Guess What?? Another Starter Switch

[Oldmsocko]

My bride and I left this morning for a week-end get away since the weather this week-end was supposed to be good. We were headed to see the re-opened Kinzua Railroad Trestle Bridge that was taken down by a tornado in 2003. Well we got about 200 yards from our drive way when the dreaded noise that I hate started. The starter tried to engage. I know the sound and I hate it.

It is the 3rd one that has gone bad on my TG. The last one was when M3 and I were headed to Yellowstone in July. Well this time my trip wasn't ruined. M3 had installed the push button to operate the starter on both of our trikes. All I needed to do was disconnect the green wire from the starter and use the push button to start the trike. It worked like a charm.

I saw no ill effects from the green wire being disconnected. Everything worked as advertised. I will have the starter switch replaced but I will probably continue using the button. Had the switch shorted out when I was on the freeway I would probably would have not heard the starter trying to engage and that would have created a major problem for me.

[Papa Zook]

Id be giving HD an earful...Third one???

[flyer91]

Next time they change the switch have them also check out the housing real well.
The reason I say that is because the normal failure for a switch that passes DC is to get carbon on the contacts and stop working altogether (basically it's open/off all the time), or it welds closed (is on all the time) when activated because it's seeing too much current across it's contacts.

Since yours is doing the exact opposite, and shorting on it's own (not when you are using it) causing the starter to engage, I suspect that the housing might be slightly deformed mechanically and is causing the starter switch to activate on it's own by either causing a short across the contacts (possibly it's contacts are coming in contact with some other 'electrically isolated' metal) or the switch's contacts are contacting some non-isolated (grounded metal) .... 'and' ...... the normal operation of the switch is to apply a ground to the starter relay, as opposed to applying 12V positive. (??)
I'd try loosening the bolts to the right side switch housing and see if the starter still wants to engage when the green wire is connected. If it doesn't when loose, but it does when tightened ....... that might point to the issue

Or, possibly there is an intermittent short in the wiring that is being repositioned when the new switch is removed and replaced, but after some time and/or riding the wiring is returning to it's original position, shorting out and and electrically bypassing the switch.
That might be easy to either confirm or remove as a suspect, by simply hooking up the green wire again 'after' moving the wiring harness to that side's housing, about a bit.

In any case ...... it certainly appears that the switch is only a symptom of another root cause of the failure.
If so, and the root cause is not fixed, new switches will also continue to fail to the "on/start" condition, similar to a situation where a fuse keeps blowing.
If the real problem isn't found you end up buying a lot of fuses .......... and get to do the "false start, 5 yards, play the down again" thing!!

[eighty80]

Can't help you with the switch, but we went to the Kinzua Bridge also. Got to about a quarter of a mile of it and made a u-turn. Packed, traffic backed up, too many people.

Maybe that will make you feel better. Nice 275 mile round trip though.

Later.....eighty80.

[trikermutha]

I am sure you have used Dielectric grease on the switch? If not it maybe worth a try?

anyway good luck!!

[msocko3]

I am sure you have used Dielectric grease on the switch? If not it maybe worth a try?

anyway good luck!!

The switch is a sealed unit, it doesn't plug in. You have to cut the wires coming from the harness and splice in the new wires coming from the new switch.

[msocko3]

Can't help you with the switch, but we went to the Kinzua Bridge also. Got to about a quarter of a mile of it and made a u-turn. Packed, traffic backed up, too many people.

Maybe that will make you feel better. Nice 275 mile round trip though.

Later.....eighty80.

Hey there Welcome to Trike Talk, lots of great folks here.

[Oldmsocko]

Can't help you with the switch, but we went to the Kinzua Bridge also. Got to about a quarter of a mile of it and made a u-turn. Packed, traffic backed up, too many people.

Maybe that will make you feel better. Nice 275 mile round trip though.

Later.....eighty80.

Welcome to the forum, I did make it to the bridge and yes there were lots of folks there. It sure was nice to see part of it rebuilt. I go up that way often so I will be stoping back when it isn't so busy. What part of Ohio you from??

[eighty80]

Check with MSOCKO. He let me into your garage!!

Later......eighty80.

[Oldmsocko]

Check with MSOCKO. He let me into your garage!!

Later......eighty80.

I forgot when I made the post what your handle was. You know what OLD AGE does to you.

[Bikerbozo]

When I had my starter switch problem, my dealer replaced that AND the ignition switch. They told me the ignition switch is made really badly in Mexico. haven't had any problems in a while. At 25k now.