havent posted in a long time, just got my 400ex runing again after 6 months of down time and now on my first ride out my freinds 300ex is having problems somewhere in the electrical system. the quad runs fine it just doesnt like to start, if we hook the battery up to a charger and start it will turn rite over but once its runing and we turn it off it wont start back up. its like the battery doesnt have enough power to turn the engine over but the battery is almost fully charged. the problem isnt the battery because it has already been replaced twice. i think he mite have a short circuit or somthing? any ideas?

any advice would be great cuz having to carry jumper cables all the time really sucks

 

If you can hear the solenoid click when the starter button is depressed, try tapping on the starter ( don't beat on it, tap it ), If it starts, the starter brushes are bad. Don't keep tapping on it if this works, because you will ruin the armeture in the starter.

If the solenoid does not click, check the battery connections, if they are good, try to jump across the 2 big terminals on the solenoid with a screw driver, If it turns over this way, the solenoid is bad.

----- Gimpster -----

 

ya it makes a cliking noise real bad we thought it was coming from a small black cylinder shaped thing with wire going in and wire coming out [red and black boots] OR a thing next to it that is flatter also black with fins like on the engine. should he just replace 1 of these?

sory i dont know these parts real names, i probably sound like an idiot. thanks though[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif[/img]

 

No...don't just replace parts without knowing for sure they are bad. Follow Gimpster's advice for troubleshooting, and if it comes down to you making a guess (as in you don't know for sure), you'd be further ahead to pay a dealer for an estimate. It's really a very simple circuit and any half-A$$ tech should be able to narrow it down very quickly. If the cellunoid (the round thing with the plug in and two big cables) clicks...it's nearly always good. If your battery is good (I'm not convinced by your post...without some voltage drop readings), it sounds like either your starter is bad, or you have a connection problem on one of the big cables.

 

Check your cable connections. I had this problem, and so did many other 300EX posters. They get so covered with mud and junk they short out, being under the rear fender. Clean the connections, maybe lightly sand them too. I found a spray sealant at a auto parts store to seal the connections. Used it and have never had a problem since. I too was convinced it was the battery. I was going to buy a new one when I had it tested and it was fine.

 

Seeing how jump starting and using a charger will spin it over...Id think the soliniod and the starter are good. Have the battery load tested, and make sure the two connections at the battery and the ground at the frame are clean(shiney and bare metal) and tight.

 

thanks for the help, ill try cleaning and spraying the conections tomoro.

i was looking at the battery and were the cables conect today and it looks like there is a home made conecter on the positive side of the battery. were gonna make a better conector tomorow in school, because i think this 1 mite not be working so well. Im pretty sure alloys dont conduct electricity well so were gonna make a steel or copper one.