when I push up on the electric start it just clicks once...it just wont get to turning over...every now and then it will fire up once and a while.. my lights don't look dim so I'm pretty sure the battery is fine...any ideas??

 

More than likely, the brushes in the starter are worn, or there is liquid in the starter.

Another possibility is that the solenoid near the battery isn't working correctly or the terminals have corroded or come loose.

Easiest check is to probe the starter wires at the output of the solenoid with a multimeter and try and crank it over. If it gets full power when you hit the E-start, then check power at the starter terminal itself. If you have power there, then most likely you will need new brushes.

-Chris

 

I had the exact same problem. The brushes in the starter were shot. You can get a starter rebuild kit off Ebay for about $36. The starter itself is a piece of cake to rebuild. Getting it out is a little more challenging. The easiest way is to remove the primary clutch. However, After a few frustrating hours, I was able to get it out w/o removing the clutch. Preety much had to remove EVERYTHING else around it though. LOL

 

i have the same thing on my 400 if i tap it with a hammer it goes my brushes are nfg

 

all u gotta do is remove the skid plate and drop the starter through the bottom

 

tbsleeper,the 500's are different so you cant do as you said..

 

Thanks guys for the help...and BBS I'm probably going to just get the rebuild kit off of e-bay...I don't want to sink the money in for a new starter. It just ticks me off how it works once in a blue moon..but I guess thats how it goes.

 

More than likely there is corrosion on the brushes and armature. This is usually caused by not draining the recoil housing. There is no need to buy a new starter unless the armature itself is bad, which I doubt it is. They are really easy to rebuild. Just make sure you carefully take it apart and keep track of what washers and spacers came out where. Clean it out real good with some brake cleaner. The rebuild kit is great because it has new bushings and o-rings too. BTW, I have NO IDEA how to get the end bushing out. I just put some grease on it and called it good[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]. While you have it apart, clean out the starter drive bendix too and give the moving parts of it a light film of grease to make it all work nicely together

 

before you buy anything, pull the solenoid off and look inside--- i did, cleaned it up and used some electric grease on it, now it fires up every time,