Starter switch on my Valkyrie

[guywheatley]

The starter switch on my Valkyrie has been giving me trouble. I took it apart about a week ago and cleaned it up. It seemed better for a few days, but then got worse. I took it apart again, and checked to see that the plate on the slide moved freely.

     

My camera quit on me, so I don't have any more photos. But I found that the slider had actually melted, and the contact plate is welded into the plastic slide. I remember that Willie's Valk had the exact same problem.
I've got the tabs bent out so that it works if you know how and take it easy. The button wants to stay down if you push it too hard. It's a temporary fix. I'm going to have to order a switch.
The thing that frosts my shorts is that I don't believe you can get just the switch. You've got to order the entire assembly. That an $80.00 part because of the failure of a $2.00 plastic switch.

[lragan]

Yep, looks like it got pretty hot. You might want to check the wiring and the starter relay before you replace the assembly. 

If you can buy it for $80, it is a bargain.  I paid $110 for the left assembly on the Magna because the dimmer switch was faulty (before I figured out how to clean and repair the dimmer switch).  This is indeed annoying, but if they inventoried the small plastic parts, they would have to charge outrageous prices for them, too.  Tough problem, for sure.

This switch should not be engaged long enough to get hot unless something is amiss in the rest of the circuit.  The whole point of a starter "solenoid" or relay is to reduce the current in the switch to a level that can be handled with small wire and a low cost switch.

Have you experienced hard starting that caused you to hold the starter switch in for extended periods?  No?  I didn't really think so, but had to ask...

[roboto65]

The Standard and Tourers do not have a Relay between the Starter and headlight so you can guess how many amps are being put thru the switch at start up lots put a relay on the headlamp circuit to take the load off the starter switch

[gentz]

That is a very common problem with valks.....The switch gets wet and the contacts corrode.  The fix is just take it apart and sand clean all the contact points and add some good dialectic grease.  It will eventually do it again due to the poor design...

[Greg Cothern]

A pencil eraser works quite well also.  Agree that one should protect with dieletric grease etc.

[tedkraus]

You know if you really want to save the money, you can look at an electronic company I will try to post a link, to see if they have the switch itself. It would then probably only cost a few dollars plus shipping.


Try www.allelectronics.com/ and http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/electrical/ecatalog/N-bi5

I would personally search grainger first, I have had good luck with them in past projects.

[guywheatley]

You know if you really want to save the money, you can look at an electronic company I will try to post a link, to see if they have the switch itself. It would then probably only cost a few dollars plus shipping.


Try www.allelectronics.com/ and http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/electrical/ecatalog/N-bi5

I would personally search grainger first, I have had good luck with them in past projects.

Thanks. I'll give those sites a look.

[tedkraus]

just wondering if you found a decent replacement switch or just bought the new assembly?

[guywheatley]

just wondering if you found a decent replacement switch or just bought the new assembly?

Still limping along on my repaired switch. It actually works fine at the moment. But I know that can't last because the contact tab on the slider no longer moves on the spring. The only "spring" will come from the tab ends where they are bent up. I'm sure there's a new assembly in my near future. I'd look at a used unit, but the most likely point of failure on it, and the reason it would have been replaced,
would be the same problem I'm having.