I am currently trying to fix up a 1964 Honda CA77 Dream and I am having trouble starting it. I have looked at the wiring diagrams and have found the yellow and red wire that goes to the starter switch. The bike does not have a starter switch on it but I have tried hooking the bike to a battery and after testing the yellow/red wire for juice I ground the wire [that is all that a switch does right?] on the engine block, but am rewarded with nothing but a small spark [shouldn't it try to turn over]. I have tried this with multiple batteries and on multiple key settings to no avail.
Where on the bike/wire harness should I look for problems that cause such results?
Any help would be appreciated, I am not an experienced mechanic:)
Thanks!
Trying to Start a CA77 DreamHey I think you're on the right track! What you did should have spun the starter motor, but apparently didn't. First of all, is the engine free - can you turn it over with the kick starter? If so, check whether or not the starter solenoid under the right side cover is actuating. You should hear it click when you ground that red and yellow wire. If it doesn't, use your wiring diagram to trace its wires back to find out why. If it does click, then check to see if you're getting 12V at the starter motor terminal. If not, you may have corroded contacts inside the solenoid, or even a bad connection at the solenoid terminals. If you are getting some voltage to the starter terminal, you may have a bad starter. Check to see if it spins when you turn the engine counter-clockwise with a wrench on the dynamo bolt. Check back with some more info... Good luck!
-48 First - Use a jumper cable - Attach the negative anywhere on the engine. Touch the positive side to the terminal on the starter solenoid that goes to the starter (not to the battery). Does the engine turn over? If not either the engine is frozen or the starter or solenoid is bad.
Trying the kick starter will tell you if the engine is frozen.
Thanks for the help! The engine is free and turns over when using the kick starter. When grounding the yellow/red wire there is no clicking sound from the solenoid. There is juice going from the battery to the solenoid and the yellow/red wire going from the solenoid has juice, BUT the second black wire going to the starting motor doesn't have juice. So how do I get electricity to the starting motor via the selenoid? In the past I have ran a cable from the battery to the wire for the starting motor where it contacts the solenoid, I then only have to connect the two contacts on the solenoid and the starter starts to run. This proves that the starter works, but there has to be a switch somewhere that dictates the flow of electricity to the starting motor. The solenoid IS the switch that closes to energize the starter motor and it sounds like you've ruled out everything else. Rarely, but sometimes, you can tap on the solenoid and if it's only a little sticky inside, it will actuate. If not, just look for one on ebay, a good used one isn't hard to find. Just to be sure we're on the same page, I attached a picture. The solenoid is the black cylindrical unit under the coil.
-48
The yellow/red wire is the one that completes the ground circuit to the solenoid. It completes this ground by passing through the starter button. It does not provide a ground unless the button is pushed. I would run a ground from the battery to the yellow/red - disconnect it at the plug just upstream of the solenoid. Touch the ground to the yellow/red. The solenoid should work. If it works at this point then the problem is at the starter button. If it does not work you can assume it it defective.
All of assumes you have plus 12VDC at the solenoid large battery cable and the black wire. At the yellow/red and black plugs you can check for 12VDC on the black (between black and ground)and continuity between the yellow red and ground by pushing the starter button. ........AND that you have a reasonable well charged battery.
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