Bike Won't Start: Most Common Cause of Goldwing Starter Problems, and the Cheap and Easy Fix!
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- A very common complaint from Goldwing owners: They try to start their bike, the starter just spins, but the engine doesn't crank. Sometimes it's intermittent, sometimes it fails completely. We talk about the most common cause of this failure, and a simple and easy fix that costs less than $10 to do!
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#WontStart #Starter
Just noticed this on my 47,000 mile GL1200
Early morning hard starts.
Just in time video!
Thank you 🙏
I swear by SeaFoam!! When I bought my Suzuki Boulevard C90T about 12 years ago, I ran SeaFoam through it and my mileage increased by about 20%. I was amazed! My mileage went from high 30s to over 50 MPG. It did settle down to around 44 MPG, but that is a great improvement, AND my engine was cleaned well. SeaFoam also has the HIGH MILEAGE version now. Years ago, I don't remember seeing the HIGH MILEAGE version, but one day it appeared at the parts store. My bikes don't have that many mileage on them but my truck does, and my old Acura did as well. I can't say enough about how good that stuff is! Great tip, too! I just got my first Wing two weeks ago and I had no idea about the poor circulatory system toward the back. That is excellent information!! Ride well! See you on the forum!!
Great video, I'm looking at a valkyrie that's hard to start, and I was going to shy away from it, but this sounds like the exact problem.
I've been meaning to come back and comment that on 2 occasions when this happened to me on 2 different Wings, (starter runs and sounds normal but bike doesn't start), it turned out that the battery was apparently not strong enough to spin the clutch fast enough to start the bike. Charged the battery on my current '10 Wing and all is well! Was going to do the fix Scott suggested when I recalled my '04 years ago did this same thing and the dealer suggested 'new battery'! That fixed it then too. So might try topping of your battery first and see what you get!
You make all repairs so simple to understand. It is such a pleasure to watch your videos....Thank you so much
Thank you so much for the kind words!
No one said starter wouldn't engage , wont start doesn't mean starter whirl ?
Just subscribed. Proud new owner of a mystery project 1997 GL1500. Traded a jetboat for it. Threw a battery in it. Everything lit up. Tried to start and lights just dimmed with no starter action. Not even a click. Checked my turn signals and they're working. Horn works. Headlamp high and low. Video it then decided I wanted to Video it again. Went to turn it on to document all working functions and no power on the dash. Look at trickle charger and it says battery is good. Hmmmmmm...
Also the only lead I got when getting the bike was "I think the choke cable is broken. It idles high". Haven't managed to start it yet. Looking forward to getting this bike running so that I can ride it and when a friend visits they can ride my '82 750 Nighthawk along with.
It should be noted that the rear of the engine has very small circulation of oil issues, where the sprag clutch is located, and the seafoam DOES work. Also ATF works quite well too. Done em both.
Left it in there for nearly a year but no improvement (And the engine oil always looks good - no sludge in it when changing the oil/filter)
1986 GL1200 - I may have to replace the entire spragg clutch next.
@@2Truth4Liberty That does happen, and the worst part is removing the engine. The springs and rollers are easy.
@@anonimous2451
"you act like its a tough job when removing the engine is the worst part."
Are you saying it's not tough to remove the engine?
I have rotator cuff tears on both shoulders. Seems tough to me.
@@2Truth4Liberty I did NOT say that. Why don't you learn to READ. I said the tuffest part of the starter clutch rebuild IS pulling the engine you nit wit. If you have medical conditions like that it would be near IMPOSSIBLE for you to do it alone. But, there are always OPTIONS. Oh wait, you have to have friends first...........my bad.
Im going to try it as soon as I get off work. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks!
I just did this. No chunks of oil came out but I guess that s a good thing. Not having a starter issue just thought this would be good prevention.
I very seldom have comments, but I want to just say you are providing a great forum for Honda riders! Keep it coming I really enjoy it!
Have a great week!
Don
Thank you for the kind words!
Saludos mi moto Honda goldwing modelo 86 no arranca da marcha y enciende bomba no señal en bujías e inyectores tampoco ke se puede Aser ayúdeme por favor mi amigo
Bought at 82 GL1100, it's been sitting for 2 years accordingly (maybe longer, never know if I got the whole truth from an eager seller) the starter doesn't catch on the first try and then it will catch 2nd or 3rd. great information, I will either to use either Seafoam or Marvel Mystery Oil and see what happens. excellent tips thank you!
