Solenoid or Starter help needed???

[Polecat]

Last week I noticed the starter on my Honda Fourtrax was dragging a little, slow to turn over. Today it won't start. The battery is new, less than 6mos old and is putting out 11.6 volts on the multimeter at the battery terminals and and around 11.4 on the solenoid. No current coming across the solenoid until I hit the starter button and then only 2.5 to 5 volts is commng across going to the starter. Solenoid sometimes sounds like it is opening and making a clicking noise while other time making no noise. Until recently hadn't has any problems ith either. Any help appreciated...

 

[Polecat]

New battery, terminals are clean.

 

[Viper (tp)]

That happened also with my kawasaki bayou 220. I bought the silenoid for around $90.00, dang that hurt the ole pocket book, but I had surgery right before it went out and jerking that rascal to crank it was out of the question!!

 

[osduck5]

You can use a short piece of wire and jump across the silenoid to see if the starter will turn over but I am thinking battery is not fully charged as others have said. Usually if it is solenoid, it won't do anything. A 11.6 voltage with no load will drop to about 7 volts with the load of the starter when the starter button is engaged.

 

[mike243]

tribeless is correct,& it should charge 13.5v when running,mike243

 

[Polecat]

Ok, I'll try the least invasive and most inexpensive thing first. I'll take it to work in the morning and give it a good charge. You're all probably right. Last thing I remember doing with it was useing it to seed and drag some food plots. Running that Moultrie 12 volt ATV spreader off the battery probably pulled it down to the point it won't turn over.

 

[deerjackie]

get a battery tender so you can keep it plugged in all the time. it will keep it topped off without frying the battery. best 20 bucks you can spend. wal mart sells schumacker and black and decker. if it is a wet battery keep an eye on water level. a weak battery will ruin solenoids and starters. youn can buy extra pigtails at napa and install qd plugs on every thing you own for 3 bucks each. i replaced a dry batterw with a 1/3 of the price wet babbery and ran drain tube to the back axle area and zip-tied it to frame. schumacker battery companion also charges 6 volt batteries, perfect for nite lite battery with 2 spade qd plugs and shuts down when topped off.