Why does my start button keep going bad?

[scuff]

Ok so I have a question, I just recently replaced my start button with a new OEM part and It worked fine for about a dozen starts. The question I have is. Is it possible jump starting my bike with my battery charger on 150 amp boost would burn out this switch? I f'ed up and shut my bike off using the kill switch and got distracted (ADD kicked in) and didn't shut the key off. The next morning I was going to meet some friends for a ride. Well obviously my battery was dead so being the impatient ADD person I am. I got the charger out put it on boost and started it. Everything was fine stopped and started the bike about 4 or 5 times on our ride and then I happened the brand new start button quit working just like the original one. I know it's the start button because I can plug the old one in and I bared the two wires touch them together and she turns right over. Hopefully the place I bought the part from will replace it, but I don't want to keep ruining my switch by jumping my bike. So what do you guys think????

 

[Traumahawk]

Is there corrosion around the contacts?

 

[scuff]

Haven't had time to tear apart the new switch yet have to leave for work soon. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to look into the switch and see if there is any damage.

 

[Bill Seward]

Give it a shot of WD40... May free it up, and is not conductive, so no shorting problems..

 

[VMax-Mike]

I will tell you again. Check power and ground going to the switch if it has power and ground than check power and ground going into the relay if it has power and ground than the relay is bad. you know the rest is good because you can take a screwdriver and jump the relay and it cranks. If you dont know how to do this i would buy a new relay and install it. It cant hurt the stock relay is what 20 years old.

 

[alorio1]

You might know how to do this, maybe not.

http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=17272

 

[alorio1]

VMax-Mike may be right, sending 150 amps to the starter relay may have blown the starter relay. Also check the connection going to the starter relay.

 

[Rusty McNeil]

Might could damage the start relay under the seat. Shouldn't hurt the start button though as the only load on that is the start relay coil.

 

[scuff]

I will tell you again. Check power and ground going to the switch if it has power and ground than check power and ground going into the relay if it has power and ground than the relay is bad. you know the rest is good because you can take a screwdriver and jump the relay and it cranks. If you dont know how to do this i would buy a new relay and install it. It cant hurt the stock relay is what 20 years old.

I appreciate you trying to help me but the relay isn't the problem, I took my old start button and plugged it into the harness bared the two wires going to the start button that would come into contact when you push the start button in and when I touched them together the bike started just fine and I tried it 3 or 4 times in a row. So I'm certain it's the button, I'm just trying to find out what keeps making my button go bad, I wouldn't think a brand new OEM part would go bad that fast without something being wrong either with my doing or something wrong with my bikes electrical system, Just sayin, I'm stumped ?

 

[scuff]

You might know how to do this, maybe not.

http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=17272

Thanks for the help, I tried this with the original button with no luck hence I bought the new one, but I am planning on trying to tear into this new one also if for no other reason just to look for any obvious damage i.e burn traces corrosion broken solder joint or anything, just trying to narrow down the cause so I can ride with confidence and know I'm not going to have to be "that guy" whose bike always breaks on rides nothing worse than holding up all ur buddies cause your bikes always breaking. I know from my snowmobile rides that eventually you don't get invited if your rides a POS and everyone's towing you home.

 

[jfeagins]

The only reason I can think of is if, for some reason, your actual STARTER is able to pull too many amps while it's spinning over. If that were the case, then the entire starting system and it's wiring would be subject to too much current, and therefore, possible damage. Too large of capacity jump starter shouldn't be a factor. 12 volts is 12 volts, and the amperage drawn is dependent upon the device drawing it.

Have you considered removing your starter for inspection and to freshen it up?

 

[scuff]

The only reason I can think of is if, for some reason, your actual STARTER is able to pull too many amps while it's spinning over. If that were the case, then the entire starting system and it's wiring would be subject to too much current, and therefore, possible damage. Too large of capacity jump starter shouldn't be a factor. 12 volts is 12 volts, and the amperage drawn is dependent upon the device drawing it.

Have you considered removing your starter for inspection and to freshen it up?

