Yamaha ATV Start Problem

Pushing my electric start button, all i'm getting is a click click click. Removed the battery, one cell was low, topped it up, recharged and put back in. Still going click click click. Pull start works no problem. It's a 1994 Yamaha Timberwolf 4x4. Would it be the brushes in the starter? The battery posts are clean. There's a little black box near the battery and when i put my finger on it i can feel the click click click coming from it.

Gary

A couple suggestions. Make sure connections are clean and tight, the plug at the solenoid especially. Try tapping the starter with a hammer. If that doesn't work I'd start with a new solenoid, if not that the starter. Maybe your local Yamaha dealer can test the parts before you have to guess and buy new ones.

Get out your multi meter...put it on the battery and crank it.  What does your voltage do?  It will drop when you engage the starter.  My guess is that it drops to about 5V.

Put it on the starter.  My guess is that you have less than 10V at the starter, when you engage it.  12.5 is enough to get it to crank.  10 is probably enough and less than that...you either have a bad connection, or your bat is bat.  The voltage at the bat and at the starter should be real close to being the same.

Being as you had a low cell, guess what I'm voting on?

BTW, your cells, in good condition, put out 2.2V per cell.  There are 6 cells in your bat.  So, right off the bat you are .7V low.  And, a normal alternator puts out about 14.5V, in a car, in order to charge the bat.

You can jump it, w/standard cables, right off your car.  Now, you manual says that it shouldn;t be done.  That is because your car has a HUGE battery by comparison, w/a ton of amps to spare.  When you jump it, it will crank, I mean it will crank VERY strongly.  What will kill it is cranking and your motor not starting.  The reason they say that it some dummy will crank the snot out of it (like for 10 minutes straight) w/o it starting and burn stuff up.

What I'm saying is this, jump it, for 10 secs or less and if it cranks, you know that your starter is fine. 

If you go crazy, then you'll know that your starter is fine, becuase it will be brand new.

d4570 wrote: Rob1 wrote: If that doesn't work I'd start with a new solenoid, if not that the starter.    It's almost NEVER the solenoid. Did it happen all of a sudden? If it did you will find the battery is bad or a bad connection. The clicking noise IS the solenoid trying to work. If the bat is OK then you lost the ground !!  good luck.

It worked fine on the morning part of our hunt. Later on towards the evening when i went to start it it wouldn't turn over.

Gary

I just did an old trick that i used to do with my Toyota truck when it clicked. I hit the starter with a hammer and it started to crank over. On my Toyota, i just replaced the brushes. If my battery had enough juice the atv probably would of fired up.

Gary

If nobody else has suggested it, you may have a shorted cell.

When you charge those smaller batteries like in atv's,
lawnmowers, cycles etc use a charger of 2amps or smaller
and leave in on a long time (but watch it) or use one of
the newer type that will monitor for full charge and
auto shut off when "dun". Chargers of 4,6,10 amps
etc can ruin those smaller batteries.

Edited by Irish Bird Dog

gary murray wrote: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Thanx IBD. I heard the same thing from other people too. I didn't have a trickle charger but i kept my eye on it as it didn't have an automatic shut off as you mentioned.</span><br style="font-weight: bold;"><br style="font-weight: bold;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gary</span>

the KEY is to NOT use more than 2amps when charging the
little/small size batteries regardless if you watch it or
not....the higher amps can damage the smaller cell
batteries....

Edited by Irish Bird Dog