Starter on a 1983 GL1100 Interstate

[BillyBarcode]

Hi, Wingers...need some advice. I have an 83 that has been an absolute joy, as recently as last Sunday, when I took her for a run. Never had an issue with it. She has 111,000 km on her. The next day, I washed it, and when I went to start her up, nothing. No lights, No click, no nothing. Fuses are OK, including the 30 amp ribbon fuse. Checked each one for continuity and they all check out. The battery is two years old. I moved another vehicle over to it, and tried boosting the battery. All the lights came on, but the starter turned over real slow, and all lights dimmed, including on the vehicle I was jumping it with. Then, nothing. The cable on the starter was smoking, so I removed the jumpers quick, and stopped messing with it. I put a trickle charger on the battery, but it seems to be done, too. After leaving it on overnight, nothing. I'm assuming the starter is toast. Maybe the battery too....any ideas, folks?

[johnny42]

I would pull the starter motor and start there. There's a DIY here: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=259

[Wilcoy02]

If it is the starter you can rebuild it or take it to an alternator shop and they usually work on starters. Then if the wire in there gets broke- They know how to fix it well. Usually cheaper than you think. Even if it is not the starter it would not hurt to refurbish it while you have it out. New brushes does wonders for it.

[BillyBarcode]

I would pull the starter motor and start there. There's a DIY here: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=259

Thanks, Johnny. I did look at that, and tried to get the starter out, but have two problems....the cable connection on the bottom of the starter is rusted, and looks like the previous owner tried to get it off with vise grips. The nut is rounded off and I can't get it off. Also it's actually loose inside the starter. I can move it back and forth with my fingers. Just checked the battery, and it was fine a couple of days ago, but it's toast now, so something else is going on. I pulled the plugs, just in case it was hydrolocked (I had left the fuel petcock on), and it turned over without the plugs in, so the engine seems OK and it wasn't hydrolocked. I boosted it again, and it started, but it's running rough, and the neutral light is flickering real fast, but goes solid when I rev 'er up. So I'm sure the battery is toast. I will replace the battery, but I suspect the starter is pooched too. Wish I could get the starter off. I have sprayed some penetrating oil on the bolts, and I'll try to pull the starter again. Really appreciate your advice, though.

[winguyjo]

just take the starter off, cable and all. the cable could be pooched as well. at the very least it will need to be examined and the terminals cleaned.

[BillyBarcode]

Thanks, winguyjo...problem is, i can't get the starter off. Gonna keep trying. I can't get to the back bolt, (looks like I may have to take off the exhaust) and the cable on the bottom of the starter is rusted on, and the previous owner didn't seem to own a 10mm wrench, as it appears someone tried to either take off or put on the nut with vise-grips. It's rounded off, and I don't have the skills to deal with that without doing more damage.

[winguyjo]

if i remember correctly, the rearmost starter bolt is the easier of the 2 to get at, so if access is a problem then you may have a non-stock exhaust that may, in fact, need to be removed. as for the rounded-off nut attaching the cable positive cable to the starter, i am suggesting that you leave that part attached and just remove the starter with the cable still attached at that point, then when it's on the bench it can be dealt with. it sounds like it has broken off inside the starter anyway.

[JoBoy68]

I had a very similar problem my battery got so hot you could not touch it my starter which was brand new was turning over very slowly and other weird things were happening it turned out to be a bad ground from the battery to the frame mine was on the triangle motor mount took it apart got a new negative cable used a different bolt made sure it was clean and no rust

[BillyBarcode]

I've been thinking the same thing. The ground cable is so badly corroded and rusted, I can't get it off. I finally bit the bullet and called the bike shop to ask them to fix it. It'll be expensive, but I don't want to do more damage to the starter, stator, regulator or battery. As it looks, I may need to replace the battery, for sure, and most likely, the starter. I just don't want to mess up anything else. When I tried starting it the other day, there was smoke, and the ground cable was so hot I burned my fingers by just touching it. I love this bike too much to do more damage. I just hope I haven't done too much already. Today, I'm taking the battery out completely in case there's a short somewhere.

[JoBoy68]

The bolt the ground cable goes through from the factory is part of the motor mounts and that particular bolt goes all the way through the engine so unless you have a wrench on both sides it will just spin and never loosen

[BillyBarcode]

Just a quick follow-up. First off, thanks for everyone's advice and help. After hours of tracing down faults, trying to fix them, and generally getting nowhere, I called my local GoldWing mechanic who works at Recycle Motorcycles (a great little company in Stony Plain, Alberta) it turned out that the starter was, in fact, "toast", and it also shorted out a cell in the battery, so a starter from a wrecked bike and a new battery later, I'm back on the road.

[Wilcoy02]

Good to hear you found the gremlins and reported back on it.
Take your toasted starter to a shop that does alternators. They can usually fix starters also. Have a good starter on the shelf or sell it to some one who needs a starter. It's pretty cheap for the shop to re manufacture it. Usually under $50 bucks.