and sends a LOGIC LOW to the EHC to start.

Make sure ALL your wire crimps at the battery are tight. Tug on the wires.

You could pull off the stainless steel dome overlay and clean the PCB traces (contacts) for better operation and then replace the dome overlay. The DOME makes the connection between the outer leg contacts and the inner (center) contact.

Photo by: Bluesdog

 

[1BADK9]

Give a quick check to the dreaded "green wire" on a teminal lug on the starter itself. remove the lug from the terminal and pinch lightly with pliers and reinstall on lug. If that connection isn't tight you can get intermittant starts as well. Let us know what you find! :2thumbs:

 

[DRBarnhart]

Sounds like the handlebar start switch...

:iagree:

Not familiar with that switch, but in another thread it was mentioned that the circuit board had a tiny crack in it. Remove and inspect the board

:iagree::iagree:

Disconnect the battery and check the switch with an OHM meter.

To do this I would unplug the "B" connector from the EHC and put my meter leads on B-6 and B-28. There should be continuity when the START button is pressed.

Make sure ALL your wire crimps at the battery are tight. Tug on the wires.

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

Dennis

 

[drj737]

Thanks guys. It will be a couple of days before I have time to try your suggestions. Will let you know if I find anything. If anyone else has their 2 cents to add I will try anything once! Well almost anyting.

 

[RRRUFF]

When I hit the switch sometimes nothing happens. No click no dimming of lights nothing. But if I press the switch down at different angles then it will usually start. Sometimes I have to turn the key off and on to get it to work

Thanks

Likely its the switch circuit board. Could possibly be a bad connection there also.

 

[stryfox]

Does your bike have a cruise mate?
If someone installed one and didn't follow the directions there may be metal shavings from a poor install job in the button housing.
Just adding more ideas.

 

[Bluesdog]

Not sure if this helps, but I have an 05 Ridgeback and had the same exact issues and this is what I found...

Bike started fine until I went out one day this winter to start it up, found the Run/Off switch to be pretty stiff (about 30F outside at the time) so like a normal jack ass I pressed harder until I felt it click, hit the start button and she turned over. After a five second try to get her started I tried again after a 30second break and...nothing, all electrics worked, tach did the sweep, however the only sound that was made was ME clicking the starter button. Battery was a brand new HD battery so that was quickly ruled out. Determined that the issue must be in the switch because I didn't even get a compression relief "click" or anything...so into the PCB I went

Figure 1

See all the dirt on the end of the throttle? That was all inside of the switch compartment, first indication that maybe I lucked out and it was just a switch in need of cleaning. After I got the PCB out, I got the Voltmeter out and did a continuity test across the four switches (make sure you depress the switches!!)…right turn signal...beep..starter..beep..run...run..off..off… nothing on the left side. I cleaned the board of dirt and small metal shavings (no clue where that came from) and tried again. Run…beep! Off…beep! Put the battery back in and looked at the EHC while pressing the Run/Off switch and....



This light is toggled by the Run/Off switch, I may be wrong but I think this is the Ignition light, think of it as an "ARM" light. This light was not working before I obtained continuity across the Run/Off switch and lo and behold, hit the starter and she barked right up. Looks like the shavings and dirt inside the PCB board was breaking the continuity across the board, and the EHC was not receiving the signal that the Run switch was depressed. I was about to leave to go pick up a $165 board from the Big Dog shop, yes 165$ because they only sell them as a set, and it was just because of a dirty switch. Now off to the thread to weatherproof this bitch...

Figured I’d post this because your problem sounds way to much like mine to keep this information to myself! Good luck!:up:

 

[drj737]

Start Problem Fixed

Thanks for all the help guys. The switch (as can be seen in the picture bluesdog sent (thanks)) is like a diaphragm switch that is depressed when you hit the start button. The buttons have a "tit" on them and the one for the starter looked a little shorter than the others. I used a hot glue gun and built up the "tit". Put it back together and it works like brand new! PERFECT!

Again Thanks for the ideas!

 

[drj737]

PROBLEM FIXED. The switch as pictured in the post by bluesdog (thanks) shows the board that has a diaphragm type setup. When I pressed it in with my finger the bike fired up like clockwork. The handle bar buttons have a "tit" on the back of them and the one for the starter looked worn. I used a hot glue gun and built up the "tit" so it would push the diaphragm in further. Put it back together and it works LIKE NEW!

Thanks for all your help guys. Ride safe!