What do you do when

[T-boss 410]

Wow, maybe you should frame that one and order another one. Finding anything that is made in the USA is becoming more difficult nowadays. 

[T-boss 410]

28 minutes ago, Joe Breaux said:

lol  I sent a package to my wifes cousin in Baton Rouge once.. It had to go to Atlanta, then Tennessee before going to Baton Rouge.. which is only 60 miles from me .. go figure

Ya know, the USPS wonders why Trump didn't want them funded anymore.

[g benjamin]

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Posted 3 hours ago

Travis, this has happened to me and I chased the issue for a week before I discovered the problem to be the positive terminal bolt on the starter. when tightening the nut to hold the cable the bolt can get turned and lose a bit of its contact .  the bolt has a head on it shaped like a rectangle and it engages a similarly shaped area inside the solenoid.   When you try to start it and all it will do is click, try this: grab the cable near the post and turn just a bit CCW. if it then starts you have discovered the issue. once the bolt head is seated properly or close to it current will pass properly and provide adequate  voltage to ignition wire.  I hope this solves the problem, please let us know if it does.  Good Luck Brother

 

 

Travis pls read the post a bit closer.  I was not talking about the battery terminal.  I was describing the connection of the cable at the solenoid.  dont try this until it clicks when you try to start it.  

[Travis]

I doubt it's the solenoid lug , as i have. Tried 2 starters and 4 solenoids on it, but electricity is crazy sometimes.

Yes i have made sure the stud isn't coming loose on the solenoid and have tried wiggling the connection while holding the key in start. Not sure if I have tried it in the ccw manner you mentioned so ill give that a shot. Thanks!

[Travis]

don't you hate it when a 5 min job turns into a 30 or 60 minute job. apparently i don't have the proper  AWG bullet connector to splice in the  small white + wire that goes to the keyswitch. i would  cut off the new connector on the new wire, but i don't want  to twist the wires and solder it, my soldering skills are worthless. a monkey could do better.

so off to Willis to the parts store!

[T-boss 410]

Been there, done that! Sucks!!!

[cliffyk]

Check the battery voltage (at the cable clamps, not the battery posts) while attempting to crank the engine--it should drop to 10.6 V or so. If not the starter is not getting sufficient power--i.e.; the is likely an overly resistive  wire or connection in either the supply (+) or return (-, ground) pathways to the starter.

To determine where that might be measure the voltage from the positive battery post to the positive terminal on the starter. In a perfect world (which this is not) it would be 0.0 V; however in our real world it might normally be 0.1 to 0.25 V, a value representing the voltage "drop" (an indicator of circuit resistance) across the pathway from battery to starter. If more than 0.5 V there's a overly resistive (corroded, loose, etc.) connection, component, or wire) in that pathway.

Ground connections are often overlooked in this sort of diagnosis, so do the same between the negative battery post (while cranking it over) and the starter body to determine voltage drop in the return (ground) path. Again 0.0 V would be perfect, 0.1 to 0.25 V nice, but anymore than 0.5 V is bad. 99.44% of the time a high voltage drop in the ground path is a bad connection at the engine/frame ground wire connector, an often overlooked connection  often located in a place subject to all sorts of opportunity to corrode, vibrate loose, etc. If the ground cable terminates at a frame/chassis connection look for a chassis to motor block cable--if you don't find one consider adding one.  The steel frame/chassis is a terrible conductor of electricity.

Getting back to the positive side of things;if the voltage drop is excessive (> 0.5V) b'twixt the positive post and positive stud on the starter then "back up" the measurement point along the pathway back to the battery post. I.e. check between the +post and the wire terminal at the starter end--this removes the terminal to stater connection "+" stud from the path to the battery--if the voltage drop is reduced then the problem was the terminal to starter "+" stud connection.

Similarly keep "backing up along the path", and check the voltage drop (while cranking) at each connection point along the way. When you find a lessening of the voltage drop you have found the bad connection. component, wire--it's between the current measurement point and the previous point.

Measuring  voltage drop under load is a simple way of testing an electrical path to  determine the resistance of each component of same. It is far superior to visual and/or physical inspection as it can "see" poor conductivity that we mere mortals would not recognize on our own. It works best in high current circuits where the drops will be significant. I once found a bad terminal on my step daughter's Yugo (I know, I know...) that the dealer and two auto-electric shops had failed to diagnose--the voltage drop at full charge rate (w/a 300 A carbon pile load across the battery) was over 2 volts! Cutting tghe wire back and crimping on a new terminal (properly potted in dielectric grease) fixed it right up. I went back to the dealer with her and made then give he a refund for the battery they had sold her. Thy didn't like it but they did when I explained "we can do it this way, or we can meet in small claims court (where consumers win 75%+ of the time)"

[Travis]

Got the new cable installed.

