1999 Suzuki ltf 250

[lilronco]

This is my first time posting here so bare with me, I will do my best explaining my issue. I own a 1999 Suzuki ltf 250 Quadrunner I bought off the showroom floor in 1999, and as we all know, over the years things need to be replaced, no matter how well we take care of them. Last year The four wheeler was burning really rich and after it got hot it shut down and was hard to start back up, damn thing just would not idle. Lucky for me I have a father-in-law that has done nothing but port and polish heads, By hand I might add, no CNC machining involved, for 50 + years and he did his magic on mine, honed and seated the valves, valve guides, resurfaced the head, the whole nine yards. After reassembly and a little valve adjustment, this thing ran better than new and purrs and mean really purrs. Here is my latest issue, I replaced the battery the same time this work took place and also invested in a battery tender, best thing ever. Last week i started the bike and noticed a little hesitation in the starter but it did start, I pulled it up to the garage just to look it over and do some general maintenance, I plugged in the tender and was unable to get to it until today, and now all it does is click... I checked the battery voltage and tightened the terminal screws, I turned on the bike and checked the voltage while trying to start it, no voltage drop still read 13.69 VDC. Traced the wire to the starter solenoid, same thing, from solenoid to starter, the voltage, with the starter button pushed in was 10.++ Does this mean the solenoid is bad??? I typically trouble shoot and diagnose these things on my own, I have been for years, Im just tiered now and want to know the problem so I can just order and replace the part I need, so I can have this thing for hunting season, any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

[Tim-ANC]

You should be getting the same VDC in and out of the solenoid (relay). If I understand your post correctly you have 13 in and 10 out. Usually clicking noise is the relay bouncing in and out of contact. First, hot jump your starter straight from the battery to make sure your battery and starter are good. Then check the wiring from the start control to the relay and the ground wire. Do you have a wire diagram for this?

[lilronco]

Yes, I do have a wiring diagram, I bought the service manual with the bike. I have referenced it for helping me trace the wires from the starter button, battery to the solenoid, from the solenoid to the started. I did order a new solenoid, as I found a new replacement online. I totally didn't think about jumping the starter from the battery to make sure it's not a starter issue as well. Great advice... Thanks, I will be working on this thing this weekend and will let you know my results. Thank you so much for the advice/help.

[Tim-ANC]

Good luck and let us know. Just back from hunting myself. Need to get you ready.

[lilronco]

Nice! Elk? Where?

[Tim-ANC]

Caribou, central Alaska. Day 3. Decided to take a cow instead of leaving empty handed.

[lilronco]

Nice, I thought about it after I sent the last post, Caribou and Moose are like the only two hunt-able animals that have the long horse like face. Even as a cow, it's still nice. I bet Alaska was gorgeous.

I did get a chance to work on my Quad Runner and found out the starter relay/solenoid was good, even though I replaced it with the new one I received on Saturday. The VDC was the same at the starter as it was at the battery. I tried jumping the starter from the battery pos, and nothing. I checked continuity through the ground, it was good, I finally pulled the starter and proceeded to disassemble it and had what looked like burnt oil start leaking out of it around the seals, upon complete disassembly it looked burnt up with no chance of salvage. I scrubbed it down really good in my parts washer booth, blew it out with compressed air, freed up the points, lightly greased parts with lithium grease (spray) reassembled and bench tested, ran like a champ. I figure it will last me through hunting season, the points were really wore, not new, but it works. In the mean time, I'm ordering a new one just in case this one craps out on me during our hunting season.

Thanks again for your help and the photo, I'll try and post some of my wall hangers for your viewing pleasure as well...

Kindest regards,

Ronnie

[Tim-ANC]

Good to hear. So it was full of gunk and shorting out. You can buy rebuild kits for these cheaply. Should be fine for your outing. Good hunting and do post pics. The website in my signature has some interesting hunting stuff.