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BIGMACACE
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« on: April 11, 2006, 05:48:36 AM » |
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2000 Standard with lightbar. Here's my problem, might be lengthy so bare with me.
The last few months I have had issues with the starter switch, sometimes it would not make good contact. I have taken it apart a few times and cleaned the contacts. They have never seemed to be burned or overheating, just a very small black dot on top of one of the points. After cleaning it works for a couple of months with no issues then starts to act up again.
Yesterday while in Muskogee the switch became absolutely dead. Had to push start it. When I turned the key on I had no headlights or idiot lights. I got it started and got home. I took the starter switch apart and it looked as it always does. One black dot on the contact. I cleaned it and the bike started 10-15 times perfectly. This morning on the way to work the lights went out. No headlight, no lightbar, no lights for the idiot. The bike continued to run and the sigs and running lights are still functioning. But the starter switch is dead.
I would first suspect a direct short but I don't appear to be blowing fuses. Could this problem be coming from a relay? I've never had a relay blow and don't know if they could cause this intermittent problem. Can a relay funtion intermittently or when they go bad are they completely gone?
Any thoughts as to your experiences with such problems will be greatly appreciated. And if I've got to have a new switch any ideas on where to find one without buying the whole housing from Honda? And what's the best way to test the relay to see if it is good?
I need help! I had to drive the truck to work today and that is totally unacceptible!!!!! LOL. I guess I'll fire up the little ACE for tomorrow if I can't breathe life into the Valk tonight.
Thanks for any help.
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Blackjack
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« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2006, 08:16:39 AM » |
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I had the same problem but with one difference. I gave up sooner than you and bought a new starter switch. It cost about $70 plus installation as I recall. I had it installed at Maxey's. No problems since. Sorry to suggest you might have to spend some hard-earned cash. Hope this helps.
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BIGMACACE
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« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2006, 01:19:55 PM » |
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Yep you are probably right. But I have been pretty successful in the past cleaning the points of the switch. Just can't understand why this time it only lasted a few times instead of a few months. There must be some kind of under lying problem to make this simple switch so sensitive.
I'm gonna wait and see if anymore of the Valk guru's chime in that have had a similar problem. I just hate to spend $70.00 on a .50 switch!!! LOL.
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Scott
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« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2006, 02:11:10 PM » |
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Buster,
Did you stretch the little springs a bit? Doing so will help put a little more pressure on the switch contacts?
I had my switch fail like that once, about 4 years ago on the Talimena drive. Made it back to McAlester and took the switch apart in the hotel parking lot...cleaned it the best I could and stretched the springs. Been working flawlessly ever since.
-Scott
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Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large numbers."
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BIGMACACE
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« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2006, 08:09:43 PM » |
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Well for what it's worth, I got it starting again. Took the switch apart again and really looked at it. Seems the white plastic has melted some making the little rocker points stick to it and welded the spring in place (no way to get it lose without breaking it). I trimmed some of the plastic away to allow the points to move more freely, stretched the spring some and cleaned with WD-40. Put everything back together and she fired right up. BUT NO LIGHTS!!!! After a few minutes of cussing I found I had blown a fuse for the lights. Everything is good for the time being but this switch ain't gonna last long. So if anybody knows of someone who has an extra switch laying around clue me in. I sure would hate to lose my lights at night on unfamiliar roads because of the switch.
Thanks for the help guys.
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Blackjack
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Posts: 469
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« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2006, 09:05:04 PM » |
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While I consider Scott a Valk guru, I know for sure that I'm not, but here goes anyway.
I believe that what caused my problem with my starter switch was putting a too-powerful light bulb in the headlight. At least, that was the only thing I could think of that could have affected the starter switch. After I replaced my switch, I also replaced my headlight bulb.
Have you by any chance done the same thing? Just a shot in the dark. Pun intended.
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BIGMACACE
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« Reply #6 on: April 12, 2006, 04:16:13 AM » |
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As far as I know the headlight is the stock veriety (I haven't been into the bucket yet though), but there is an after market lightbar. It does seem to be wired through the headlight relay though because it does go out when you depress the switch.
I stated before that there didn't seem to be any excessive heat on the contacts because they are not fried but after closer inspection last night there has been a considerable amount of heat on the plastic. The spring is welded in place and I had to work some to remove the little rocker point bar, it was not floating freely, actually it was stuck stationary.
Anyway I cut away some of the mis-shapen plastic to square up the chanel it sits in and got it to float a lot better and actually move on the spring. Right now my thought is it's FIXED but not REPAIRED, if you know what I mean. I'll know in a few minutes, I'm heading to work.
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Scott
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« Reply #7 on: April 12, 2006, 12:25:44 PM » |
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I'd say you need to take a look at how your extra lights are wired. If they are wired direct to the headlight circuit, you will continue to have problems. A relay is needed to power those aux lights, and only the trigger for the relay coil powered thru the the same circuit as the headlights.
-Scott
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Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large numbers."
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BIGMACACE
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« Reply #8 on: April 12, 2006, 02:21:37 PM » |
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Yep, that is my next step. I know they should be through a relay but I don't know for real if that is the fact, I haven't been into the headlight bucket yet. If not they will be soon. I have not run the lightbar since I repaired the switch just for that reason. I did however pull the switch again today just to see if I could see any sign of new overheating of the plastic parts and there was no sign of new problems, looked just as it did last night when I put it back in. SSOOO I'm thinking a relay is in order. If there is a relay already in place I guess I will look further for something that would create more draw on the switch. If there is not one in place I'm going to be pretty pissed at a dealership in Springdale Ar. !!!!! LOL.
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Donnie McCall
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« Reply #9 on: April 13, 2006, 11:31:13 AM » |
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WD-40 is the worst stuff to use on anything. It will cause corrosion down the line. Its made to loosen rust for a short period and thats all. Throw away your WD-40 and buy something better like Super Tech Multi-Purpose. Its a lot better. LATER
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BIGMACACE
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« Reply #10 on: April 13, 2006, 07:13:18 PM » |
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I gotcha Donnie. I just sprayed a little WD-40 on a rag and wiped off the black stuff that was on the contacts and then dried it off good with a clean rag. I didn't saturate the components. Thanks for the heads up though.
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Blackjack
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Posts: 469
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« Reply #11 on: April 13, 2006, 07:18:08 PM » |
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It'll be interesting to see what you discover to be the problem. Be sure to post what you do to solve the problem. TIA
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BIGMACACE
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« Reply #12 on: April 13, 2006, 07:31:47 PM » |
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I'll post when I find it. I had to go to Shawnee today (about a 200 mile round trip) and no problems. I'm NOT going to use the lightbar until I dig into the bucket to see what's in there. Probably be Sunday or Monday before I get to it though. I'm really suspecting that the bar is wired direct with no relay causing the problem. If that is the case it should be an easy fix but I damned near destroyed the switch in the process. I'm going to pull the switch again in a few days and re-inspect it for heat related problems. I'll let you know what I find.
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Scott
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« Reply #13 on: April 13, 2006, 09:42:40 PM » |
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If you have a Radio shack handy, get you some dieletric grease to smooey on those contacts.... I also assume you have taken a looksee at this page: http://www.rattlebars.com/mtz/starter.html-Scott |
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Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large numbers."
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