Will not start, it clicks

Energy One

johnny2

Member
when I had this same problem I ran a wire from the battery to the small green wire on the starter (as a jumper) put a terminal on the ends for good connection and use an insulated one by the starter becouse it will be hot all the time ,you only need to touch the terminal and the starter will work (if your battery is good). the relay in the ehc failed on me 4 times and this always got me home. I personally have never had a battery fail just discharge I still have my original.
 

hoat

Well-Known Member
That green wire on the starter had some corrosion on my bike. wiggled it around a little and the bike fired up.
 

crownline195

New Member
I bought a new battery today and it still does not turn ovcr. I even tried jumping the two post and the starter still doesn't turn. When I hit the start button, the headlght shuts off until I release it. All connections are tight, had the starter off yesterday and cleaned contacts.
 

Moespeeds

Well-Known Member
If you jumped the two big posts on the starter, and got nothing, and had a charged battery, the starter is shot. You said you had the starter out, you put the ground wire back on it right?
 

ChuckRB05

Active Member
This thread has saved me time. I'm having the exact same symptoms. Tried the jump trick from a brand new fully charged battery to the starter and nothing, just a faint click sound not coming from the starter.
 

desertdawg

Member
Bet you haven't checked voltage at the battery static but even more importantly, while you have the DVM still connected to the battery terminals, try to start while watching the DVM. If the problem is the battery, you'll see a voltage reading below 7 or 8 volts when you depress the start button and an audible click. if the problem is NOT battery related, you'll get no change in voltage when pushing start. working the problem backwards is a time proven method that will help you eliminate the easy and more common problems related to your current situation. Key on should initiate lights that inform you of your bikes status with regards to initiating its operation. I'm assuming you've owned and operated this bike for a while so if you've been observant as you use it, you'd immediately notice a difference in your bikes systems self-test. I, like you have read many, many similar posts regarding the infamous CLICK but always am amazed that some owners tend to ignore the normal operating aspects when it's functioning properly. through years of ownership my confidence level with regards to my bikes throwing me a curve ball now and again has steadily increased. These bikes are actually uncomplicated and pretty basic, and anyone with an average background in mechanics can work the problem through, its called a flow chart.
Just so you know, a battery can have an internal cell that's below voltage so when you test it, it shows 12 volts but even a jump won't get you anywhere as the weak battery can't transfer the increased voltage in the circuit. Sometimes you must remove the battery from the circuit and attempt to start with a known good source. Good luck.
 

mleach72

Well-Known Member
This thread has saved me time. I'm having the exact same symptoms. Tried the jump trick from a brand new fully charged battery to the starter and nothing, just a faint click sound not coming from the starter.
The click you are hearing is probably your compression releases opening, which is a good sign. Are all of your lights working when you turn on the key? If they are, check the green wire going to the starter. Make sure it didn't come loose or get broken. What you are describing is exactly what will happen if you unplug that wire. Before you start extensive electrical troubleshooting, check the simple stuff first.
 

ChuckRB05

Active Member
mleach72...All my lights are working fine when I turn the key. 6 years ago, to test, I would do that jump trick with a jumper wire. Now I'm not sure if I did it right yesterday. I couldn't remember if the jump was from the positive battery terminal to the green wire connection or not. When I did, I got nothing. I lost my multimeter, so ordered one off of Amazon today.
 

ChuckRB05

Active Member
Well sh!@... recently my ex-wife finds it in her heart to call me up and tell me to come to get my bike (after I thought she sold it after the divorce settlement, 2+ yeats earlier). I've been working through the clicking issue as evident in this thread, and last night my brother (who's rooming with me) calls me while I'm elsewhere and asks me if I got the bike working. I said, "not yet", then he says, "It got jacked out of the carport". This is a nice townhome community and this never happens. But guess what... I forgot to cancel the insurance which is still on autopayment. Talk about swinging back-n-forth on a rollercoaster of emotions.
 
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Vishes

New Member
Push the start button and hold it. If it clicks just once it's the compression release. If it clicks over and over again, it's the starter solenoid. If it clicks just once but it's coming from the rear of the primary, it's the jackshaft crashing into the ring gear but not meshing. This is very rare on wet primaries but happens sometimes on open setups. Put the bike in gear and rock it until the motor turns over a little, then try again. Chances are though your battery is just dead or beat. Put it on a trickle charger overnight and try again. I'll catch a lot of flak for this, but if you want instant results just jump it off a car. I've done this many times to many different bikes with no ill effects, but you've got an EHC in there who's reliability hangs on the alignment of the planets and Hillary Clinton's menstrual cycle so anything like that is always a gamble.
Thanks for your post. It saved me time and money. I usually don't post stuff but I was so happy when I simply tried a few things I found on this forum. My knowledge is limited so I was out of ideas. My chopper kept clicking and would not turn over. It was the second new battery & I was estimating cost to have it towed to the chopper shop & looking at EHC cost/installation/wiring. Anyways, I went through this process I found in the forum to reset the ECU sensors. Simply turning on the key & pressing the run button & then turning the key off for 12 seconds. I then put the chopper in gear and rocked it forward a few times & I think it reset the pressure controls or compression. All I know is it works fine now. Thanks again for your post.
 

Joke•ster

Active Member
Tap the the starter with a broomstick, back of your knife, back of a screwdriver,etc. while pressing the start button, seriously
A brand new starter will stick
 
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