1981 XJ550 Seca - No start.. please advise.

Ok, so I've been lurking here for a while trying to figure out what the heck could be wrong with my bike. It is my first bike, and I have been trying to keep from driving it straight into a metal crusher.

Ok so, I bought the bike from a buddy who said that the bike needed a new starter motor. I opened up the starter motor and saw that the solenoid brushes was not making 100% contact with the solenoid.. so I just tapped it with a screw driver, put it back together and it fired right up!

After that, the bike would start intermittently.. lets say it would start 6-7 times out of 10 with no problems. Sometimes while I idled, the bike would just suddenly die as if it lost power (but the lights were on very bright, bike would just stop running.)

Fast forward to about a week ago.. I went to start up the bike. I did not have the choke on enough, so it started, sputtered, and died. I went to restart the bike, and the button would not start the bike. It was not clicking, not doing anything.

So, I read on the forums that the buttons and switches get easily corroded, so I decided to open it up. The wiring was a hack-job, so I decided to replace the start button with a new one from RadioShack and clean up the "RUN/OFF" button. After reassembling, still did not work.

I decided to try and just touch the wires to make sure that they were even working properly. The red/white wires I touched together, and something from near the front of the bike would "click." Then I tried to fire it up.. the "oil level" light came on briefly and then nothing.

Now the bike is not even making a "click" noise at all when contacting the "RUN/OFF" switch, and the bike is still not firing.

There is a brand new battery in the bike that I bought about 2 weeks ago.. so it's got plenty of juice, but it is just not making any electrical contacts..

Sorry for the long post, but I am trying to be as detailed as possible.. I've scoured the forums and google for answers but this website is really the definitive source.

Few other things:
Bike ran beautifully while it was starting.. idled perfectly and ran like a dream. Only about 14k miles on the bike. No other issues at all with the bike, other than the no-start.

Could it be a relay? Sidestand is not down, and I have no idea where to go from here.

 

These bikes don't like to start unless the battery is fully charged. If you get it to start and it dies a few times it could have drained the battery just enough to get the symptoms you are describing. You bike dying after a short idle period sounds like you have a carb clean ahead of you. There is a good write up on how to do it on here. I would also check the valve clearances. At 14k miles it is probably time to replace a few shims. Once the valve clearances are adjusted and the carbs are clean you will need to sync the carbs and adjust the mixture for a properly tuned engine. You might as well change the plugs while you are at it if you haven't already done so. At 30 years of age and only 14k miles this bike has done some sitting. There are a few other things you will need to look at before you even try to take this bike for a spin safely but you should get the motor taken care of first. Put some time into it and you will love this bike.

 

-Fully charge the battery.

-SHORT ACROSS the big terminals on the starter solenoid, which is located to the rear of the battery on the right side of the bike ***shower of sparks alert*** and the starter should spin.

-The bike is probably cutting out/refusing to even turn over because of a problem with the safety circuit, most likely the sidestand switch. If the bike thinks the sidestand is down, it WILL NOT allow you to turn the motor over if it's in gear or thinks it's in gear. That brings us to suspect #2, the neutral switch.

The safety circuit incorporates a whole list of components; a quick troubleshooting check would be to temporarily unplug the safety relay and see if the bike starts (or at least tries to.)

You need a service manual; find a factory book or pick up the Clymer but get a book. PM me with your email address and I'll send you the starting circuit diagnostics page from the factory book to get you started.

Completely off topic, if the bike has 14K on it you'd better check the valves SOON unless you know (and have proof) it was done previously.

 

Thanks for the responses guys.. some great insight to what I have ahead of me. I don't know for sure if the bike was serviced, but it has done some sitting. I have already done a few things that I thought were pertinent to the bike running, like oil and air filter.

I was worried about the valves as well, but I am just completely clueless as a "bike guy." I do have a service manual I downloaded off the web, and it is pretty thorough.. I will keep this post updated when I get back to the bike (currently on the road.)

Thanks!

 

Be sure to look through the "FAQ Suggestions" forum.