That's an idea i'll have to look into the starter, thanx

 

[MtnMax/Magniac]

If you have added extra lighting or other electrical equipment, hooked up directly from your headlight wiring, without going through an extra relay, it will burn out your starter switch. Don't ask how I know this.

 

[jfeagins]

If you have added extra lighting or other electrical equipment, hooked up directly from your headlight wiring, without going through an extra relay, it will burn out your starter switch. Don't ask how I know this.

Key switch? Or starter button?

 

[VMax-Mike]

Intermittint problems. To rule tihis out you must get the bike to do it and check for power and ground lost. Other wise your just guessing. Start before the starter switch and work your way to the starter. If mtnmax is right and you do have extra lighting to cause this than you wont have any power coming out of the starter switch. But to me your waisting your time with all of this because when you jumper across the relay it cranks so make sure the bike is in a no crank mode and check power and ground to the relay with the start button pushed in if it has power and a good ground going to the relay than the button is good so now check for power coming out of the relay if no power the relay is bad. if you dont have power going into the relay than it could be wiring from relay to starter button or the start button or power to the starter button. So do your self a favor and get the bike to do it and check power going to the relay if it there than check it coming out of the relay. Than report back.

 

[Rusty McNeil]

Too large of capacity jump starter shouldn't be a factor. 12 volts is 12 volts, and the amperage drawn is dependent upon the device drawing it

100% electrically true. Load impedance determines ability to receive current for a given voltage level.

Some older chargers/jump start boxes that have no electronics don't regulate output current really.

When you select a higher current it actually raises the open circuit voltage output in the assumption that the system it's attached to is going to load it down and pull the voltage down. As well as using that higher voltage to FORCE the load to take
more current.

Check the open circuit output voltage on one of your older style charger/ jump boxes and I believe you'll find this to be true.

The ones I've been inside of only have an AC voltage transformer and a bridge rectifier to turn it in to DC.

Selecting a different current just sets a different voltage tap on the voltage transformer.

That's why with older shittier chargers the voltage just keeps rising as the battery comes to full charge and quits taking amps. The charger is making VA capacity of the transformer.

If the A goes down the V goes up.

Newer regulated chargers/ jump start boxes are much better at not abusing your electrical system this way since they can regulate current and voltage both.

 

[scuff]

Thanx for all you guys know how with electrical stuff I'm not too good at it, I just got back in from fiddling with it and I think I'm getting close, I plugged the new switch in and started to take it apart got the dust cover off and the reserve fuel switch out of the way and just for the heck of it turned the key and pushed the button and it started, So I played with the pigtail where is connects to the wiring harness and got it to do it again, so I figure I got a bad pin connector in the plug probably on the wiring harness side, ran out of time to really look at the plug more but like I said pretty sure that's where the problem is, Thanx again for all your help.

 

[Fire-medic]

Check for wire continuity. Look to see where the pin connectors attach to their wires. Any corrosion? The wire strands may have broken where their crimp is. Try soldering them if you suspect or find broken strands. I have found breaks of the conductor wire inside the insulation by hooking a power source/continuity light to the circuit and then flexing all along the wire to see if the continuity light goes out. Pretty simple stuff. You always feel good to find the issue. Keep trying.

The stator connector for its 3 wires was bad on mine. A lot of guys solder them to remove the connector.

 

[MtnMax/Magniac]

Key switch? Or starter button?

Starter button, because the lighting goes through there, and is supposed to disable the lights as the button is pushed, and leave the circuit energized the rest of the time. Extra lights puts a constant extra load on the circuit.

 

[jfeagins]

Starter button, because the lighting goes through there, and is supposed to disable the lights as the button is pushed, and leave the circuit energized the rest of the time. Extra lights puts a constant extra load on the circuit.

Ok. Double pole, double throw starter switch. If you were to overload the side containing the lighting load, it would seem to me that the other side (starter relay side) would not be damaged, and the start function of the switch would remain in tact. Anything's possible, I guess.

Hopefully, the OP has it sorted by tightening the switch connections.