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Power but won’t crank

  • John Deslatte

    Hey, I have a 1996 VLX and having issues getting it running. It has a brand new battery,new rectifier, new stator, starter spins when I bridge the terminals on the solenoid. The headlight dims when I push the start button. Can't figure out what is going on

  • TJ

    @John Deslatte so the headlight dims... doesnt tell us much man. LOL!   
    does it have gas? are the carbs 29 years old and untouched or have you rebuilt them? has the bike ever run before? has it been sitting? was it dragged from the bottom of lake Erie? i guarantee those carbs need a rebuild at this point. and dont go off of "the guy i bough it from said they were rebuilt" ( cuz thats usually just BS haha!)   does it have stock intake? stock pipes? 
    does it have freshgas? is fuel flowing past the petcock? is fuel getting to the carb? is gas being drawn into the combustion chamber? Does the engine turn over? are the spark plugs new? connected? are you getting spark on all 4 plugs? are the coils hooked up? Have you messed with the wiring? is it stock wiring? has anyone clipped, or monkeyed with the wiring? have you bypassed the kill switch? are all the fuses good? including the starter relay 30amp? are all the safety interlocks intact? kickstand up, bike in neutral, and clutch lever pulled in when you try and start? i can go on for days ! LOL

    As you can see, much more information is needed to even begin to assist you so if you can provide a more complete picture of the status of the bike, we can begin to offer help, otherwise, this can just be an endless game of 20 questions. 

    The diagnostic tree is Fuel - Spark - Compression, so you,ll want to start with the fuel system from gas cap all the way to ensuring fuel is being drawn into the combustion chamber when the bike turns over. if those carbs have never been touched, its definitely time to rebuild them and replace the intake boots. id start with the entire fuel system to ensure the bike can even get fuel. 

    DO FUN SHIT!
    Check the FAQ's here for tons of tuning info and more!! - t.ly/MA6r6

  • GP

    I just had this happen the other day when I rebuilt my carbs. If everything else is good and you can jump it, it's your ignition switch! 

    Steps to fix:

    1. Pull off the bottom half of the ignition switch assembly, long screw (Phillips head) is in the front I think ( right hand side of your handlebars)

    2. When split, the ignition switch is the plastic black/white box screwed into the shell. There are two screws and I believe one small piece of metal to keep it in place. (I lost a screw and it's still holding fine)

    3. Remove ignition button housing from shell, do not strip or break bolts/metal fasteners... you will need them...

    4. The ignition switch housing splits in half with a flat head screw driver, be sure not to break the tabs when applying pressure. Remember, too little is too much with old plastic...

    5. Once inside the ignition switch housing, clean the housing interior with brake/carb cleaner and a flathead screwdriver. Scrap away all gunk and dirt in the original shell housing as well. Remember to get the port the button sticks out of... that can cause some friction too!

    6. Examine the contacts on the thumb button (black piece, 2 contacts) and the housing (white piece, four contacts). Clean all six contacts thouroughly and don't scratch them. Make'em shiny...

    7. Take a small flathead or dental pick, lightly bend the contacts from the black thumb button up. They're most likely not making contact with all of them within the housing when you press the button, causing the headlight to dim but the starter to not receive enough juice to crank.

    8. reassemble in reverse order, do NOT add dielectric grease or anything to the system. 

    9. when pressing the cleaned ignition button, wiggle it vertically (move thumb up and down as you press inward). Depending on how far you lifted the contacts you may not have to wiggle very much, and your bike should crank!

     

    good luck brother man!

     

    Griff, 2002 Honda shadow spirit VT750 (stage 1)

  • TJ

    @Griffin Pedigo Excellent suggestions dude! 

    DO FUN SHIT!
    Check the FAQ's here for tons of tuning info and more!! - t.ly/MA6r6

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