Appreciate your video! Been having this problem on and off for several months and getting the run around from various "mechanics", but none has come close to your solution. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks!
Man thats awesome info. Ill definitely start this practice on my new to me, GL1500. Will be looking fwd to more videos. Keep up the great work. 👍👊✋
Greta information I just got a used one and was going to pull the engine. So glad I checked RUclips first.
thanks for the starter sprague info! I wasn't aware of this. No problem starting now, but as they say, an ounce of prevention... It's time for an oil change anyway so I will definitely be doing this. Thanks for all the info and advice! (1996 GL1500 Aspencade w/ 107k miles.)
As always, great advice, great video. Thanks.
I've heard running the engine with diesel also cleans the gloop out. , much cheaper as well ??
My Gold Wing has only failed me one time in over 20 years and it was due to a new battery that had a short in it. But what you just posted is a big WOW for me, I have never heard of that happening but I am now aware of it. Thank you so much. What about using MARVEL MYSTERY OIL would that work the same ?
My 1200 used to do that a lot. Below freezing on time it took 50 tries to get it to catch. Changed the rollers and springs and it is much better. Only occasionally it slips. Next time i have the engine out i'll change the whole starter clutch. Or maybe not.
Great tip for sure! I own two '83 Wings, a '75, a '78, and an '85 Wing.......guess I have a full nest of birds, almost. Regarding the slug build-up, do you think that draining the oil and adding either kerosene or diesel, and letting it sit there over the winter months......would that also be a good way of loosening up slug around those starter "sprags"? After sitting over the winter, I would crank up and run to get the fluid a little warm and to circulate around, and then drain. Comments on that idea?
Great website.....I have been a member for many years.
Great info there.. I’m going to buy sea foam ASAP…. Now, me.. being a humble simpleton I would greatly appreciate if pos on an 2001-2017 seeing and identifying the electrical connection plugs around said bike… people.. thumbs up if you want this too.. 👍👍
Wow, that would be a long video! There is a section in the service manual for this that is about 30 pages long...
@@GoldwingDocs fair point well made. What I should of said is for the accessories really..loving your tutorials. 🇬🇧👍
Happened today. Engine light came right on. Finally started when got home and shut it down. Restarted no problem and light went out. Used rest of day. No problem lol. Thanks. Will use foam next oil change. Just had service done ? Tiny. Fla
thanks for the tip. I will try in my 1978 gl1000. Hopefully this fix it. Thanks
I also put Seafoam in my (full) tank over winter....keeps the fuel stable.
Yes, we talk about that in this video: ruclips.net/video/QtaqRex1jZw/видео.html
Thank you! Exactly what I needed!
wow i dropped the ball here. following someone elses advice. i was pulling the motor. Thank god i found this. Do the sprages wear out , just before i put it back together? Thank you very much.
Not normally, no.
Well done.
I love Seafoam ! It's been good for all my gasoline powered toys and tools.
Thank you so much for this video, I’m getting a 1980 gl 1100 back together that’s been sitting for years and my starter is spinning freely not all the time but enough that I want to fix it, as soon as I get my water pump I’ll try this with sea foam should I mix this with synthetic oil or conventional oil ? Thanks
Seafoam will work with any type of oil.
When the starter spins without turning the engine over on my 1200 Goldwing it makes a very unpleasant and quite loud clattering noise which continues for several seconds after releasing the starter button. Is this a normal symptom of the Spragg clutch problem? Nobody seems to have mentioned this symptom? Thanks for any help, and thanks for the great video!
Awesome advise ...thanks ....safe riding
I'll try it on my bike cause when hot and then rest about 20 mins the bike only crank but not start, thank you for the info
If the engine actually cranks but doesn't start, then this is not the cause of your problem. Most common cause of that is a weak battery.
@@GoldwingDocs at mornings the bike starts very easy and good but if I ride it then take a break for 20 mins or more the bike is hard to start,
@@aaronarriaga7787 I have that same problem. I was stranded twice because of it. I have a 2018 GW tour manual. Honda replaced my battery under warranty the first time. The second time they said, "Yeah, that happens a lot on the new Goldwing." Weak!
@@aaronarriaga7787 That's usually a sign of a weak battery.
I've had much better luck with the Deka AGM battery than the standard Yuasa lead-acid battery. Much better sustained cranking/firing power (especially that first time starting after winter storage!), and way longer life. The one in my 1996 Wing lasted 13 years before dying -- most Yuasa batteries I've had worked maybe 5-6 years... and still got weak when cranking that first time in the spring.
