1987 honda 250sx solenoid issue

[ridgerunner_197]

ok here goes I have a 1987 Honda 250sx new starter, new battery, 3 new solenoids. I have power coming from battery to solenoid, power coming from push start button to solenoid, after that nothing no power to other side of solenoid that goes to the starter on three different solenoid. anybody have any idea I'm lost.

[shortline10]

If you arc across the solenoid does the starter work ?

[ridgerunner_197]

no nothing

[ridgerunner_197]

I can take jumper cables when I take the starter off hook it to the battery and ground to starter hit positive to hot on starter and the starter
turns no problem

[danbur55]

Sounds like you are missing a ground somewhere.

[ps2fixer]

The starter relay is a little bit different style than lawn mowers and usa made things. There are the two big pins on top that is connected when energized. There is two small wires coming out of it, you provide 12v to them and it should click/energize. If you hear the click and the starter doesn't go, then carefully jump the two big posts together. It is best to clip a couple heavy clamps on and short it out somewhere else that the arc won't matter to protect the threads. When shorted, the starter should go. If not you have a bad connection/wire in the larger wires either between the battery to relay, or relay to starter. If manually powering the two small wires makes it go, then you have a wire issue either with the ground wire (green/red) which goes though the neutral safety switch (check if it has connection to ground while in neutral). The yellow/red wire goes directly to the starter button which appears to get it's power from the regulator/rectifier via the black wire.

You said you have power coming from the starter button, so I'll assume the fuse is good near the battery.

Good luck, wiring problems are never fun.


Hopefully my post wasn't too confusing, I didn't really structure it very well. I'm going off from the service manual wire diagram, and it isn't the clearest, so wire colors might be slightly off (ex: blue vs black etc).

[ridgerunner_197]

ok thanks for the help let me add a few more things I checked for Continuity from battery to solenoid its good also is good from solenoid to starter, I went by this website http://scooterspowersports.com/troubleshooting-basics-starter-solenoid/ basic starter solenoid testing and from it its saying solenoid is bad I get that but 3 new ones from three different places its not making sense. yes the fuse is good, the neutral switch I assume is working correct when you put it in neutral the neutral light comes on. I have had this 3 wheeler for 26 years. and the push button start has never worked yes it clicks the solenoid actually it clicks all three of them but that's it . ive tried jumping all three but nothing the thing is I have power going to solenoid yet no power coming out to the starter so I'm thinking it must not be the solenoid.

[ridgerunner_197]

ok ive tried to jump three different solenoid same thing nothing, the fuse is good ,checked continuity from battery to solenoid good also good from solenoid to starter, when you push button to start all it does is click have power going from battery to solenoid but when you push start button there should be power from solenoid to starter there is not same thing on 3 new solenoids I'm stuck also the neutral switch seems to be working when you put the wheeler in neutral the neutral light comes on

[ps2fixer]

Something sounds out of place. The starter is installed while testing correct? (So it is grounded though the engine).

It is pretty easy to bench test the relay/solenoid, give the two small wires 12v power and use a ohm meter to check for connection between the terminals. I'm thinking maybe it is getting hooked up backwards, so instead of pushing up and making connection, it is just moving further way from the contacts. You say you have 3 new ones, what was the source of them? I'm assuming since you have so many they are not OEM Honda made since they run $60 each from the dealer. My guess is that they are from ebay, which is in turn from China. My personal experience is 90% of the china made stuff has terrible wire/connector quality, but the devices on their own are ok. I've received China made parts with completely reversed wiring for the same application from different suppliers, so that is my logic behind the reverse hookup.

Another thing to point out, just because you have connection, does not mean you have good connection. Poor connections create resistance, a test light will light up, but a ohm meter will say it is over 1ohm resistance (really long wires can be over 1ohm like in a car, just an example). Since you've tested the connection, I'm guessing the connection and ring terminals are cleaned and in good shape.

http://www.partzilla.com/parts/detail/honda/HP-35850-HA0-771.html

Doing diag work via text online isn't the easiest thing to do, stick in there and I'm sure we'll figure it out. Just another thing I thought of, even though it is common sense, but are you sure the battery has a good charge?

[ridgerunner_197]

ok will do some more testing tomorrow thanks for input will let yall know yes battery is charged thanks again