Topic: CB360 Starter Solenoid *solved

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

This bike arrived partially disassembled, so it's possible it has been 'messed with'.

Ignition on, depressing starter button causes the solenoid to click with no resulting action from the starter. Depressing the starter button kills all lights on the bike, releasing brings them back. Crossing the terminals on the solenoid will bring the starter to life. Any ideas?

[Laminar]

If I'm not mistaken, the starter button is supposed to kill all of the lights to free up as much current as possible for the starter, so that operation is normal.

Does the solenoid click once or repeatedly?

[TwoTired]

Could be normal, might not be.  Kinda depends on the specific bike, or how clairvoyant you believe us to be.

There is, after all, a different wire diagram for different bikes.

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

cb360. Looks to be the same solenoid as the spare (dead) 750 one I had laying around. y/r & g/r leads.

it only gives me one click. Not sure what the definitive test is, but I did connect the g/r to ground and y/r to positive on the battery and the solenoid did click.

[TwoTired]

So, the question actually belongs in other bikes, right?

Is your battery good and fully charged?
Do you have a schematic for the bike?

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Battery is new, fresh off my battery tender. I have the factory manual with wiring diagram.

[Tim.]

Maybe I'm wrong, but doesn't 'crossing' the terminals of the solenoid actually just bypass the solenoid, and if that fires up the starter.... then your solenoid is dead.

I'm 99% sure your solenoid is toast.  Everything else sounds like its working as designed:

- kill the lights when pressing the starter button
- bypassing solenoid shows the starter works and battery is strong enough

This just leaves the solenoid.  Replace it.

[mystic_1]

Maybe I'm wrong, but doesn't 'crossing' the terminals of the solenoid actually just bypass the solenoid, and if that fires up the starter.... then your solenoid is dead.

That's where I'd be looking.  Carefully jump across the main terminals of the solenoid with a large screwdriver.  If the starter jumps, than the solenoid is the problem.

Aside from the solenoid being bad internally, badly corroded terminals can cause this problem.  Unless you've done so already, clean all cable ends and connection points with a wire brush and then re-test.

mystic_1

[andy750]

+1 on what Mystic said...screwdriver across the terminals...watch for sparks...it should start up by doing this if its the solenoid.

[Laminar]

Crossing the terminals on the solenoid will bring the starter to life.

.....

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

You guys were absolutely right, swapped out with a known good solenoid and she cranked right over.

I did a search before starting the thread, and the impression I got was if you remove the solenoid, apply ground to g/r and 12v+ to y/r, and get a click then the solenoid is good. Whats the right way to test these buggers, just crossing the terminals?

[mystic_1]

The click you hear is the sound of an electromagnet pulling a metal bar up to make contact with the bottoms of the two main terminal studs.  This bar can develop corrosion, or pitting from arcing at the contact points.  This can result in poor conductivity and therefore failure to run the starter.

You can disassemble the solenoid and clean it out but if you already have a good one than no need to bother unless you're curious.

mystic_1

[B.O.X.N.I.F.E.]

Thanks mystic. I disassembled it and the contact surfaces on the pull bar and the terminals were both pretty coroded. I flipped the pull bar upside down and reassembled. Worked great after reassembling.