Some of your problem when trying to start after the bike is warm could be increased compression (requiring more power from the battery). When that happens for cranking the motor, there is less spark available to the plugs to fire. Still points to weak battery.
Great information Scott. At what bike mileage do you think this should be started? I have 20,000km on my Rune.
That Rune is a beautiful bike!! And at 20K it's just barely broken in! You should be good for a while...that said, the first time I did it on my 1100 (when I saw the clumps coming out), it had only 40,000 miles on it.
Do you take out any oil first, equal to the amount of sea foam you use. Or is it ok to over fill.
I wondered the same thing
You can....but half a can of Seafoam is 1/4 quart, so it really isn't going to make that much difference. Unless your oil is already right at the VERY top of your dipstick mark, I wouldn't bother.
Great info thanks
usefull as always. Thx
What do I do if it just clicks and doesn’t want to crank at all, how would the sea foam help then?
i just got my 1985 Goldwing as a form of payment for a job. yes, I fell for it. i know nothing about motorcycles. I know it won’t start. is there a process that I can go though to get this bike running?
My Goldwing 2018 can't start while it's hot, I was touring around the stop for a while for coffee, but when I started then I wasn't able to get it. Do you know what the problem is?
It would seem if having those issues bike is not being ridden enough or oil changed frequently enough ? Just a guess. Never encountered that with any of my bikes
Yes, but I even experienced it on my 30-year-old GL1100 that had been maintained and cared for very well. Sludge accumulation is just a fact of life with these bikes.
@@GoldwingDocs but do you see that issue on the 1800’s much?
What is this term you speak of "put my bike away for winter"? 🙂
I have two goldwings 1995, one has a bad ecu the other worked fine. Until I pulled the bad ecu and inserted into the good bike, well now I have two bikes that don't work. I pulled the bad ecu out of the good bike and reinserted the good ecu and nothing. What can I do?
Hi -
I have a 2009 GOLD WING GL1800 Audio Comfort Navi XM, that has been sitting (garaged) for a few years. I just installed a brand new battery. I went to start it. There is plenty of juice, it turns over great, it just does not start.
Any suggestions?
Didn't know you could add seafoam to clean out engine. Thanks for vid. Ps have you sold your bike yet. Not that I would buy it because I live in the UK. Nice bike tho
My 89 1500 GL has no spark
I got it on trade got it running then next day same issue cranking like the wind but no start tightened up the 2 screws on kill switch started ran all day next day same thing again won't start just cranks so put new battery in and no start just cranks
Just curious as to how this affects the clutch seeing that it is a wet clutch I was always told never add anything to your oil with a wet clutch
Thank you
😮 QUESTION: my issue is slightly different. It has new starter, ran when I parked in my garage last year, all lights work on dash, cycle is in neutral, (green light lit) but when start button pressed - just a click heard at rear. No fuses blown, master fuse not blown either. No cranking engine or starting - just a click. Suggestions? Thoughts?
My name is Leon, I recently purchased a 01 GL 1800, had a noise I wasn't comfortable with, so bought a replacement engine, when I did the exchange I rode it into the garage, now that the engine swap is complete, I have no spark, and no power to the fuel pump relay, any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance for your time and help.
I got one of these 1500cc v6 goldwings but the frame is trashed so me and my dad is gonna build a cross cart out of the engine and tranny and everything we think we can use
Cool, I 'd like to see that! That will be one powerful cart...
can you help please. I start my 2005 goldwing every day during the winter, but i went to start it this week and all it does is make a loud pop. I can power down and power up with the key and everything lights back up, but when I hit the start button all i get is a loud pop. Is this something that you have seen in your experience? Thank you so much. I love my bike!
QUESTION
My GOLDWING is doing this exact thing...once I put SEAFOAM in the oil will my GOLDWING start or how can I get it to start???
I can try this method, but let me tell my previous mishap.
Going to work I put a water jug in my trunk and it leaked. It shorted out and I lost the radio and navigation system. I cam home completed drained the water out and put a fan on it. That was two or three weeks ago.
Another Goldwing owner suggested I might have corroded some connections and possibly blew a fuse.
So with what I told you should I be looking at the suggestion you gave or the corrosion mishap or both?
Great info
Thank you sir!,
Thank you for this video!! I don't have a starting problem on my 2004 but it's nice to know how to prevent it!! As always,Thank You!! You're very much appreciated!! 👍😊
2014 engine spins over but doest start ,any ideas
Scott, is it possible for the sprag clutch to somehow lock up the engine so it can't turn over?
