2005 Yamaha Kodiak 400 - Starter Problems

[a_gunslinger]

This 2005 Kodiak 400 started having issues last year. Would all of a sudden either die and make no sound at all when you tired to start it or make a buzzing under the seat by battery when trying to fire it up with starter switch. After a bunch of posts last year it was suggested Starter Relay possibly bad. Sure enough it had blown a fuse. Replaced fuse and it worked fine but then later started not firing up again - buzzing again under seat when starter button pressed (see video below for the sound). So I replaced starter relay and it was great for several months.

Just last week it started not firing up again. Same symptoms - the buzzing sound again under seat where the starter relay is. Bad relay again? Or can something else be causing the relay to fail? Or is it relay at all this time? Can other starter issues cause this sound?

Any ideas to point me in the right direction before getting another relay?

StarterRelay - UEP's library

Many thanks!

[oxidized_black]

the rapid clicking sounds at the beginning is a bad connection somewhere i would say. i've had that before on cars, trucks and bikes ....

[swampcat07]

It could be a weak starter with bad brushes. It draws too much power to turn over the moto and buzzes. The same thing happened to me. Take out the plugs and see if the motor turns over without any compression.

[a_gunslinger]

Thanks for the replies! Will try to start without compression and report back. It does seem more like a starter beginning to fail considering the relay is new (and probably never bad to begin wiht maybe). Although replacing the relay made it happy for a couple months.