Starter solenoid gone down

[Al]

I bought a starter solenoid from vehicle wiring products and it lasted a couple of months. ( that was a year ago )
They kindly sent me a new one and it has lasted a couple of weeks.

There is a simple wiring diagram with the SS which when followed gives a zero response when pressing the starter button.

In both cases i have had to reverse the wires which come from the starter switch and go to the coils (the two minor connections)

Now it has stopped working you only get a click when you release the starter botton and if you hold the starter button in and tap the body of the SS it will pull in the major contacts and start the bike.

Any thoughts please.

AL

[Garn 1]

Zorded, I recently posted the pic below on this site.
The exterior of this unit looked fine and the ingress of water was not evident.
For the Z1 series these units are getting on 40 years old. However, yours being a new unit this should not happen.
Reversing the wires would have just forced the soft iron core in a different direction. For the old units it would probably cause releasing/loosening the rusted slug...
.
RegardZ

[KeithZ1R]

sounds like you have high resistance somewhere theres not quite enough current going through the solenoid coil to pull the contact tapping it make them jump together have you tried cleaning the clutch switch contacts and the button contacts its only two switches in series both have to be closed to complete the circuit does it pull and click hard if you flash it across a battery ? off the bike

[Al]

Thank you i struggle with anything electrical if its my own for some reason.

Garn my original was a bit like yours and so in my world i thought a solenoid is a solenoid i'll buy a cheapy where Kawasaki wanted something like £80 for the one for the J!!!

I managed to do the coil relay mod at the second time of asking about three years back (first attempt destroyed a green Dyna coil and a battery) so its very possible that the starter button switch has deteriorated in that time and the coil relay modification is masking it.
It has never had the clutch switch or side stand switch since ive owned it and it now has no lights, horn, indicators, speedo, fuel gauge, electric odometer or much else for that matter.
Keith i will have a look at the starter button and see if the fault lies there.

Many thanks i'll report back.
I guess that measuring 12 volts is not the same as having enough current flow to activate the starter solenoid?

AL

[lude]

starter switch test from the manual

red 4 pin connector from the rhs switch gear

connect an ohmeter (on 1ohm range) acroos the red and black pins on the switch side connector
push the button should read 0 ohms
if it doesnt manual says replace switch gear (bit drastic ion my opinion

"and it now has no lights, horn, indicators, speedo, fuel gauge, electric odometer or much else for that matter."

i'm assuing fuses are ok
is earths ok
is battery ok
is ignition switch ok

ignition switch test
unplug it, swtich to on position
test continuity between

white - white/black
orange/white - orange
brown - yellow /red

[Al]

Thanks Lude just home and trying to summon up the courage to go to the dark shed!!

Spoke to a mechanic today, who fits these to lots of older Aston Martins' and he confirmed that they have a high failure rate and are barely fit for purpose.
Whats thrown me i think is that the accompanying hand written wiring diagram insists that the body of the SS be earthed.

Standard one is not i believe and so i am probably using the wrong type of application for my bike!!

It has no lights etc but it did recently. I just unplugged all the breakable stuff and took it off.
All wiring, fuses, etc remain and its a new battery and all else seems fine.

Its the bit where you hold the button in and then give it a gentle tap and it works that has my suspicions alerted.

AL

[Al]

Assuming that this SS can be used this is what i found just now.
Starter switch and button apart and no more real resistance than meter and leads.
Some small increase in resistance at the plug for the RHS switch gear, but very very little.

Voltage at the two minor SS connectors with ignition on and engine stationary = battery voltage (12.3v)

voltage at either of the minor leads when you press the starter button = 9volts this is not enough to activate it so its and easy reading to make.

Isolated the SS from its earth fixing and dead as a dodo.

Then it started working again and i gave up around then!!

Looks like i'm loosing +3volts somewhere and when it wasnt activating properly on the starter button a very gentle tap will get it to operate as it should and spin the starter motor up and fire the engine.

AL