The old cable has green corrosion at both exposed ends. I notice the new cable is heat shrinked on both ends.

[Travis]

[Joe Breaux]

thats what my Corvette cables were.. only much worse corrosion.. I think that may have been your problem.. it sure was mine 

[T-boss 410]

That looks kinda bad. If it doesn't solve your problem, it will at least help things. 

[cliffyk]

49 minutes ago, Travis said:

Methinks you found the problem...

[Joe Breaux]

You aint gonna believe this.. I just went out to use one of my Honda ATVs and .. yep, you guessed it  .........CLICK CLICK CLICK..... battery full charged.. just CLICK CLICK CLIC.K  .. I just ran it yesterday.  boosted it with charger... still click click click... damn

[T-boss 410]

Must be something going around, lol. Could be it caught it from another ATV. Probably should have been wearing a mask. You may have to quarantine it for 14 days.

Given the current administration, this may not be far from possible. 

[Travis]

LOL!

If it's rapid clicking it ain't getting enough juice for the solenoid to hold. If it just clicks 1 time when you turn the key something else possibly

[Travis]

Have to call it Click-21..

[cliffyk]

40 minutes ago, Joe Breaux said:

You aint gonna believe this.. I just went out to use one of my Honda ATVs and .. yep, you guessed it  .........CLICK CLICK CLICK..... battery full charged.. just CLICK CLICK CLIC.K  .. I just ran it yesterday.  boosted it with charger... still click click click... damn

My maternal grandfather (a Scotsman ME) always told us that "...the last time any machine started and ran properly may well have been the last time it will start and run properly."

Also, "God created men and they are imperfect--men created machinery, so guess what that makes machines."

[Travis]

36 minutes ago, T-boss 410 said:

Must be something going around, lol. Could be it caught it from another ATV. Probably should have been wearing a mask. You may have to quarantine it for 14 days.

Given the current administration, this may not be far from possible. 

I should started sewing big masks for people to put on their cars. Loops around the mirrors, and covers the radiator and grill.😁

[T-boss 410]

Maybe Fauci can set the standards for treatment, and he can develop a vaccine. Certainly couldn't be any less effective than the one for Covid 19!

[T-boss 410]

9 minutes ago, Travis said:

I should started sewing big masks for people to put on their cars. Loops around the mirrors, and covers the radiator and grill.😁

Better make a bunch. They may need to double or triple the masks. 

[Travis]

So how can i fix my UTV?

" we'll circle back"

[T-boss 410]

Good one!!!👍

[Joe Breaux]

well, I cleaned the two terminals on solenoid and re connected it.. starts right up  now... was a lot of green crap on them.. its so humid here, everything corrodes fast.... that was just too easy.. I expect at least one flat tire in the woods to balance out my karma 

[T-boss 410]

Would some dielectric grease help?

[Travis]

2 hours ago, Joe Breaux said:

well, I cleaned the two terminals on solenoid and re connected it.. starts right up  now... was a lot of green crap on them.. its so humid here, everything corrodes fast.... that was just too easy.. I expect at least one flat tire in the woods to balance out my karma 

tell me where you live and i'll come put the  sharp screw in the dirt sticking up for ya', lol

[Joe Breaux]

you can probably just throw it in your yard and I ll still get a flat from it 

[Joe Breaux]

19 minutes ago, T-boss 410 said:

Would some dielectric grease help?

I put some on it.. I keep a tube for all  my 3 boats various  battery terminals.. The salt here on the gulf is destructive.. I left a 1/2 inch box end wrench in the rear of my offshore cuddy cabin  cruiser to use on the three batteries it has when needed.. in 3 years the salt ate almost all of it .. looked like a screwdriver ... 

[cliffyk]

22 minutes ago, T-boss 410 said:

Would some dielectric grease help?

Probably would, certainly wouldn't hurt. Super Lube's PTFE grease is commonly available--good for that and a whole bunch  else--I use  a couple tubes a year...

[T-boss 410]

6 minutes ago, Joe Breaux said:

I put some on it.. I keep a tube for all  my 3 boats various  battery terminals.. The salt here on the gulf is destructive.. I left a 1/2 inch box end wrench in the rear of my offshore cuddy cabin  cruiser to use on the three batteries it has when needed.. in 3 years the salt ate almost all of it .. looked like a screwdriver ... 

Hmmm...living in Ohio I don't have the salty air. I had no idea it was that caustic. I see what salt does to vehicles up here (hence the "rust belt" moniker), but at least I get a break from it during the other seasons.

[Travis]

i ain't gonna say nothing to jinx it