Not sure if this is the right spot for this or not, but I figured I would try. If not, I would appreciate someone directing me to the right spot. I recently acquired my neighbors 2012 Bennche Bighorn 700 UTV. It sat out in his yard without being moved for over 2 years, but was running when he parked it. I got it home and discovered the gear shift fan gear had froze up due to it sitting in the weather. The part that pivots was frozen where it is inserted into the housing, which I freed up. I put a fresh battery on it, tried to crank it, and only hear a faint click up under the hood, which I assume is the solenoid. I checked the solenoid and I am getting 12.2 volt to it and 11.79 on the side going to the starter without turning the key to crank. I am getting 12.2 volts at the starter when I turn the key to the on position and 11.72 when I turn the key to crank. Correct me if I am wrong, but don’t I have a bad solenoid? I should be getting power across the solenoid unless the key is turned to crank?
Does the engine rotate by hand? If the engine is locked up, even the best starter won’t turn it.
Not sure if the engine is locked up. I was concerned with the constant power going to the starter. I have never seen that before that I was aware of.
I can tell you that when we pulled it across the road, due to the fan gear being frozen, it was in Low gear and I could hear compression coming from the motor.
It does sound unusual. Especially since you hear the click. It doesn’t by chance have a relay and a solenoid? At any rate, if it were mine, I would just short the solenoid contacts between the terminals with a screwdriver or something (there’s a fuse protecting the wiring) and see if it cranks. If it does, you have a bad solenoid or the energy to the coil is insufficient due to a corroded wire or connection.
That seems too low for a new, unloaded battery. A car-battery with no current draw should measure close to 12.6 volts. That said, if you are measuring at least 11.7 volts on both of the starter motor terminals (B and S), with the key in “start”, that should be enough to crank the engine. Measure these accurately, by probing between the starter terminal and the starter case. If that checks out, makes sure the engine manually-rotates freely (by wrenching the crank-shaft bolt. Might try removing the spark plugs and trying the starter motor again, may unstick something. Car starter motors usually provide access to the post-solenoid terminal. If yours does, measure that voltage too when key is in “start”. It should measure close to the same voltage as the incoming side of the solenoid switch.
I already tried to jump the solenoid, no luck.
Just a motorcycle battery, its on a UTV
Just looked, the solenoid is on a harness that has a relay, hence the light clicking I am sure.
So after taking the starter off the block, holding it to the neg post and putting a jumper wire back on the post of the starter, it spins. I put the wire back on the starter where it goes, hold it next to the block, and nothing. Don’t even get power through the wire anymore. Go to the solenoid, and nothing getting across the terminals anymore. Bad solenoid.