50CC Starting Problem? By satexascoot (Read 1,071 times)

[satexascoot]

I've got this 50CC scooter I've replaced the following:
a) New fully charged Battery
2) New and tested Starter
3) New Starter Solenoid.
Now here's my problem. I get about 3 or sometimes 5 cranks of the starter and it acts like it's going to start and then all of a sudden the Starter Solenoid starts clicking and no cranking is occurring at all. if I remove the Starter and bypass the connections and directly connect the leads from the battery to the starter it works and spins fine. I can re install the starter, sometimes I get it to turn over and sometimes it just clicks at the Starter Solenoid. I can see where the grounds are connected to the chassis and I've double checked their connections and it seems fine. I'm really at a loss as to why it would at least crank a couple of times then start clicking at Starter Solenoid. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[JopKatz]

I've got the same issue with mine. If it doesn't start when it first tries, it just doesn't start. I have checked everything that I know, which admittedly isn't much. There is only1 placwe in town that works on scoots, but if youo didn't buy from them you are S.O.L. They won't even call youback! So I have undertaken the task of teaching myself 2008 50cc 4-stroke Chinese Scooter Repair. I hope you get a reply! I'll be watching.

[Bashan]

Here's what you need to do, run these tests on the solenoid to make sure it's doing it's job. If these tests fail, order a solenoid, or a starter button. The clicking you're hearing is the solenoid armature making contact when you hit the starter button. The problem is there's not enough juice left in the battery to spin the starter but it takes practically nothing to close the armature and make a "click". Here's how it works, the yellow object in the solenoid is the armature:

When you jump the solenoid this is what happens:

If you hit the starter a few times and the solenoid starts clicking then you have a bad starter that's sucking juice, or a bad battery that can't hold a charge. If your sure the battery is good.....order a starter.

[sitticuss]

i had the same problem with mine. I found out it was the start switch on the handle even though it tested fine with a meter it was to curroded to actually do anything. probably not your problem but.

[Bashan]

Actually it could be and you raise a very good point. There's activation thresholds in electrical circuits in which there must be a certain level of energy flowing to activate the various functions. You may get a continuity reading on a start switch but it won't pass enough amperage to lift the armature in the solenoid. You can set the multi to test microamps and amps but I really think I would just confuse things. If you know how the circuit works, and what does what, you can figure out the rest. Don't fly blind, know the circuit(s) before you start.

[Alleyoop]

If the solenoid makes a clicking sound, that means the Solenoid is getting voltage and the Start Button is Grounding it(which is all the start button does grounds the solenoid to complete the circuit).

So Now you know that there are only 3 things that could be bad.
1. The Solenoid
2. Battery is Weak
3. The Starter

Do this JUMP the two Terminals on the Solenoid. If the battery is good and the starter is good IT WILL SPIN your starter.
If it does REPLACE the SOLENOID.

If it does not spin your Starter then you just have two things left, The Battery is Weak or its your Starter. To test the Battery put a volt meter on it, If it does not register OVER 12 Volts on the meter its your battery if it does register 12.5-12.7 your starter is hanging up.
Alleyoop

[sitticuss]

I assume by grounding it you mean it completes the circuit to send voltage to the solenoid to engaged it. thats how it worked on my scooter anyway. my switch was full of corrosion. corrosion equals resistance when resistance goes up voltage goes down. just because you hear a click doesn't always mean the solenoid is fully engaged. I learned this by pulling the switch off looking at the back of the pc board and jumping between the two contacts my switch made when i pressed it. instead of clicking my scooter turned over every time i did this. thats when i got out the old meter and actually measured the voltage at the solenoid when i pushed the switch it was 11v mine was rated at 12v. bought a new switch from ebay that was 5 months a go still works great....plus i still have a new unopened solenoid as a spare. I only took the time to type all this because it took me freaking forever to figure out what the heck the problem was.

[Alleyoop]

Which switch are you talking about, the brake switch or the Start Button? The Start Button DOES NOT CARRY ANY VOLTAGE it just GROUNDS THE SOLENOID. The Key ON sends voltage to the BRAKE SWITCH so when you squeeze the Brakes it sends voltage to the SOLENOID and to your BRAKE LIGHTS. That is how the poop works. So I don't have any idea of what your talking about.
Alleyoop

[JopKatz]

So the "Starter" or "Start Switch" is actually the Brake? Not the Cut-Off? I want to make sure I am understanding. My Cut-Off has been hard to slide On ... Corrosion?

[Alleyoop]

If you know you have some corrosion in the switchs Spray some WD40 in there and work the switchs back and forth. That should clean them up and hopefully they will then make good contact.
Alleyoop