Starter Interlock Messed up

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Fred W

1 Wheel Drive
FJR Supporter
Joined
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Location
Eastern VT
Just thought I'd post up a problem and solution that I found a while back. Just before heading down to EOM I noticed that I could no longer just pull the clutch lever in when the bike was in gear and start the bike. I like to stop the bike at gas stops, etc. by just lowering the side stand with the bike left in 1st gear. Then when it's time to go, I just raise the sidestand, pull in the clutch and thumb the starter button to take off.

Well, my '05 FJR quit allowing me to do that for no apparent reason. I could still start the bike in Neutral. And the bike still died when the side stand was lowered, so that kind of told me those two switches were hunky-dory. Got out my trusty multi-meter and pulled the connector off the starter interlock relay under the seat and found the clutch switch connection was very flaky. As I pulled and released the lever it would intermittently make connection, but at full pull was almost always an open when it should'a been a short.

Removed the clutch switch, which was a little bit fiddly, and disassembled the switch. The switch is fairly crude sliding contact affair and the problem was immediately obvious upon disassembly. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures (I know, I'm sorry, mea culpa) but all of the contacts inside were covered with crusty green corrosion. A few minutes with a pointy screwdriver followed by polishing with a pencil eraser, followed by a generous dallop of silicone dielectric grease and all was right with the world (and my clutch switch) once again.

In retrospect, the reason the switch got crusty is fairly obvious. It's hanging out there in the weather and the housing is intentionally made to not be weather tight. A prudent type "A" person would remove his or her switch and service it prophylactically. The dielectric grease should help hold off the onset of switch disease.

Or you could just wait for the symptoms and deal with it then. ;)

Hope that's helpful to someone else. See you down the road...

 
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Just thought I'd post up a problem and solution that I found a while back. Just before heading down to EOM I noticed that I could no longer just pull the clutch lever in when the bike was in gear and start the bike. I like to stop the bike at gas stops, etc. by just lowering the side stand with the bike left in 1st gear. Then when it's time to go, I just raise the sidestand, pull in the clutch and thumb the starter button to take off.
Well, my '05 FJR quit allowing me to do that for no apparent reason. I could still start the bike in Neutral. And the bike still died when the side stand was lowered, so that kind of told me those two switches were hunky-dory. Got out my trusty multi-meter and pulled the connector off the starter interlock relay under the seat and found the clutch switch connection was very flaky. As I pulled and released the lever it would intermittently make connection, but at full pull was almost always an open when it should'a been a short.

Removed the clutch switch, which was a little bit fiddly, and disassembled the switch. The switch is fairly crude sliding contact affair and the problem was immediately obvious upon disassembly. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures (I know, I'm sorry, mea culpa) but all of the contacts inside were covered with crusty green corrosion. A few minutes with a pointy screwdriver followed by polishing with a pencil eraser, followed by a generous dallop of silicone dielectric grease and all was right with the world (and my clutch switch) once again.

In retrospect, the reason the switch got crusty is fairly obvious. It's hanging out there in the weather and the housing is intentionally made to not be weather tight. A prudent type "A" person would remove his or her switch and service it prophylactically. The dielectric grease should help hold off the onset of switch disease.

Or you could just wait for the symptoms and deal with it then. ;)

Hope that's helpful to someone else. See you down the road...
Fred, ocassionally I've had the same symptoms. Can you describe where the clutch switch connection is located?

 
Just thought I'd post up a problem and solution that I found a while back. Just before heading down to EOM I noticed that I could no longer just pull the clutch lever in when the bike was in gear and start the bike. I like to stop the bike at gas stops, etc. by just lowering the side stand with the bike left in 1st gear. Then when it's time to go, I just raise the sidestand, pull in the clutch and thumb the starter button to take off.
Well, my '05 FJR quit allowing me to do that for no apparent reason. I could still start the bike in Neutral. And the bike still died when the side stand was lowered, so that kind of told me those two switches were hunky-dory. Got out my trusty multi-meter and pulled the connector off the starter interlock relay under the seat and found the clutch switch connection was very flaky. As I pulled and released the lever it would intermittently make connection, but at full pull was almost always an open when it should'a been a short.

Removed the clutch switch, which was a little bit fiddly, and disassembled the switch. The switch is fairly crude sliding contact affair and the problem was immediately obvious upon disassembly. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures (I know, I'm sorry, mea culpa) but all of the contacts inside were covered with crusty green corrosion. A few minutes with a pointy screwdriver followed by polishing with a pencil eraser, followed by a generous dallop of silicone dielectric grease and all was right with the world (and my clutch switch) once again.

In retrospect, the reason the switch got crusty is fairly obvious. It's hanging out there in the weather and the housing is intentionally made to not be weather tight. A prudent type "A" person would remove his or her switch and service it prophylactically. The dielectric grease should help hold off the onset of switch disease.

Or you could just wait for the symptoms and deal with it then. ;)

Hope that's helpful to someone else. See you down the road...
Fred, ocassionally I've had the same symptoms. Can you describe where the clutch switch connection is located?
It's not the connection per se, but the actual switch, which is mounted on the underside of left handlebar switch cluster assembly. There was one phillips screw from underneath and then the whole switch can be removed from the cluster. Once you have it off, there is an electrical connector to allow you to disconnect it from the main harness, so you can work on the switch on a work bench.

It's item #12 in this parts breakdown:

clicky

 
Gratuitously lifted from TomInCA (with permission): Pitchers!!

[Cagney}

You dirty switch! You killed my starter...

[/Cagney]

(BTW mine looked a lot worser than Tom's :glare: )

July42011035.jpg


Bright and clean again!

July42011036.jpg


 
Didn't notice the three years between 4 and 5!

Well played.

Dan

 
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Good to see the forum" spaz's are hanging oot together.. :lol:

You two should get a room an charge admission.. :clapping:

 
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Trotting this Zombie out again. Yesterday morning I rode a perfectly good FJR out to zip around NH with Fred W. We made a quick stop at Lake Massabesic, then when we were ready to leave my FJR wouldn't start. Push the starter button and nothing happened. Hmmm, maybe the last couple of miles of dirt road got to my side stand switch. Side stand up -- nothing. Click into neutral and VARROOOM. Back at the ranch I put Bikie on the center stand, clicked into first gear then went to the diAG screen. In sequence 20 (Read Side Stand Switch) I put the side stand up and down and the value display showed OFF -- ON -- OFF as I moved it up and down. Increment the sequence to 21 (Read Clutch Switch) and pulled in the clutch lever OFF -- OFF -- OFF *fail*.

This morning I removed the one Phillips screw, unplugged the connector and disassembled the switch. Nasty, dirty, filthy innards! A little electrical contact cleaner and a scrubbing with a tooth brush and all looks good again. Plug in the connector, put the switch in place and pull in the clutch lever, bingo, the screw goes right in. Back to diAG sequence 21 and the value display says OFF -- ON -- OFF. Easy peasy!

 
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