Starter wont turn off

[Dom62]

Hi i'm new here and ive been trying to figure out what makes the starter on my 98 valkyrie gl1500 stay on after start button is released.

When i try to hook the battery up the starter wants to kick in even though the ignition is off and start button is not touched.

I did manage to get it all hooked up by disconnecting the battery, hooking the relay up, then reconnecting the battery, I got one press of the start button and then the starter again, would not turn off without disconnecting the start relay or battery completely.

Any insight or direction on this is of great appreciation

[turtle254]

clean starter switch @ handlebar.

[Dom62]

Diddo i already tried that, I sanded the contacts and put it all back together. unless theres something more to "clean"

I moved the ground from the aluminum block to the frame for test reasons, i have the tank off as of right now. pretty much have her all the way open.

[hubcapsc]

Numerous ones of us have had trouble with this thing: 35850-MT4-003

I've always thought of it as a relay, but it is a relay to a solenoid I think,
and if the solenoid was stuck "on" your motorcycle would probably think you
were mashing the starter button with the key on...

-Mike

[trout dude]

Sounds like the starter relay is probably hanging up
need to try different relay or do the  mod that replaces that relay

[Dom62]

I have tried a different relay as well, the old one that i took off had melted a little bit, so my thoughts were somewhere along the lines of something giving the relay constant power. im going to try and look up the mod that replace the relay.

I wanted to add that the starter continued to stay running when the yellow and red wires were disconnected from the relay and the last one (green and red) was pulled and it stopped

[Chrisj CMA]

Diddo i already tried that, I sanded the contacts and put it all back together. unless theres something more to "clean"

I moved the ground from the aluminum block to the frame for test reasons, i have the tank off as of right now. pretty much have her all the way open.

When you took the switch apart, was the little brass contact loose to spring up and down or was it stuck in it's groove?  I would disconnect the switch altogether and see of it makes a difference

[WintrSol]

The green/red wire provides the ground to the relay coil, and the yellow/red the positive power. If removing the G/R wire caused the relay to stop running the starter motor, but removing the Y/R wire did not, there must be a source to the terminal of the relay that connects to the Y/R wire. The red wire provides positive power to the ignition switch, which is the ultimate source of the power through the starter button to the Y/R wire, but your leak is elsewhere from the report. A short in the connector that mates the relay, either in the harness or in the relay itself would be my guess.

[Dom62]

The little contact on the button was stuck down inside it has no spring to it, i can pull it out a little but when pressed down it doesnt come back up. could this be the issue? making contact to start the bike but then not making contact to reground the circuit?

Im figuring out a way to test the relay itself now, should have been my first option but i put a new relay so i didnt think to try it

[Chrisj CMA]

The little contact on the button was stuck down inside it has no spring to it, i can pull it out a little but when pressed down it doesnt come back up. could this be the issue? making contact to start the bike but then not making contact to reground the circuit?

Im figuring out a way to test the relay itself now, should have been my first option but i put a new relay so i didnt think to try it

You must correct that stuck contact either way. I see that many times. A new sharp exacto knife does a nice job of shaving small bits of plastic so it can move again.

[Avanti]

This is a Tour Wiring diagram.
https://web.archive.org/web/20160401170712/http://www.rattlebars.com/valkfaq/schematics/index.html

[..]

This is a Tour Wiring diagram.
http://rattlebars.com/valkfaq/schematics/rpage05.html

Not a good link

[Avanti]

This is a Tour Wiring diagram.
http://rattlebars.com/valkfaq/schematics/rpage05.html

Not a good link

Sorry check this.

https://web.archive.org/web/20160401170712/http://www.rattlebars.com/valkfaq/schematics/index.html

[LB]

I have tried a different relay as well, the old one that i took off had melted a little bit, so my thoughts were somewhere along the lines of something giving the relay constant power. im going to try and look up the mod that replace the relay.

I wanted to add that the starter continued to stay running when the yellow and red wires were disconnected from the relay and the last one (green and red) was pulled and it stopped

Your problem is the starter relay. If you disconnected the yellow/red wire and the starter still ran, it has to be an internal short inside the relay. The only other power source to the relay, other than the yellow/red wire is the battery cable.

[Dom62]

Yeah i just cleaned the starter button, got the slide contact free to spring up and down, hooked it all back up and now i have no start at all. The original red connector is gone (probably melted) from previous owner, so the wires all have crimp connectors going onto the blades of the relay. there are 3 connectors the 4th blade (top right) doesnt have anything connected to it.. the 30a fuse inside the relay is very loose and can jiggle around and short out the system, i need some extra wiring to hook a 12v source to the relay and test it.

[gordonv]

Scroll down to the wire repair for the relay. Will show you an inexpensive replacement and how to mod it.

There is also here.
http://www.cycleterminal.com/solenoid-connectors.html

Do a search, I know I've read this before, but don't remember if the issue there was the starter switch or the relay. Either one, it seems you need to fix yours anyway. A new (replacement) relay is in order to eliminate that as an issue, borrow a friends.

[Avanti]

Heavy duty starter relay

http://www.valkyrieforum.com/bbs/index.php/topic,45371.0.html