Waiting on the Tow Truck

It's finally happened, my Swing has left me on the side of the road. No Start. Lights on, hear pressuring up of fuel pump, no warning lights, checked kill switch, kickstand up, brake pulled hard - click, click.

Tried a jumpstart - click, click.

Put it on the centerstand - click, click.

Never squeezed the left brake so hard - click, click.

When I get it here I'm checking the kickstand switch, then the main green 30 amp under the cover. Then I've got some contact cleaner and gonna hit the kill switch - just to make sure.

TG for Insurance with Roadside Assistance. Tow truck coming from 50 miles away to carry me 4 miles back to the house.

In 4 years with this scooter - no problems whatever - now this.

Hmmmmm

You didn't mention the age of the battery (or I missed it). If the battery is over four years old, it needs to be considered. Good luck with getting back on the road.

Sounds like the battery ain't putting out enough juice to turn it over... although the failed jumpstart might scupper that theory.
Might be a conection in the starter circuit playing up.
Bloody electricks!!!

Got it home, SAFELY!

Battery could be the issue and I've got it on the charger right now.  It was in there when I got it and I haven't fiddled with it, except after leaving the seat up overnight a couple of times.  It's an '05 w/38K miles.  I know, I need to take out the "trunk" light.

Yep, just got back from Advance Auto Parts, bought a new battery - 85.00 - scooter goes - click - click.

Coming from under the left lower cover - heading there next.

Hello,

Sorry to hear this.

Sure sounds like the main 30 amp fuse under the left rear side cover. The fuse is located under the black rubber boot next to the started relay...Can't miss it.

https://www.silverwing600.com/t1010-left-rear-cover-removal-pictorial-main-fuse-access?highlight=Main+fuse

Thank you Dennis, I pulled the relay out, got the rubber casing off of it - I do not see a 30 amp fuse "just above" what you were pointing to in your pictorial. Efforts continue. Thanks for the help. Won't/can't be without my ride. Might have to go well into the night on this one.

I'm think'in I need to add another picture to this article. It's under the black rubber boot. Sounds like you went to the wrong place. If you didn't see a fuse you were in the wrong place.

OK...Now I know what I'm going to be doing tomorrow. Got a silverwing out in my shop.

Well, there was a 30 amp fuse in the bottom of the rubber boot. You said it was the spare. It obviously is, as it is not connected to anything. I pulled the solenoid out, removed the rubber from around it, couldn't see it. Is it under the battery connections? The wires on the other side? I'm looking through the FSM right now. Thanks for "staying w/me".

You need to go up about 2 1/2 to 3 inchs from the spare fuse. The in use fuse faces straight up. When you remove/pull the rubber boot (up) you will see the 30 on the top of it. that is your in use fuse.

Eureka,

It is not "in sight" as it were, on mine I had to pull the red 4 pin plug and it was nestled in there under the plug. It was good, but I changed it to a new one anyway - click - click. Thank you Mr. Dennis. The fuse was there, but like I say, I had to pull the plug on that connector and it was under it.

Starter next?

Check the connections to the battery. I have had similar symptoms on other bikes when the battery connections were loose and/or corroded.

DerrillW wrote:

Check the connections to the battery. I have had similar symptoms on other bikes when the battery connections were loose and/or corroded.

I would assume that since he replaced the battery the connections should be fine.

Janitor1, did you check the voltage coming from your battery? I think that you need about 13 volts to start your bike. If your voltage is low on your new battery, put it back on the charger for a little longer.

UPDATE:

Finally found the starter. Connected it direct to battery. Nothing. Took it out and connected it to my car battery - nothing. Gave it a light "tap" (old school Ford), with my "tapping device", and it kicked right over.

Now what? Put it back in, put everything back together? Wait for it to happen again?

Rebuild Kit?

New Starter?

Hep me, hep me, hep me!!

I did find a new starter on Amazon 70.00 + ship.

Good news is that I get to clean it out in there, get the parts cleaned up and prepped for reinstall while I wait. My own leaning is toward a new starter. But I want to hear what ya'll have to say.

Thanks all - in advance!!

Jon

Look for one of the "old fashioned" electric shops who rebuild starters first and see what they say or can do.

Yep, thanks - I have one of those here. Parts everywhere, in boxes, in piles, (no one allowed to touch) but he knows what he's doing - alternators, starters, auto electrics - comes to work when he wants to - or not. I'll get him to rebuild it and keep in on the shelf. I've got one coming from AMZ.
Jon

Jon,
Glad you sorted out the problem with a successful resolution.

Your experience brought back "bad" memories of similar problems with the '95 Cirrus I had owned. The starter quit on a Christmas Eve. The only way to get it started was by tapping the starter. (That car spent more time on the back of a tow truck than on the road ! And problems always developed on the Friday afternoon of a long weekend ... without fail!) But a well known auto electrical shop here, like you described, proved to be the solution for the starter.

Thanks for completing the story of your problems ... we all learn from completed stories.
Mike

Yeah if your starter is having issues definitely address it as they will get worse. I suggest just getting a rebuild kit and doing it yourself. If you have the skill to get the starter out of this thing you have the skill to rebuild it.

Oops I missed that you're getting a new one. Still suggest rebuilding your old one yourself. It's an easy job.

That's what I wanted to do, but I twisted the post I don't know how many times trying to get the top nut off. I can recover it from the trash can...still might...get a rebuild kit and see what happens. I got the starter back in tonight, it runs, now to put it all back together. Grrrrrr....

Yeah the starter is definitely buried.

I'm not sure what you mean by twisted the post

Oh... The positive post. The rebuild kit should come with all new parts for the post bushing and insulator so if it gets torn up it shouldn't matter. (though I would check the kit contents first to make sure)

I'd bet on a dirty armature and worn brushes. Bike starters are often barely able to do the job when brand new. They need to be small and lightweight so they're built a bit minimalist style. The old Goldwing four cylinder models had plenty of starter problems. They were barely adequate when in good condition. I've had the "pleasure" of rebuilding several of them. One common problem with them is low voltage. Dirty connections, burned starter relay contacts, and low battery voltage can cause damage to a starter. Those conditions can cause low voltage at the starter terminals which will cause excessive heating of the armature, brushes and windings.

Battery tender best money spent

plenty of used starters on ebay