I've done a lot of photo how-tos, many "centered" on the Seca 550s; valve adjustment, tach drive oil seals, all sorts of cool stuff with much better pics than the manuals.

Be sure to ask questions before making assumptions.

 

AHHH! i thought i was alone with this issue. the same thing happened to me lastnight and i couldnt find anything about it today til now. if you figure it out please let me know. but ill try the things listed here too!

 

I recently had the exact same problem. Turn the key, dash lights came on, nothing else would work, nothing!!

Turned out to be a dirty wire connection in the headlight bucket. There is one that has 3 wires, Brown, Red, and Blue. Once that was cleaned, everything came back to life and has been stable ever since.

While I was in there, I took the time to clean all the other connections.

 

well i feel like a complete idiot... i looked at the battery and one of the cells was empty and the rest were way below the line...new battery now starts right up.

 

Thanks for all the input guys! I have resolved this problem. The problem was a mix between corroded wires in the killswitch and the start button.. they were basically useless. Also, the starter motor was on it's last leg. I replaced both parts and now the bike starts right up and has not given me any issues.

 

Excellent. Now get after the valves before you're posting "hard to start when warm."

 

Bigfitz, what exactly do you mean? I took it to a local bike mechanic (been in the business over 40 years) and he mentioned that the XJ550 valves are pretty much bulletproof. The bike only has about 14k miles on it, and he said it wouldn't need a valve adjustment with such low miles.

However, I am concerned about this "knocking" noise that I am hearing. I am thinking it is coming from the clutch, it just sounds like a chain or something is slapping around inside the crankcase or something. Definitely more prominent from the left side of the bike (clutch handle side.) The mechanic mentioned that cleaning the carbs MIGHT help the sound a little, but he said it was normal for the bike.

Other than the locking, the bike is tight. Warms right up and idles right at 1500 RPM.. no fuel issues, no leaks.

Actually, here is a video I took the other day. You can hear the knocking (NOTE: it sounds A LOT WORSE on this video for some reason.. taken with my cell phone. Also, the bike is not fully warm.)

http://www.youtube.com/user/nairbtits#p ... t7F8My4-RQ

 

What exactly I mean is that your mechanic doesn't know what he's talking about in regard to the valves. They're only "bulletproof" if kept in spec.

Valve clearances needed to be checked at 3000 miles, then again every 5000 miles thereafter. If yours have never been checked, you're 11000 miles overdue for the initial check. Again, if yours have never been checked, you're approaching the "danger mileage" where continuing to neglect them will begin to cause engine damage.

GET THE VALVE CLEARANCES CHECKED BEFORE YOU HURT THE MOTOR. I can't make it any clearer than that. Just denying the need won't make it go away, and you will end up damaging the motor. Once the damage is done (burnt valve or two) it's too late.

Here's a big discussion over the sound you're hearing; it's pretty much "normal" but can be greatly mitigated by getting the bike properly tuned and the idle smoothed out. http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=33497.html

Look at the mileage on my 550s; ask me how often my valves get adjusted. I'm not making stuff up, I'm trying to keep you from damaging your bike.

 

Bigfitz, I 100% agree with you.. I asked the mechanic to check the valves, and he gave me the "well they're blah blah blah, low miles blah blah blah, no need." As an new rider and amateur bike mechanic, I wasn't going to sit there and argue with a 40+ year mechanic..

With that said, I will definitely get back in there and have him check the clearances.

 

You found the problem.
If you had to smack the Brushes with a Screwdriver to make contact, ...

You NEED NEW BRUSHES!

If you keep trying to Start the Bike with Brushes that aren't making solid contact, ... pretty soon you won't need Brushes.

You'll need a Starter!

 

Just do it yourself: http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=14827.html

Check them, that is. If you're not confident with removing and replacing shims, etc., that's different. But all it takes to check them is a feeler gauge and to pop a couple of covers off. If this guy insists they're fine he's likely to just lie to you and tell you they're fine.

I'm serious. If you run a valve too tight long enough you will damage it. The clearances tighten as things wear, not loosen.

CHECK them yourself. Or take it to somebody who knows what you're talking about. SOON.