I don't know why my Kawasaki Bayou is acting up lately but it has been. I had a little bit of a fire on my Kawasaki today. I don't know what's wrong with it but smoke was coming out from under the seat on it and it was coming from the starter relay. Now my electric starter won't work. The starter relay just makes a "click" sound and nothing happens when you push the start button. How much would it cost to get a new Starter Relay? (it also contains the fuse for the entire atv.)

 

If your relay is clicking, then it is working. Check connections on battery and relay for corrosion & tightness. Check the condition the wire from the battery to the relay & from the relay to the starter. Look for anyplace where the wire is broken or the insulation is worn off of the wire. The wire from the battery to the relay is hot all the time(switch on or off). If all that checks out then you can bypass the relay by attaching a wire(heavy guage) to the + side of the battery & MOMENTARILY touching it to the starter side of the relay. If there is a short in the starter or the wire to the starter, sparks will fly & the starter will not turn over. Have one of the battery cables loosened slightly or use a clamp on one, so that you can dissconnect it quickly in case you find or cause a short(might keep you from ruining the battery, if it hasn't been alreay). If you turn on the switch, do you get the green, neutral light & do the headlights work?

 

wow you got it right on. The starter will never work when I use the start button. But If I run a wire from the battery to the right hand side terminal of the relay the starter will turn over every time. And yes all the lights work and the nuetral light works all the time too. The starter is the only thing that doesn't work. So there must be a short somewhere between the starter switch and the starter??? Or maybe could the start switch be broken anyway? If so is there anyway I can make my own switch without damaging the starter?? NOTE: GOOD JOB KAWASAKI ON YOUR NEW QUAD, YOU'RE FINALLY BACK IN THE RING!!!!

 

ok I was just thinking about something. this is going to seem like a strange connection but I'm wondering if they're similar. AT school we have a table saw that's not working right. When you push the power button the table saw doesn't work but it makes a "click" but does not turn on. The shop teacher said that the "points" in it were worn out. They use some kind of magnet sort of technology. When you push the power button it charges one of the points and makes it like a magnet which draws the other point to it which completes the circuit and makes it turn on. and when the power is cut the two drop away from eachother. I was wondering if these two things could be similar. Because The relay makes a click but it doesn't start the starter. I hooked the cable that goes to the starter directly to the battery and the starter works every time. But when i hook it up to the relay again it doesn't work. So the problem has to lie somewhere within the relay...wouldn't you think? That's why I just thought of that thing about the points, because it sounds like it could be really similar. What do all of you think?

 

The problem is probably in the relay, but I have had to replace the starter/light/choke swtich on the left handle bar....Also had to replace the actual starter because it did somthing simliar to what u are having problems with...hope this helps...

 

If your relay is clicking when you push the start switch, then your start switch is functioning OK. Check the wire connection from the battery to the relay. Look for corrosion where it attaches at both places, and is the connection tight. If your satisfied with that, then if you can get a test light(an old 12v headlight or tailight from a car works) and ground one lead(or the side of the bulb) and touch the other lead(bottom contact part of bulb) to the relay post WHERE the BATTERY connection is at. It should have voltage there(light up the bulb), and it won't matter if the switch is on or off. IF you don't have any voltage at the relay post, you have a bad wire or bad connection on the relay or the battery. If you have voltage there (the bulb lights up real bright) then you probably have a bad relay. Let me know what you find. Good Luck!!
I'm still worried about what caused the smoke in the first place, so look carefully for any damaged wire insulation. Your thought about the contact points is a good possibility.

 

Hey thanks for the help. I hope that I just don't have to replace all of the stuff that you had to. Maybe it'll just be something simple ?

 

Ok now I am sure that it's the starter relay. I hooked up a light to the starter side of the relay and it only worked half of the time. so the relay isn't always sending out the power. How much is a new relay going to cost me.??? thanks.

 

relay may be 3 things on a 220 there is a relay & a magnetic switch /mag switch is maybe what you are calling a relay + cable to starter plus fuse?? the relay will have 3-4 wires 2in around 3in long mounted in rubber. this is usally the culprit on all bayous the 220 is mounted so you see the wiring first unplug it blow air from home compressor into relay if you get moisture you found it/super irriatating in the winter wont start in cold take into shop warm it up and atv will start. mount relay up side down so you cannot see wiring (98 up 220 models factory position) Also 220 owners dont plug the 2 wires togther white And black beside air box!!@! i know " I would never do that" fixed over 80 220"s with that problem Also if your wiring loom looks crushed by the seat- look closely. where the seat sits down into 2 round holes..that is usally your biggest fire hazard. pull wiring loom between fender and that 3 in long piece of flat plastic that sticks up on left hand rear fender. hope this helps mike