Starts without pressing the start button

[tmosel]

Firstly, hello all, it's been a long while since I've posted anything on the forum. I've done just about all of the upgrades on the forum to the Max and have been enjoying it for the past 4 years without many problems.

Now for my problem...

I was riding home from work the other night, about a 20 mile ride, so not far. Right before I turned onto my street, the oil light and fuel reserve light came on and stayed on. I knew that I had plenty of gas, and I checked the oil level when I got home and it was fine. Normally when I turn the bike off, I just turn off the ignition key to off, and just leave the kill switch on run. So after I checked the oil and fuel levels I turned the key back on and the bike started right up, without me pressing the start button. And the starter stays running after the bike starts. The oil and fuel reserve lights stay on. I let the bike cool down for about an hour, came out and the bike acted like it should, normally, and the oil light and fuel reserve light are off.

I checked the ignition switch when the bike was having the problem and also when it was not and it appears to be normal, as in it passed the connectivity check. I did check the connector at the loom and there appears to be problem. I did a connectivity check on the connector and if the bike is cooled down, the connector is good, but if the bike has been warmed up and the problem shows up (lights are on, starter is running) there is connectivity between the red and brown wires.

Any thoughts? And thank you all again for the help.

TR

 

[Traumahawk]

Is the start button staying depressed? If it is, can you manually pull the start switch out? While this is going on, is the headlight on?

 

[tmosel]

Start button is not stuck, and the headlight is on.

 

[dannymax]

Maybe a short in the ignition switch....or brown red blue connection under the instrument pod.

 

[Miles Long]

The ignition switch connector failed on my bike a few years ago - the plastic insulator melted thru, the red and brown wires came in contact, and I couldn't shut the bike off!
A simple fix....I eliminated the connector completely by soldering and heat shrinking the wires.
Cheers!

 

[tmosel]

I took the wires out of the connector, which looked in good shape, and still had connectivity between the red and brown wires. Maybe a short?

And if it is a short in the wiring harness, I really, really don't want to pull the loom apart. Where do these wires terminate? Can I just try and run new wires outside the harness and see if that fixes the problem?

 

[maleko89]

Pull fuses one at a time and see which circuit is causing the short. Main fuse too.

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[tmosel]

Pull fuses one at a time and see which circuit is causing the short. Main fuse too.

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I'll give that a shot. Thanks.

 

[tmosel]

I only lost connectivity when I removed the main fuse.

 

[maleko89]

And the bike is on with key switch off otherwise?

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[tmosel]

I'm sorry, I'm not understanding the question. The bike is off, I'm checking the short at the loom between the red and brown wires, while it is disconnected from the ignition.

 

[maleko89]

Sorry, you answered it for me.

Can you disengage the wires from the key switch connector and take a closer look? I remove that connector on my vmaxes as it always seems to go bad. Perhaps it melted from the heat due to dirt/corrosion.

 

[tmosel]

I did disengage them, and the connector looked okay. And when I checked, there was still connectivity between the red and brown wires even when they were removed from the connector.

 

[maleko89]

Gotcha. Remove switch assembly...I believe there are two bolts holding it on. Then, take the cylinder apart and check for bad wires, contact plate, etc. It should only read continuous between red and brown wires if the switch is in on position. Brown and blue if in "park" position.

 

[maleko89]

Gotcha. Remove switch assembly...I believe there are two bolts holding it on. Then, take the cylinder apart and check for bad wires, contact plate, etc. It should only read continuous between red and brown wires if the switch is in on position. Brown and blue if in "park" position.

I'll add that when the switch is in the ON position it is continuous between brown and blue as well.

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[Miles Long]

Firstly, hello all, it's been a long while since I've posted anything on the forum. I've done just about all of the upgrades on the forum to the Max and have been enjoying it for the past 4 years without many problems.

Now for my problem...

I was riding home from work the other night, about a 20 mile ride, so not far. Right before I turned onto my street, the oil light and fuel reserve light came on and stayed on. I knew that I had plenty of gas, and I checked the oil level when I got home and it was fine. Normally when I turn the bike off, I just turn off the ignition key to off, and just leave the kill switch on run. So after I checked the oil and fuel levels I turned the key back on and the bike started right up, without me pressing the start button. And the starter stays running after the bike starts. The oil and fuel reserve lights stay on. I let the bike cool down for about an hour, came out and the bike acted like it should, normally, and the oil light and fuel reserve light are off.

I checked the ignition switch when the bike was having the problem and also when it was not and it appears to be normal, as in it passed the connectivity check. I did check the connector at the loom and there appears to be problem. I did a connectivity check on the connector and if the bike is cooled down, the connector is good, but if the bike has been warmed up and the problem shows up (lights are on, starter is running) there is connectivity between the red and brown wires.

Any thoughts? And thank you all again for the help.

I just re-read your original post, this time while completely sober.
So when the bike is misbehaven', it will start on it's own, just by turning the ignition on, and the fuel and oil lights stay on?
I think that your Starter Relay is sticking in the closed (energized) position. This would explain why the bike starts , the lights stay on, and the starter motor stays running. Normally the relay is energized via the starter switch, which is a momentary type, so that power is supplied only while the switch is being depressed.
The root cause of the problem may be within the Starter Relay itself, or in the Starting Circuit Cutoff Relay, which normally supplies the power to the S.R. when safety conditions permit (bike in neutral, or when the clutch lever is pulled while the sidestand is up)
I would try tapping on the Starter Relay when conditions are abnormal (starter motor still turning, oil and fuel lights on). If this breaks the contacts inside the relay, you will know that the problem is confined to that component. If not , there are detailed instructions for testing both the S.R. and the S.C.C.R. in the OEM and aftermarket service manuals.
Cheers!

 

[sdt354]

There is a blue/white wire from the SR that runs to a bullet connector behind the battery. If the insulation rubs off and it grounds, the relay engages. This is a good way of spinning your engine over with the key off, like a compression test,for example (better be in neutral). I'm betting on the relay being defective like Miles mentioned. They can stick when old from the high current slowly welding a teet on the interior contacts.

 

[Miles Long]

There is a blue/white wire from the SR that runs to a bullet connector behind the battery. If the insulation rubs off and it grounds, the relay engages. This is a good way of spinning your engine over with the key off, like a compression test,for example (better be in neutral). I'm betting on the relay being defective like Miles mentioned. They can stick when old from the high current slowly welding a teet on the interior contacts.

Dandy tip. Thanks, Steve!:eusa_dance:

 

[tmosel]

Thanks guys. I just finished taking apart the ignition tumblers. I cleaned all that I could, and checked the wires, it appeared to be okay. I'll check the starter relay and that blue/white wire next. Thanks again, and I'll let you all know what I find.

 

[maleko89]

Good, so continuity was good when tested with each key position?

I totally misunderstood you...I read it that you were reading continuity between the red and brown wire with the key switch off. I agree with the blue/white wire of the starter relay.