Hey all,

I have a '04 Z400, and the starter is extremely loud, not only is it lound, its clunky.. It makes a horrible rattle..

I also have an '01 400EX and the starter is very quiet, only makes a small buzz when the starter is running...

Are all starters the same, in other words would a starter from a 400ex work on the Z400?

and/or does any company make an aftermarket starter that is quiet for the Z400? The stock starter is just soo clunky, and loud....

-ThaChad

 

Yeah hey, I think your starter is spent, just get a new stock one and before you do that, check the gears for the starter. like when you open up the cover I think there are gears in there, that come in contact with the flywheel

 

Brand new OEM starter would be the best bet.

 

My Z400 is less than 10 months old, it has VERY light usage, I can't say how many hours, but i'm willing to bet its under 20 hours...

The starter has been loud, and clunky since the second i started it on the showroom floor. All the other Z400's i've heard are all the exact same. Its just clunky. I'm not sure if its the motor it self, or if the gear mesh is just not right... as far as i know the starter is in a set position, so the gear mesh would be fixed.

-ThaChad

 

Mine isn't clunky, but mine you, mine has over 500 hours on it. I would think it was made like that since others of the same year do it, and since it was new.

 

That sound is the starter clutch your hearing, Does it sound real nasty when you try to start it, like its having a hard time turing over and sounds very unnatural........

 

No, It doesn't sound like its overloaded or anything... If you just tap the start button, but don't hold it down long enough to actually turn over the engine, it sounds the same...


If i had to describe it, it sounds like some rocks tumbling.... Whereas the Honda 400ex starter sounds like a normal electric motor.. "Humm"

-ThaChad

 

It sounds to me like your starter is acting normal.

The knocking sound "clunk" as you call it is just the way the starter sounds, totally normal. And yes the starers on these things are loud and they knock when the gears are banging together. And no not all starters are the same, in fact they are almost all different in some way, but they all do the same thing. Think of cars, a Ford starter sounds nothing like a GM starter. Ford staters are loud and they whine, GM starters gear up so quick they hardly make a sound before the engine fires. Both do the job well, just in a different way.

The good thing about a loud starter is you can generally pick up on a "bad" sound earlier since everything is louder including component failure.

 

it is prolly the starter clutch springs, my other atv sounded very clunky and grindy when i started it and the clutch springs had broekn off. the starter eventualy went and the springs were the source of the problem.

 

well i coould definately tell you if i heard it because mine isnt bad, but i have a new 05 maybe they changed it, uum try and ask someone else who has an 04 and see if its the same because yours may be defective, its possible also like they said that the springs are broken or some little thing like that