VMAX wont start!!! please help me first time owner

[benjamin freeman]

i looked back 6 pages and coulndt find a post like mine so here i go.
ok so i bought my first vmax in February. everything we fine for months until the other day i go out to start my bike. i hadnt ridden in a few weeks but the weather cooled off and i wanted to ride. low and behold my bike wont start. it wont crank it wont click its does nothing at all even the butterfly valves dont cycle. the only thing that happens is the oil warning light comes on while im holding the start button down( honestly dont remember if it always did this even when it did start but wanted to mention also oil level is fine). BUT if i lay a screw driver across the starter solenoid with the key on, the bike fires right up no starter problems or nothing. even rides just fine, but turn it off for even a second and im reaching for the screw driver because its back to square one, no crank no clicking nothing but red oil light. so i figured must be bad solenoid. i ordered a new one arrived to day installed it and it changed nothing... PLEASE HELP bike seemed perfectly fine aside from starting when i hit the button and once its running has zero problems at all!!!. PLEASE HELP!!!!! i really dont want to have to pull the seat off my dream bike and whip out a screwdriver every where i go just to ride it!!!!

PS. battery is brand new and with a meter on the battery while hitting the start button i have no voltage drop at all, like its not even draining power at all trying to start. just that slow trickling volt drop you get from having the headlight on while not running

 

[Fire-medic]

Perhaps disassemble the starter button handlebar pod and check for the spring working to return the button outwards. Some dielectric grease, maybe.

 

[benjamin freeman]

Perhaps disassemble the starter button handlebar pod and check for the spring working to return the button outwards. Some dielectric grease, maybe.

ill check that out and get back to ya

 

[benjamin freeman]

ok so everything inside the button housing looks ok, but some new info i didnt realize before not only does the oil light on the dash come on but also my headlight goes dim to almost out(was outside before now in garage i could see the light). and this will happen weather or not the run-stop switch is in the run or stop position. both ways run or stop, if i hit start button oil light on headlight dim and zero cranking or clicking or trying to start.feel like a short to me but where? and how did it start out of no where?
also not sure if this is normal or not but im getting straight battery voltage across both main sides of the starter solenoid weather or not im hitting the start button. hell, weather or not the keys even on im getting batt voltage across starter solenoid terminals. is this normal?

 

[MaxMidnight]

ok so everything inside the button housing looks ok, but some new i
also not sure if this is normal or not but I'm getting straight battery voltage across both main sides of the starter solenoid weather or not I'm hitting the start button. hell, weather or not the keys even on I'm getting batt voltage across starter solenoid terminals. is this normal?

Normally the two terminals are not connected due to the relay. As you are checking across the terminals you are bypassing the relay so yes, this is normal.

It is normal for the fuel and oil level indicator lights to come on when the start button is pressed; this is a bulb check process.
If either of the fluid levels are low the light will com on when the ignition is switched on and the cut off switch set to 'Run'.
Owners manual 3.3 refers)

What is the battery voltage?

When you press the starter button what voltage is coning from the
blue/ white to the relay?

 

[Eugene Brad]

Kick stand switch maybe?
I suppose it wouldn’t run or start when you jump the starter though? Check and Clean all of your connections from battery to starter to start button if you haven’t already maybe there is a corrosion block somewhere.

 

[benjamin freeman]

the problem turned out to be a broken and corroded ignition wire under the seat

 

[Radioguylogs]

Congratulations and good work on finding the problem.

It's nice when we get to hear the conclusion and learn from it, so thanks for reporting what you found.

 

[Fire-medic]

Better late than never.

 

[greimers]

I'm about to start debugging the exact same issue. Which wire was broken/corroded?

 

[Jerry Klay]

Can someone take a pick and describe where the starter solenoid is? I think this would be a great thing for all of us to know to get started in the event we run into this on the road. And what terminals to jump.

Thanks

 

[[email protected]]

Can someone take a pick and describe where the starter solenoid is? I think this would be a great thing for all of us to know to get started in the event we run into this on the road. And what terminals to jump.

Thanks

Remove the seat and its right there.

 

[Jerry Klay]

OK.. Thanks.. I'll have a look. I don't recall if I posted this on this thread. I emailed with Tim about my starting problem which turned our to be the starter button. But when I couldn't start, we tried to bump start it.. 2 guys pushing me across a gas station.. Nothing.. Tim said that the ECU needs to see above some RPM before it will start. This solenoid trick would have got me going..

Thanks

 

[greimers]

I'm about to start debugging the exact same issue. Which wire was broken/corroded?

I think I found my problem, it was the connection of the blue/white wire going to the solenoid.