V7 850 won't start

[bobrebos1]

I know this post is over a year old but my starter switch on my 21 v7 stone centenario acted up today.  If I apply light pressure at about the 3/4 travel point the switch would work.  If I push on it normal in one hard press ….nothing.  It only did it a couple of times and is working fine now.  Il try some DEOXIT Spray contact cleaner I guess.  Geezzz…..

[joe-dean]

crummy switch mine used to do the same thing try contact cleaner

[bobrebos1]

crummy switch mine used to do the same thing try contact cleaner

I ordered some more spray on contact cleaner and will see if that helps.  Bike does me no good if it won’t start sometimes!  Lol.

[Vagrant]

Frankly, the switch is a POS!
When I got to Az a few weeks ago, my 16 V7II pulled the same crap and I thought I had fixed it months ago. I had to flip the kill switch a few times and kept hitting the button maybe ten times and it fired right up.

[bobrebos1]

Frankly, the switch is a POS!
When I got to Az a few weeks ago, my 16 V7II pulled the same crap and I thought I had fixed it months ago. I had to flip the kill switch a few times and kept hitting the button maybe ten times and it fired right up.

POS IS RIGHT!  Don’t know what I’m going to do other than the Deoxit contact cleaner.  Getting a new switch won’t help if it’s a design flaw!  Geezzzz

[bobrebos1]

Good!  I need to look into De-oxit and ACF 50.

Sarah

Is your start switch working well now after applying DE-Oxit and ACF50?  I’m having intermittent issues with mine on the 2021 v7 stone centenario!  Darn it! 

[bobrebos1]

I rode to the gas station today.  Wouldn’t turn over after I refueled.  Cycled/tried about ten times and voila, the start switch finally made contact.  I’m thinking if I get a new starter switch it will have the same problem if it’s in the design?

Rode bike home and it started on every button push.  Geeezzzz?????  Lol

[buck]

Earlier in this thread after I posted my advice about fixing the starter switch someone posted that you shouldn’t use dielectric grease on the switch. They are wrong. I’ve been certified as a Master Technician for nearly 30 years and stand by my original advice. Disassemble the switch, lightly dress the contacts to get any corrosion, dirt or film off of them, apply dielectric grease and your issue will be solved. It’s been over a year and almost 10,000 miles, and it hasn’t hesitated to crank/start even once since I did this.

[bobrebos1]

Earlier in this thread after I posted my advice about fixing the starter switch someone posted that you shouldn’t use dielectric grease on the switch. They are wrong. I’ve been certified as a Master Technician for nearly 30 years and stand by my original advice. Disassemble the switch, lightly dress the contacts to get any corrosion, dirt or film off of them, apply dielectric grease and your issue will be solved. It’s been over a year and almost 10,000 miles, and it hasn’t hesitated to crank/start even once since I did this.

Thank you

[Huzo]

My BIL was a checkout guy at a local grocery when he was in high school.

I remember the day he said this creepy looking customer bought a huge jar of Vaseline and a couple of big cans of tuna fish.

He had this strange feeling the purchases were related.

[Huzo]

crummy switch mine used to do the same thing try contact cleaner

I’d be sick to death of it by now.
I would have pulled the relevant wires, blanked off the switch and installed a good quality, heavy duty sealed push button one….
In addition.
If it’s anything like the V85 then it has a piddly little female connector that slides on to the starter motor in the solenoid area. The Norge one is pathetic (at least used to be…).
If this is frail/corroded or otherwise rooted, you’ll not get current to the solenoid to pull the contacts in and you’ll hear no “click” as you describe.
Also when you check the battery cables, do both ends.

[Moparnut72]

https://www.thedrive.com/maintenance-repair/39173/dielectric-grease

No more to be said.
kk

[bobrebos1]

I will be pulling the switch housing apart today to fix it…..hopefully! 

[john fish]

https://www.thedrive.com/maintenance-repair/39173/dielectric-grease

No more to be said.
kk

Well, there is disagreement on that page.  From that link:

Fun is greater than Fast
3 March, 2021

Dielectric grease is great for any high current, large terminal connectors: batteries, bulbs, spark plugs, etc. But, be very careful when using dielectric grease on smaller connectors.  Dielectric grease is very sticky and will pick up any dust or grit it contacts.  This grit becomes an abrasive and destroys the electrical terminal plating very quickly, leading to a completely failed electrical connection.

Another factor is the fact that some NOx, O2 and pressure sensors use the electrical connection as the atmospheric pressure reference.  Applying grease to these will cause the sensor reading to drift over time.  If you put dielectric grease on a sensor, actuator or ECU you could be spending hours cleaning it all out next time you disconnect it, or replacing that device and harness all together.

Rule of thumb from actual electrical connector companies is: If you need dielectric grease, the connector and/or seals are already damaged and should be replaced.  Do not add grease as a preventative measure unless directed by the manufacturer.

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Brian Ter Keurst
9 December, 2022

as a commercial aviation mechanic, I agree.

In my line of work there are NO DEVIATIONS from THE AMM(aircraft maintenance manual)

PERIOD!!!

lives are at stake in my job and I "NEVER" go beyond what the manufacturer states is the proper procedure to the T.



There is also this bit regarding Vaseline use:

Q: Yeah, But Is Vaseline a Dielectric Grease?
A: Dielectric grease is different from Vaseline, as it uses a silicone base while Vaseline is petroleum jelly, which is made of waxes and minerals. Don’t use Vaseline in your car.

