How to shortcircuit a starter solenoid
If your engine refuses to start (I mean, if it doesn't do one crank anyway),
it may have a variety of reasons. The best known:
- The kill switch is set to off (ok, some engines crank anyway)
- Some fuse is blown
- Battery connections are bad
- The battery is dead
- The battery is really dead
- The starter solenoid is blown
When this happens, I use to check things in following order, beginning with the one, that
is most easy to fix. After any check, there is a new start trial. If you fail, try the next check,
following the motto "Ever tried, ever failed, no matter, try again, fail again, fail better"
(Samuel Beckett AFAIR).
- Set the kill switch to on.
- Check the fuses, and replace blown ones. You see, it's a good idea to carry spare fuses with you.
If the main fuse is blown, nothing happens: no lights, no horn, no dasboard lights)
- Once you're on main fuse, check the battery terminals. If the connections are bad,
you most likely will have the idea of a nearly bad battery, including some scratching
noises from the rectifier region.
- Replace the dead battery. Ok, that still prevents you from riding away now. Try to
bump start the bike, or ask some car driver to give you a jump start. Ok, this is
not very good for your battery, but most probably you'll need a new one anyway.
If the battery is dead, most likely the dashboard lights burn in the beginning,
but go out when hitting the starter button.
- Do the same as (4), if your battery is really dead. In this case even the dasboard lights
may not burn.
- If nothing of the items before is true, and all lights are burning, and don't go
out when hitting the starter button, the starter solenoid may be blown. Shortcircuit it
with a screwdriver, and if the engine runs now, you should go for a new solenoid. Doing
this is not the really good form, but anyway - you can drive away. Be sure, that the gear
is in neutral!
And now, since asked recently, fresh from my garage: How to short circuit the solenoid.
And since I cant get my hands on my TA currently, I had to find a solenoid
substitute ;-)
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