weak starter motor

[fjbiker84]

For the past few months my starter seems to have problems turning the engine over after the bike has been sitting for a week or so.  Initially it seems to freeze after pushing the starter button but after several attempts will finally start spinning the engine hard enough to get the engine to fire.  Once the bike is warmed up it can be shut down and restarted normally.  I replace the battery a month or so ago thinking the old one may have developed a problem over the winter but this happens with the new battery too.  Is this an indication the starter motor is in need of rebuild/replacement?

[Pat Conlon]

Did you check the brushes?

[fjbiker84]

Hey Pat, no, I haven't really done anything yet. Since I've always been able to eventually get it started I guess I haven't really worried about it too much up to now.  I'm going to check out the wiring and connections to make sure it's not something simple.  Then I guess the next step would be to dig into the starter itself.  I'm hoping to get it up to the new and improved FJ Monkey garage one of these weekends and if I haven't figured it out by then maybe Mark can look at it.

[Pat Conlon]

Paul Lawson had a problem similar to yours, he found a loose wire on the starter solenoid.
All he had to do was tighten the nut on that connection and all is well.

[balky1]

Paul Lawson had a problem similar to yours, he found a loose wire on the starter solenoid.
All he had to do was tighten the nut on that connection and all is well.

I had the same issue, except in my case one of the lugs got completely broken off. Since it has a rubber protection over it, it made enough contact to spin, but barely (intermittently though - sometimes it would spin, sometimes not). But, like you said, you will check the wiring so if it is that, you will find it.

[aviationfred]

I had a similar issue on my '89. I disassembled the starter motor and cleaned everything with electrical contact cleaner and a light rubbing using scotch brite. The results were as if I had a brand new starter.

Fred

[red]

For the past few months my starter seems to have problems turning the engine over after the bike has been sitting for a week or so.  . . .   Is this an indication the starter motor is in need of rebuild/replacement?

fjbiker84,

Hope you find something simple, and my guess would be thick oil (I like the synthetics), poor connections, or worn/dirty brushes.  If you decide to replace the starter, RPM has a four-brush starter that you might like.    

[fjbiker84]

Thanks for the input.  I'll update this after I have a chance to look it over.

[fjbiker84]

All the connections are tight, no corrosion, and the covers intact.  So the problem must be inside the starter motor itself.  But yesterday the bike cranked up immediately with the first push of the starter button.  If this becomes a problem later on I'll just replace the motor with a new RPM unit.

[red]

All the connections are tight, no corrosion, and the covers intact.  So the problem must be inside the starter motor itself.  But yesterday the bike cranked up immediately with the first push of the starter button.  If this becomes a problem later on I'll just replace the motor with a new RPM unit.

fjbiker84,

Terminal connections that look clean and tight may still be corroded, under the hardware.  Then too, you could have a rotten starter solenoid at the moment.  Next time the starter cranks poorly, connect a jumper cable (briefly!) across the heavy solenoid terminals.  If the starter cranks with enthusiasm by jumper, you might want to try cleaning the switching contacts inside the solenoid, or try a new starter solenoid.

Be sure the bike is not in gear when using a jumper on the solenoid, because none of the usual safety switches will be working to prevent a start-up in gear then.  I would also recommend using the centerstand for this test, not the sidestand.