1976 T3 Starter Motor wiring problem.
This is the problem they all get - where the relay under the right side panel clicks but the current supplied to the starter motor is not enough to energise the “big solenoid” that sits on top of the starter motor and throws in the heavy duty power and moves the gear. I now suffer this 50% of the time.
The published solution is to beef up the power supply to the relay behind the right side panel.
I am pretty sure I do suffer the inadequate power problem as the starter motor spins fine and the bike starts if I bridge the heave duty battery supply lead on the starter motor to the small spade connector on the “big solenoid”
I wanted to avoid doing the standard fix as the relay is inaccessible behind the brake master cylinder, the linked brakes can be tough to get working again if I disturb the master cylinder, and the 34 year old wiring is prone to develop fresh faults if it is disturbed too much.
So I set about a short cut solution. I decided to power the “big solenoid” with a cable direct from the positive battery terminal, switched through a new micro relay that I intended to site behind the left side panel.
And the plan was to energise the new micro relay by connecting the cable with the inadequate current from the existing relay under the right hand panel to one of the low power input terminals, and connecting the other low power cable to the battery earth side.
So I set up the relay cables
One high power with a banjo connector for the battery positive terminal. Other high power with a female spade connector for the “big solenoid”.
One low power with a male spade connector to receive the female spade connector on the existing 34 year old wire transferred from the “big solenoid” Other low power terminal on the new micro relay fitted with a banjo connector to batter earth (negative) terminal.
I tested the micro relay wiring and operation by using it to light a test bulb that I placed in series on the high power switched circuit of the relay. The light went on and off with a nice sounding click when I connected the low power leads to the battery, one lead to Postve, one to negtve. All was fine.
So then I connected up the new extra relay for real.
Turned on the ignition
Pressed the starter.
Click from the old relay, nothing else happened
Tried again
Click from old relay.
Fuse that protects old relay blows (15A Fuse)
I am pretty sure I connected it up same as I did when I did the test with the bulb. The connectors on my relay wires are all different depending upon their purpose, so it would be tough to get it wrong.
Anyone got any ideas why my alternative fix will not work?
Thanks
Geoff
This is the problem they all get - where the relay under the right side panel clicks but the current supplied to the starter motor is not enough to energise the “big solenoid” that sits on top of the starter motor and throws in the heavy duty power and moves the gear. I now suffer this 50% of the time.
The published solution is to beef up the power supply to the relay behind the right side panel.
I am pretty sure I do suffer the inadequate power problem as the starter motor spins fine and the bike starts if I bridge the heave duty battery supply lead on the starter motor to the small spade connector on the “big solenoid”
I wanted to avoid doing the standard fix as the relay is inaccessible behind the brake master cylinder, the linked brakes can be tough to get working again if I disturb the master cylinder, and the 34 year old wiring is prone to develop fresh faults if it is disturbed too much.
So I set about a short cut solution. I decided to power the “big solenoid” with a cable direct from the positive battery terminal, switched through a new micro relay that I intended to site behind the left side panel.
And the plan was to energise the new micro relay by connecting the cable with the inadequate current from the existing relay under the right hand panel to one of the low power input terminals, and connecting the other low power cable to the battery earth side.
So I set up the relay cables
One high power with a banjo connector for the battery positive terminal. Other high power with a female spade connector for the “big solenoid”.
One low power with a male spade connector to receive the female spade connector on the existing 34 year old wire transferred from the “big solenoid” Other low power terminal on the new micro relay fitted with a banjo connector to batter earth (negative) terminal.
I tested the micro relay wiring and operation by using it to light a test bulb that I placed in series on the high power switched circuit of the relay. The light went on and off with a nice sounding click when I connected the low power leads to the battery, one lead to Postve, one to negtve. All was fine.
So then I connected up the new extra relay for real.
Turned on the ignition
Pressed the starter.
Click from the old relay, nothing else happened
Tried again
Click from old relay.
Fuse that protects old relay blows (15A Fuse)
I am pretty sure I connected it up same as I did when I did the test with the bulb. The connectors on my relay wires are all different depending upon their purpose, so it would be tough to get it wrong.
Anyone got any ideas why my alternative fix will not work?
Thanks
Geoff