[gimmefuel]

Really sounds like the starter is on it's way out the door.

[Maxxrox]

Really sounds like the starter is on it's way out the door.

Sounds suspiciously familiar.

First issue I ever had with my bike was the starter brushes wore out. Started out starting just fine when cold, and not starting when hot (luckily, easier to bump-start in that condition..). Eventually, it got to where it wouldn't start, regardless. Great exercise, haulin' *** down the street under foot power every morning, in attempts to get your bike started.

I popped the starter open, found plenty o' gunk built up on the brushes. Cleaned and regreased. Worked fine for a while, then started happening again (which I'd expected, given brush condition). Bought new brushes and rebuilt it.

Unfortunately, my starter's a bit jacked (brush seat cracked, was that way when I got it), so I had to do some repairs, solder in my own brush connections, etc.. It'll break down again, but it's working at the moment (and has been for months).

Anyways. Yah. Sounds like your starter needs some TLC.


--B

[acraze]

Awesome thanks fellas it don't help any that it's going to be raining the next 3 days and I don't have a place to take the bike in and work on. I will clean the starter as soon an I can, a new battery couldn't hurt either.

[katana bob]

Awesome thanks fellas it don't help any that it's going to be raining the next 3 days and I don't have a place to take the bike in and work on. I will clean the starter as soon an I can, a new battery couldn't hurt either.

personally I would start with the switches (much easier to get to and check) before I tore the bike apart and looked at the starter.

[Maxxrox]

Good luck.

If you're breakin' down the starter, watch out for parts 13 and 14 in the linked fiche. They're a bloody PITA to get in straight past the cylinder magnets ><

Make absolutely certain the tabs in 14 align correctly into part 3 before you try tightening down the long screw(s) labeled 12 in the fiche. If you start tightening it back together and it doesn't spin freely, it's not seated correctly.

There may be an easier way to go about it than I did, if anyone's rebuilt a like starter before. 'Course, mine's off an '01, so may be simpler in an '03. Hope so, anyway *grin*



--B

P.S. katana bob is correct about the switches. Eliminate those first!

[Fullmetal]

how old's the battery? i'd give ya odds it's either toast, or needs a fluid level check (add distilled water only) and a good charge.

DO NOT ADD WATER TO THE BATTERY. It's a maintenance-free gel cell battery. It does not have acid in it, so adding water would hurt it.

Like most people have been saying, you should check your wiring and contacts to the starter switch. They are most likely dirty or have a poor connection. Definitely do that first before trying to disassemble the starter.

[ckenwright]

I had the same exact problem when I reached about 4000mi. I happened to look under the clutch handle, after push starting for a couple of days, and noticed the wiring pin had come off the pins on the clutch handle. You definitly have a switch problem because the bike won't run at all if the battery is bad. I had that problem also.

[acraze]

Okay can someone tell me how to take the kill switch starter piece off? I go to take a look at it and I'm confused. My computer is down now i had downloaded the haynes manual but have no access to it now. I see there are 2 Phillips head to unscrew and the throttle cables. I cannot get the throttle grip off or them anti vibration bars off, it has been jammed hard.

[md86]

That pod comes apart with a couple phillips screws on the bottom . Careful , they MAY try to strip on ya ..... And don't try to yank it apart . There's wires in there , and you don't wanna pull them out . Just seperate it enough to twist it off the throttle tube .

[DumbLuck]

DO NOT ADD WATER TO THE BATTERY. It's a maintenance-free gel cell battery. It does not have acid in it, so adding water would hurt it.

Like most people have been saying, you should check your wiring and contacts to the starter switch. They are most likely dirty or have a poor connection. Definitely do that first before trying to disassemble the starter.

he didnt say anything about it being a sealed gel-cell

[acraze]

Brain yummm zombie thread. Anyways I think I have found the problem to this issue, on the clutch lever side under the turnsignal switch and high n low beams there is a 2prong plug connector, I just tighten the nut n bolt for the lever. Will someone tell me what the two prong plugs is? Thanks.

[md86]

Clutch sensor . tells the brain the clutch is pulled in , giving the starter permission to spin . Yeah , that COULD cause a problem ....