With the key on, does the headlight go out when you hit the starter button. They have been known to "melt' a little but are an e-z fix. Is it in neutral?

 

The headlight does get real dim almost off. What does that mean?

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15 years and people still do not know about the starter switch needing cleaned.. every 2 years.

http://www.rattlebars.com/mtz/starter.html

follow the link.. 1/2 page down...
I know of this problem in 2004.. one year before I bought a new VTX.... just like flange bearing going bad..

ALSO.. use a wrench on the battery bolts. never a screwdriver.... as the VTX will loosen them and kill a battery.
.

 

What's a flange bearing?:shrug::icon_mrgr

 

Ok. Thanks. I read that but wasn't really thinking that was the problem but that was a step that I hadn't done yet.

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That's a flange bearing

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that is the flange.. the bearings (2) are missing

fyi, mine failed at 45,000 miles.. but I put lots of side load on my wheels.

 

Actually, I know what a flange bearing is. The emoji's were meant to denote sarcasm but it was an obvious fail.

 

I have never understood sarcasm... obvious or not.

 

Lol

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How did you check the battery, for 12 Volts? It can show correct volts, but have a weak cell or 2 and not have enough KICK, or amps, to turn it over. Take the fully charged battery to somewhere like Napa, Advanced Auto, Auto Zone, or ?? and have it 100 AMP load tested.

 

What he said. Had that problem before and it's no fun.

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I'm still at a loss. I've done the starter switch clean. I've changed the spark plugs. New battery. I've checked the selanoid and starter but I cannot figure this out. Could it be fuel? It sounds very strong trying to start but its almost like the fuel is not flowing. I smell fuel with the plugs out but it won't start. Any suggestions? This is very frustrating. Please help.

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Have you checked for spark on the plugs? Have you checked the spark plug wires?

 

I mean isnt it odd that it was working one minute and then 10 minutes later it didnt.

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So I did a cleaning in the starter switch for the 2nd time and I'll be damned it fired right up. That us some crazy stuff

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:glee:Glad to hear it. Sometimes it's the simple things. Now.......time to ride it!:choppersm

 

Done and done

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ryanwarner111, What do you mean by "This is my current issue"? Describe your issue in detail and we will try to help.

 

So I just bought an 03 vtx 1800 and it currently does not start. All the lights work. The fuses have been checked. Fuel pump runs when the kill switch is flipped and the key is on. However nothing after that. I can hear a tiny singular click that comes from the starter solenoid. Brand new battery. Bike started and ran 3 months ago I was told. Bike seems like it was well taken care of so I feel pretty certain the previous owner kept up on everything very well

 

... I can hear a tiny singular click that comes from the starter solenoid...

The click means your start switch is good, it is sending the signal to the solenoid. The solenoids on the 1800 have a fairly high failure rate and likely that is the problem. A weak battery is often the root cause of the solenoid going bad, the lack of voltage causes the contacts to not close smartly, they bounce, arc, sometimes weld together, or make no contact at all.

The way to test everything is to short the contact terminals of the relay and see if that turns over the motor. If it does then you know the relay is bad. You hear the click so you know it is getting triggered from the start switch but the contacts are not closing, you just simulated them closing by shorting the relay output terminals.

If the starter will not turnover shorting the terminals, then the battery could be weak or not charged, the battery connections may not be tight, or very unlikely the starter could be bad.

Here is a video on a 1300 that shows all of that, only difference is location on 1800.

 

Also the light does turn off when I click the ignition

 

The first place for you to look is in the starter circuit. I would start by determining if the starter motor is working properly. To do this, put the bike in neutral, double check that it is in neutral, remove any person, thing, or animal of value from in front of bike, and then triple check that it is in neutral. After all of this, locate the solenoid and use a wrench or large screwdriver to jump/bridge between the two main electrical connections to the solenoid. If the starter motor is working properly, this will cause the starter motor to turn which will then cause the engine to turn. The bike will not start because you do not have any of the electrical system turned on (kill switch, start button, key, etc.). Do this and then report back your results.

 

I will give it a shot tomorrow thank you!

 

I can count on 1 hand the number of times I've used the kill switch in over 11 years of owning my '03 1800 C.

 

x2. I do however flip it off and on a few times when it is off just to make sure it doesn't seize.

I usually hold the start button, then turn the key to start. I have a 1300 though, so I don't have a fuel pump that needs to prime.

 

PaXman11, correct me please if I am mistaken.... I suspect that he leaves the kill switch on 100% of the time. He uses the ignition/key to turn the bike on, waits a second for the fuel pump to prime, and then presses the start button to engage the starter solenoid, starter motor, and fire up the bike. There is nothing at all wrong with this approach just like there is nothing wrong with using the kill switch in combination with the ignition/key.

 

PotaY-toes, potaH-toes. I did NOT say it was wrong. You do what you like. I have never seen the need to make something more difficult or time consuming than needed.

 

So the starter is working. The engine moved when bridging the solenoid. So next step is check the solenoid correct?

 

Or what do you all suggest next?

 

Yes, work backwards from the starter motor. It seems to be working correctly so try putting 12v power to the appropriate signal post on the solenoid (not the big two main posts on the solenoid) and see if this causes the starter to turn.

 

Some more info. I took apart the kill switch housing and quickly gave it a little tlc, removed a bunch of debris, lightly cleaned off the contact points and slightly stretched the spring underneath the kill switch contact. Put it all back together and no change. Then managed to test if the solenoid was getting power and then sending power to the starter. It seems there is no power leaving the starter. So I believe this means a bad solenoid correct?

The thing about this that's weird is on all the pictures of people showing their solenoids in the forums and such, they all have the yellow/red wire on the left post and the green one on the right. However it is the opposite on mine so I don't know if the person before put them on backwards or it's just opposite on my particular bike? I did try to swap them to how I have seen them and nothing changed. So would I put the power to the post with the yellow wire or the one attached to the green?

 

Yes, it sounds like your solenoid is bad. It should make no difference which trigger terminals on the solenoid holds the +12 v signal and which holds the ground. The electromagnet inside the solenoid will trigger with either connection arrangement. Just make sure you ONLY have one wire on each of the trigger posts of the solenoid.

 

I have the exact same issue on my 2003 1800 S that came on after it sat for a few months waiting for a tire and fried a battery due to a loose connection on the negative terminal. I put a new battery in and now I get the fuel pump prime, but no crank. I am going to try a few of these (eventually all of them), and trace the issue, then I will reply to this comment with what the issue actually was, so anyone who searches this up has a good starting point. I will probably start with the ground fix, as I've only owned the bike for a year and I don't know if it was ever done. Then I will clean the switches, as they need to be done (I will be doing the turn signal switch and I need to diagnose the horn issue because the button is stuck after a crackhead messed with my bike last July in a parking lot and it hasn't worked since) after those are done, I will trace the safety system (neutral safety switch is working as that was my first thought/check, and it is in neutral), I have tried with the clutch in, out, and partially in, I have tried shifting out of neutral and back into neutral, I have tried with the kickstand up, down, and partially down (just incase it was missing the sensor) I even tried to bump start it down a hill with no success, so I will also check the engine stop circuit. Again, I will reply to this comment with what worked, for anyone experiencing the same issue, but I would strongly suggest the switch cleaning, and ground fix for everyone with or without this issue.

 

Slip a Baggie over the hand grip/ control when disassembling to catch any little bits that might fall or pop out.