Personally, I tend to listen to the aircraft guys.  That seems to be the safest action.

[bobrebos1]

Well, there is disagreement on that page.  From that link:

Fun is greater than Fast
3 March, 2021

Dielectric grease is great for any high current, large terminal connectors: batteries, bulbs, spark plugs, etc. But, be very careful when using dielectric grease on smaller connectors.  Dielectric grease is very sticky and will pick up any dust or grit it contacts.  This grit becomes an abrasive and destroys the electrical terminal plating very quickly, leading to a completely failed electrical connection.

Another factor is the fact that some NOx, O2 and pressure sensors use the electrical connection as the atmospheric pressure reference.  Applying grease to these will cause the sensor reading to drift over time.  If you put dielectric grease on a sensor, actuator or ECU you could be spending hours cleaning it all out next time you disconnect it, or replacing that device and harness all together.

Rule of thumb from actual electrical connector companies is: If you need dielectric grease, the connector and/or seals are already damaged and should be replaced.  Do not add grease as a preventative measure unless directed by the manufacturer.

Reply


Share


Brian Ter Keurst
9 December, 2022

as a commercial aviation mechanic, I agree.

In my line of work there are NO DEVIATIONS from THE AMM(aircraft maintenance manual)

PERIOD!!!

lives are at stake in my job and I "NEVER" go beyond what the manufacturer states is the proper procedure to the T.



There is also this bit regarding Vaseline use:

Q: Yeah, But Is Vaseline a Dielectric Grease?
A: Dielectric grease is different from Vaseline, as it uses a silicone base while Vaseline is petroleum jelly, which is made of waxes and minerals. Don’t use Vaseline in your car.

Personally, I tend to listen to the aircraft guys.  That seems to be the safest action.

Well I’m leaning toward NOT applying do-electric grease to my 2021 v7 stone starter switch then.  Il take it apart and try to see why it’s not making contact intermittently. 

[john fish]

To be perfectly clear, I am not trying to create or win a debate here.  I am just an untrained guy who works on his own bikes and is trying to wade through the mountain of information out there to try to find best practices. 

If you have been using dielectric grease for years and it works for you-- awesome.  There is a good chance that you are a better mechanic than I am and are working from your experience.  Again, that's awesome. 

For me, I stick with the aviation guys because it is the safest way to proceed.  For me. 

[bobrebos1]

I tried some spray contact cleaner on the switch.  Il see how it works now.  I couldn’t get it to not work now but I’m sure when I’m on road next and stop, it won’t restart.  Lol

[buck]

To be perfectly clear, I am not trying to create or win a debate here.  I am just an untrained guy who works on his own bikes and is trying to wade through the mountain of information out there to try to find best practices. 

If you have been using dielectric grease for years and it works for you-- awesome.  There is a good chance that you are a better mechanic than I am and are working from your experience.  Again, that's awesome. 

For me, I stick with the aviation guys because it is the safest way to proceed.  For me.

To each their own. I don’t expect anyone to take my word for anything, but I do openly share my mechanical knowledge to help others when I can. I’ve held Master certification since 1993 and have factory training from Porsche, Audi, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Ford, Harley-Davidson and several others.

The switches on the V7 are easily penetrated by water/moisture. If you buy factory replacements to the best of my knowledge they haven’t been redesigned and they won’t be any better. Dielectric grease gets rid of the issue, but no one has to take my word for it!

[bobrebos1]

The switches on the V7 are easily penetrated by water/moisture. If you buy factory replacements to the best of my knowledge they haven’t been redesigned and they won’t be any better. Dielectric grease gets rid of the issue, but no one has to take my word for it!

I tried deoxit and it started correctly through about two weeks of use, and now it doesent start intermittently again, so i guess il take it off and apply some dielectric grease.  Thanks.  Bob

[Vagrant]

I got mad Sunday night after another fail on my switch. Unfortunately I never thought to take a pic.
The rocker itself is cheap somewhat flexible plastic. Why they couldn't just use a plain button like everybody else is beyond me. Take the top off of the switch, remove one throttle cable, warning do not try to start the bike with it off, remove one tiny screw to get the switch out, there is a contact disc on the bottom then a cone shaped spring sitting on it. The spring has a small metal slug like the screw off top on a spark plug. It has a tiny area on one end that is turned down a few thousands to let it sit into the spring. I think this is the problem, it should be sticking down into the spring 1/8" farther to always make good contact. You might be able to put some epoxy or JB weld into the recess of the rocker to make it go down farther. Turning it down on a lathe would be ideal. If I have to take it apart again, I will try that. You can tell the rocker flexes all around and just doesn't shove the little slug positivly into the lower contact disc. If I had thought to do this I think I would have solved the problem once and forever. As it is I just cleaned up the slug and contact plate and used some vaso

line on them. Hopefully the first guy to try this will take good pics.

Bob, reread this.
Knock on wood, it has only acted up once since I did this.

[bobrebos1]

Bob, reread this.
Knock on wood, it has only acted up once since I did this.

[ozarksguzzi]

One other option is to find a V7 with points and carbs. 47 years of ownership ( I can't part with ANYTHING) and 70,000 miles it has never left me stranded. Good luck locating the gremlin