Solenoid question

I have attempted to search for this answer but cannot find it, excuse me if it is there.

If you attempt to jump the two leads on the solenoid together and you get no spark what does that mean?

Thanks,

Paul

 

On the solenoid you have two large cables, one from your + battery and one going to your starter. Then you have two more smaller wires one coming from a switched power supply when you turn on your key on and another that goes to your starter button, when pressed, is grounded to complete that circuit which pulls in the solenoid and it completes the circuit from the battery cable to the starter cable.

You should have power all the time on the + Battery, and power on one of the smaller wires only when you turn you key on.

If your jumping across the larger two cables, make sure you have it in Neutral and use something conductive large enough so it doesn't melt like a spoon or an old screw driver... jumping across the two smaller wires does nothing.

 

Yes I used a screwdriver but I do not get a spark across the the two larger cables?? When I first picked up the bike and was having problems I attempted that and it sparked and started the bike. Now no spark, any ideas?

 

Check to make sure that all your grounding cables (and all the other high-current leads) are making a good contact. IIRC, the starter gets its ground from a cable that's attached to the back of the motor. If that all checks out, unplug the battery and measure continuity from ground to the positive starter terminal. You should have very little resistance through the starter motor. If the resistance is high or the circuit is open, maybe the starter itself is the culprit.

 

...or the battery is flat. Have the battery checked out, too. It may have enough to turn on the tail light, but as soon as you put a big demand on it, such as starting, it dies. Either you've lost ground, your starter is toast, you've got a bad positive connection, or your battery is dead.