Electric Start: click, but not engaging

[ack1961]

Loading up the trailer and ready to take the boy riding tomorrow, but I took the battery off the tender and went to crank it...after the 2nd attempt, it just stopped engaging the starter.

When I push the button, I can hear clicking under the seat (might be the relay), but nothing happening at the starter motor.

It's getting dark, and I'm scrambling through the repair manual, but I'm in a bind. Can anyone here narrow it down from that description.

I'm just coming off knee surgery, so I was hoping to use the e-start when I could. Oh well, this stuff happens.

Oh yeah: '03 WR450

Thanks,

Steve

[MANIAC998]

Is it still the original battery? You might have some corrosion or a loose connection causing your problem, but I'm betting that your battery has finally gone kaput!!! Maniac

[ack1961]

Is it still the original battery? You might have some corrosion or a loose connection causing your problem, but I'm betting that your battery has finally gone kaput!!! Maniac

It might be. I loaded and hauled this morning. E-start worked fine the first time. Was intermittent after that, so it prob is a bad connection or corrosion.

Thanks for the reply.

[mrWR450]

Or the starter is bad! Mine was doing the same thing too.

[Hmcohen2632]

Steve,

Did you ever figure out your problem. I went riding this weekend for my first trip of the year and the same thing happened to me. It ran fine all day day one and I used the starter a lot stopping at all the sites for the kids and such. But day two I stalled and went to restart and got noting but a click. I noticed I was in gear and put it in neutral and it started right up.

Later the day I went to start it and nothing but a click. It kicked right over and I went to camp and placed it on a jump start and still nothing but the click was louder and stronger.

I have a 2006 wr450 and bought a new battery last year. I put it on a trickle charger every few weeks during storage will all fluids removed.

Is this the starter (I hope not) they are so expensive or a battery or????

Anyone have any suggestions for me....

Thanks

[ack1961]

Steve,

Did you ever figure out your problem. I went riding this weekend for my first trip of the year and the same thing happened to me. It ran fine all day day one and I used the starter a lot stopping at all the sites for the kids and such. But day two I stalled and went to restart and got noting but a click. I noticed I was in gear and put it in neutral and it started right up.

Later the day I went to start it and nothing but a click. It kicked right over and I went to camp and placed it on a jump start and still nothing but the click was louder and stronger.

I have a 2006 wr450 and bought a new battery last year. I put it on a trickle charger every few weeks during storage will all fluids removed.

Is this the starter (I hope not) they are so expensive or a battery or????

Anyone have any suggestions for me....

Thanks

It's odd, but I never did figure out exactly what's wrong. It is an intermittent problem, but I actually think it's the switch itself. This is the oddest part: I can be having the issue, but if I lean the bike to the right of center, it tends to engage. There also "appears" to be a "good spot" on the starter button itself. I probably have one more ride (hopefully this Sunday) before I do a winter tear-down on it, so the starter button itself will have to get torn down and inspected. I will also check the neutral theory on mine, but I was having issues initially on the trailer (while it was in neutral).

Sorry to hear that you're having similar issues. Hopefully, it doesn't ruin a good day. Keep us all posted on your progress. Perhaps we can isolate the issue and help some other folks get to a quicker resolution when/if it happens to them.

All the best,

Steve

[face_plant]

all 3 of mine did that....it either was the battery/ connection or it was the relay under the seat

[The Hopper Show]

when mine does that i put it in gear, rock it a bit, hit the button, and off she goes.

[Hmcohen2632]

Thanks for the replies. I am hoping to work on it this weekend. I've been too busy lately.

[Hmcohen2632]

Well figurered it out. #1 was the battery, #2 was a bad switch. Dont know if the switch caused the battery to go bad but very happy it wasnt the starter motor.