2016 Yamaha Kodiak starter issues advice please

[Guy Churchward]

I have a 2016 Yamaha Kodiak and find myself with a start issue.. I changed the battery so it’s not that.. here’s a video of me trying and then boost starting.. can anyone give me pointers as to a starter motor issue or fuse or wiring or whatever ?.. I find myself without a vehicle with a tow hitch for the 1st time in years so have a dead and stranded ATV to fix !

thanks in advance, suggestions welcome

Guy

 

 

Edited December 17, 2019 by Ajmboy
converted .MOV to .MP4 video

[Frank Angerano]

Hey guy welcome to Quadcrazy. 

Do you hear the solenoid click when you press the start button? If so great, take a tester or test light and put it on the wire on the starter that's covered with a small rubber boot and press the start button, if you get 12V then its a bad starter or brushes  

If you get no click then do the following:

Pop the seat off you will see the red wire coming from the battery to a starter relay/solenoid.  The solenoid has two wires bolted on it, one from the battery and the other goes to the starter.  There is a small fuse next to this solenoid in a rubber cover that holds the solenoid. Check that fuse first and see what you find. 
 

 You can jump the two wires together for a second ONLY A SECOND and you should get a little spark and the engine should crank. If it does not then its one of two things most likely.
A: starter is bad         B: starter brushes are bad. Both inexpensive to replace. My guess would be brushes. 

Before you start taking things apart first loosen and retighten the wires on the starter and the relay and check all grounds.  

[Ajmboy]

@Guy Churchward I downloaded the video you attached and it looks like you are getting it to crank, but its weak. You then got it started at the end of the video. What I don't understand is that if you changed the battery, why did you need to jump start it? Is that a booster pack you are using? Was the battery fully charged?

Looks to me like its not enough battery/booster power to the starter or a bad starter the way it sounds when its cranking.

[Ajmboy]

@Guy Churchward I converted your .MOV video to .MP4 which plays on more devices 😎

[Frank Angerano]

Agreed! I was just able to download as well. I am now able to open videos that i could not  before on my phone! Sweet!!  
So it could be a sluggish starter.  I don't want to throw any major suggestions out there  but the decompression/compression release could be having a problem.  
Go the simple route first and make sure you didn't get a skunk battery. Maybe a dead cell inside from the factory, it happens.  Check all wire connections like i mentioned earlier so you can eliminate any of that.  

[Guy Churchward]

Thanks to both of you.. I had the issue on an older battery and changed it.. if I fully charge the battery is has a chance to turn over.. however, most times I have to boost it to turn it over... I assume it’s a simple fix but am not a bike guy and don’t want to go changing things and hope.. will investigate based on the above and see what I turn up in the next couple of days.. thanks for the response 

[Guy Churchward]

Ok frank and ajmboy... I just tried a direct wire across the relay nuts and got spark and no crank ... So does this mean a knackered relay or a knackered starter ? - I checked the 2 fuses and they seem fine btw... also wires up top (haven’t pulled the side off... see all tight ?

 

pic of what I jumped across, bloody thing was trying to spot weld my wire as you can see from the scorch marks ! 
 

thanks in advance for the help !
 

 

[Frank Angerano]

You can only do that jump for a second. Otherwise you will get the marks and possibly weld the wires to the nuts.  
But heres the thing, before all that pull the battery and run it to the local auto store and have them do a load test on it.  Its free and will tell you if its good or not. 
 

But for now try this.  Pull the spark plug and see how it cranks. 
 

[Guy Churchward]

If it was doing the same on the previous battery and I bought a new one foolishly thinking it’s the battery and now doing it in the current one, I was/am assuming it’s something else (I will check but).. what is the expectation on the crank with a spark plug disconnected ?

[Frank Angerano]

Ahhhhh ok i didn't realize you changed the battery.   So yes see how it cranks without the spark plug.  It really can only be a few things. The starer and or brushes inside of the starter.  Or the decompression weights inside the top of the cylinder head on the cam.  Sometimes the small springs on the cam weights come off. But go the starter route first. You can pull the starter off and bench test it also if your handy.   

If you pull the spark plug out and it still had trouble cranking then it's definitely the starter.  

[Ajmboy]

@Frank Angerano is right, see without any compression how that starter cranks. If its still slow like it is, might be a bad starter if that battery is fully charged. 

[Guy Churchward]

Ok, will charge the battery tonight, find the plug (give me a hint 🙂 ) pull it tomorrow and see the result.. starter is 50 bucks on mama on so tempted to shortcut once that happens and just replace it.. assume the previous test points to starter and therefore the relay is ok or st lest not the only issue !

[Frank Angerano]

Spark plug is on top of the engine. You will need a deep socket to remove it.  It has a black wire going to it. 

[Guy Churchward]

It seems to crank free’er when the plug was removed ?.. what does that tell you ?

[Frank Angerano]

I would go the simplest route first and change the starter.  I hate to say that because i like to verify what the problem is so your not wasting money but its hard to say at this point.   
Im assuming there is no pull or kick start to try and see how hard the engine to start that way ? 
Just a though but did you do anything to the atv before this happened like oil change or anything else ? The oil level is proper and not over filled ? 

[Guy Churchward]

Took my battery down, draw is an issue, they re keeping it for a day or so to run tests.. meantime, sparkplug coming and will tidy up while I have it in bits.. not sure any of this will solve it but figure I need to do the basics anyhow 

[Frank Angerano]

battery will either test good or bad.  No in between on that. Load test is a load test and results are immediate.  
Spark plug color should be a very light color tanish.   If so then its still good but never hurts to change it.   
Hopefully its just the battery.   
 

[Guy Churchward]

No changes t all, hardly used, just for transporting trash cans up and down a private road so no dirt or swamp or water etc etc... the batter on load showed an issue but the shop were pissy on changing it under warranty (<12 months) so they wanted to keep it at the sho- and run tests.. suspect that was code for ‘we will inconvenience you and see if you just fold and buy a new battery !).

would you still change the starter as well or wait for the verdict on the battery ?

[Frank Angerano]

I would wait on the battery verdict. It would suck to go through all of that just to find out it was a bad cell in the battery.  On a side note have everything ready in the cart to order just in case. 

[Guy Churchward]

Have a neighbor coming down tomorrow with a larger battery and seeing how the starter performs in the meantime.. will also indicate if the starter is shagged.. thanks again for your help.. have bought a bunch of stuff but holding off on the starter !

[Guy Churchward]

As an fyi, neighbor came up and tried to crank with a clean battery and same issue so I pulled the starter... here’s a couple of pics... suffice to say I have ordered a replacement from amazon and will sort after xmas... thanks again for your assistance.. wanted to give you an update... 

 

Thanks again

 

Guy

[Frank Angerano]

Wow cooked! Nice work diagnostic wise. Good stuff brother, keep us posted. 

[Guy Churchward]

All sorted.... thx guys... once I got the part it was an easy install !.. Guy 

[Frank Angerano]

Good work brother, glad it worked out.  Be sure to stay in touch.    
ride safe.