Educational information!
How I'm gonna use this stuff.
If? I can't get it back started to try it.
If it won’t start how and the hell can you ride it gently with Seafoam in the crankcase?
Its great to know, but I can't take it for a ride if it won't start.. Also, when I crank it, the RPM needle goes up.. isn't that an indication that the engine is turning?
Yes, if the tach is moving, then the engine is turning.
"So what do you do if it doesn't start?" Kinda weird that it's such a common problem on the forums and the advice is to drive around with Seafoam... stupid
I’m looking for the left side wind deflector with the nut the bracket is still on the bike im looking for one that is the smoke color
I did this 2 times oil and sea foam when I touch start button it does nothing if keep trying it catch’s and starts. Any other thoughts????
I’m looking at an ‘88 and they said it has sat for about 2 years. If I were to consider buying it, what would y oh guys recommend I check on this bike?
I have a couple late 70s goldwings one is a gl1000 and the other has blue body panels and they both have around 30-60k miles on them, crank no start I figured I’d start with battery. Then spark plugs/fuel. Any tips?
Starter turn over strong, tried of common problems still no start
I just purchased an 89 gl1500 and these are my symptoms. Going to try this. 1 other thing... it only has 31,000 miles on it. Is that high mileage Mobil 1 oil good for it? Or should i try another oil?
That high mileage Mobil 1 works really well in all GL1500's.
Having this problem just bought the bike non running rebuilt carbs and new fuel pump but sprags are so gummed up can’t get it to even start at all just spins every time., any advice e
At that point, you have a couple of options. Disassembly, or a couple people have drilled holes in the case to spray solvent directly into the sprag rollers. See: goldwingdocs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12909
Hi Again can You tell Me where is a good place to order old 1985 1200 Limited Edition Gold Wing Parts and accessories such as fairing and side covers besides Ebay Thanks?
Not very many places left...eBay is really going to be your best bet. The 1200 LE is especially rare, and hard to find parts for.
When i had my 1500 goldwing
One time i tried to shut my bike
Off it kept running starter
Was spinning had to disconnect
Battery changed starter relay.
mine won’t even make a noise and i don’t know what’s wrong with it
So if I understand this video correctly, this will only work IF you can get your bike to run correct?
Correct - but you could bump start it to get it running.
I rebuilt my starter in a starter spinning backwards
Does this also apply to the GL1000?
how do I get it to start though
Bike, (2013 Goldwing F6B, 33,000 miles) won't start. Press Button... Nothing. Nothing spins, just nothing. Battery was dead, would not charge over 11 volts, bought new battery, everything works except there is still nothing when I hit the start button. (Bad Stater Button??)
Start relay maybe (and it usually has it's own fuse) could be the fuse.
@@2Truth4Liberty You're right. Turned out to be the Starter Relay. Thanx for the reply!
Hey Scott my alternator isn't charging anymore can you recommend a good one other than the compuserve
Sorry sent too soon 1997 gl1500 aspencade. Preferably one that isn't a struggle to put in. Thanks Brian
What about Marvel Mystery Oil?
Quite a few people use that as well!
but what do you do if its happening now? tried to jump start didnt help
You'll have to push start the bike until the seafoam has time to get back there and clean things up. Even then, that may not solve the problem.
@@2Truth4Liberty thanks for the reply mine turned out to be the Paulse generator.
What if you can't get the bike to start? How are you going to get it started after you put the foam in? Does the foam help start the bike?
Same question here?
I wondered about that too. MotoTow I guess.. (At least here in the Dallas Metroplex). Great bike towing system.😀
No, it does not help start, it just clears sludge so the clutch has a better change of working.
It you have no start, just spin most or all of the time, you will have to push start.
This may work sop that after a few times riding the starter clutch will begin working again, but don't count on it as a for sure fix.
Does this work for a gl1100?
100%, it's fairly common in all the four-cylinder Wings.
@GoldwingDocs thank you! I should have time to do an oil change on my goldwing this weekend. I'll try this seafoam trick
I will try this when I can but my bike won't fire up. So this didn't help me
You'll have to push start it for now ... if/when the sludge is cleaned ... it might work again, but it might never work again, so consider options.
Seafoam is full of crap my engine still won't start.
2:13 NOT a Goldwing.
You shouldn't tell people to put that stuff in your engine, it's not good .there are better ways of cleaning your engine
My bike won't start, the starter will turn over. Seafoam is useless