Testing solenoid?

[garynortheast]

Could someone give me a quick "how to" on this please? Disconnect from the starter? What voltages and where?
Thanks.

[Sid Squid]

Make absolutely certain the gearbox is in neutral.

That bit is very, very important.

Simple check:

Turn the ignition on and connect your voltmeter/multimeter to the battery and check the voltage, note that figure.
Leave the meter negative lead to the negative terminal of the battery, identify which of the heavy wires on the solenoid goes to the starter motor and put the meter positive lead on that terminal of the solenoid, operate the starter button as normal, the solenoid should make a pronounced 'click' and your meter should read substantially the same as it did when you connected it to the battery directly. If there is a click but no reading at the meter, the solenoid isn't working correctly

If the solenoid doesn't click, check that there is battery voltage at the green/yellow wire on the solenoid when the button is pressed, if there is make sure the black/white wire at the solenoid is correctly connected to the battery negative. If it is then the solenoid is probably dud.

[garynortheast]

Thank you Sid, much appreciated.

Engine turns over but not fast enough in the morning to start the bike. Battery is good and when the bike is warm it starts with no problem. It's a bit sluggish to turn over in the afternoon when I get on it to come home after it's been stood for a few hours.

[garynortheast]

Problem sorted - it was poor connections on the relay. Unscrewed them wiped them and screwed them back on and there was an instant improvement. Bike turns over and starts pretty quickly now. I shall go around all the connections on the starter circuit as soon as I get the chance and clean the lot.

[garynortheast]

Problem sorted.....
.....or not.:(

[garynortheast]

Quick resurrection of this thread - voltage at the battery with the engine off is around 12.20v. Drops to about 11.4v across the starter relay when engaged. Any comments on whether or not this constitutes a clapped relay?

[Sid Squid]

No, not conclusively, you would expect the voltage to drop as current passes through the windings of the starter motor - high current = low resistance. Try this:

Put your voltmeter across the two connecting studs on the solenoid, (the one from the battery, and the one to the starter motor), the reading should be sustantially the same as the battery's voltage, (usually there will be a little less - the resistance of the starter motor), press the button, the reading ideally will drop to zero, this would indicate no resistance in the solenoid, in practice you may find a fraction of a volt this isn't a problem. one or several volts would be a problem.

You can do the same test for resistance in the starter current circuit:

Put your meter across the positive battery terminal, (not the wire, directly to the terminal), and the connecting stud on the starter motor, (clean if needed, make sure the clip is on the stud and not the nut or cable connector, perhaps use a point and get someone to hold it on the end of the stud), press starter as normal. Ideally there would be a reading of zero, this would indicate no resistance in the starter current circuit, but in the real world a reading of a half a volt or so is normal indicating a little resistance to the high current demand of the starter motor. If the reading is higher, check connections on the battery, solenoid and starter.

If I've explained sufficiently it should be apparent that volt drop caused by poor connections or cabling can be readily identified by exactly where you place the meter probe. With one probe on the battery, move the other along the circuit, a different reading between connector and its stud for example indicates a high resistance at that point.

[garynortheast]

Thanks Sid. I'll get onto it as soon as I get the opportunity.