# Starter solenoid just clicks....



## gcfishguy (Nov 21, 2010)

'10 650i 4000kms

Starter/solenoid is acting up on me 

Hit the starter button, sometimes I just get a click from the solenoid, sometimes it cranks over A-1. it's about 50/50.

Battery seems fine, and it's on a schumacher battery tender/maintainer. Headlights are nice and bright without the engine running and the tender goes green and shows a good state of charge after being connected for a few minutes.

I had a look at the connections at the solenoid and at the starter and there's no sign of corrosion, but I didn't pull them apart and clean them. (yet)

I'm still under warranty and have to take it in for a few things before the warranty runs out at the end of the month, but I've been sick for the last few weeks and really wanted to go riding this weekend. 


Brute-gurus, is this common? I'm assuming the solenoid is at fault since the starter sounds fine and doesn't drag. If so, how long does it usually act spotty like this? Looking to see if I'll likely be okay to go this weekend and have it fixed next week.

Thanks!


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## brute for mud (Jul 15, 2010)

I would clean all the connections and see if that works


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## gcfishguy (Nov 21, 2010)

Yup, I plan to do the solenoid connections and the starter connection. The battery connections are good, I just had them apart for some changes to the winch wiring.
I have a wicked cold that's nearly gone so I'm trying to stay out of the shed until it's gone completely. (below freezing up here now).

As I say, they 'look' good, so was wondering if it's common for the solenoids to fail, and so on. Just looking for info until I can clean things up....


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## capt duck (Jan 6, 2010)

I had this same problem last week. Charge the battery all night. Install in the Brute and click click or starter would spin 1 time. Then it would do nothing. Thinking it was the starter relay/solenoid, i took the one off my P360 and same thing. I took the battery out of the P360 and it fired right up. Took the original relay back in and it fired right up. It turns out it was my battery. Put a load on it and the voltage would drop to below 3 volts. Even though the charger said it was charged. Do you have any other battery you could try? I replaced mine and she starts like a champ.


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## Bruiser (May 21, 2011)

Def ur battery


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## gcfishguy (Nov 21, 2010)

Called the dealer and got an appt for next week.

I thought maybe battery too, but it doesn't act like it. It either cranks perfectly or it doesn't. Hit the button, whirls over perfectly. Hit it again, click. hit it again, click. Hit it again, whirls over perfectly. I'd think it would crank slow or drag when it does crank...

Either way, unless it's a poor connection, it's covered, so I'll clean them up this weekend to be sure, then let them see what they find.

It's a '10 but I bought it new last December, so 11 months old. Pretty soon for a battery to crap out, but anything can happen, I guess.


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## gcfishguy (Nov 21, 2010)

Tried it again today..hit the button 30 times, it cranked 6 times. Unplugged the plug at the solenoid,terminals nice and clean and bright, plugged it back on, cranks every time. Didn't do anything but unplug it, look at it, and plug it back in. Hmmm.
Cleaned those terminals just to be safe, then removed the two cables, also clean and bright, no sign of corrosion at all. hit them with the sandpaper anyway, a light coat of grease on all the connections and reassembled. Can't get it to act up again.


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## oldmanbrute (Apr 15, 2009)

There you go


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## Roboquad (Sep 8, 2009)

I replaced a bad start selenoid, the stealership said" you will never see the damage" because the unit is sealed. You may still have a bad part. I would def. keep an eye on it, and no long trips till your sure.


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## gcfishguy (Nov 21, 2010)

Just as an update, in case someone is searching for the same issue in the future...

The issue was a poor connection on the solenoid. Not the high amp cables, but the trigger wire. I did nothing but slide it off the spade connector, look at it, and slide it back on. There was no corrosion or anything, just wasn't making a good enough connection to pull the plunger down far enough to make the high-amp connection in the solenoid. So the solenoid would make the expected click, but not with enough force to actually close the circuit and send juice to the starter.

It's been nearly a month and I've had it out several times and it hasn't missed once.


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## brute for mud (Jul 15, 2010)

So it was a bad connection


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