Yamaha G16 Gas Cart- No Crank, No Start, No Solenoid Click

[Dmanfre]

Hello,

I have a Yamaha G16 gas cart no crank no start, no click at solenoid:

1. Battery is fully charged 12.8 volts.
2. Power from pedal switch getting to solenoid
3. 10A fuse good
4. Solenoid good (Able to jump solenoid by arching 2 big posts, also jumping 2 small posts from battery cranks over fine.
5. Press pedal and still no crank, no start, no click.

Any recommendations? I've read similar threads, and sounds like it may by a grounding issue. Question is, how exactly do you trace down the ground issue? And am I tracing pre-solenoid or after the solenoid to the starter?

Thanks!

Dan

[slonomo]

If you are getting 12v to the solenoid through the pedal switch, then I have to believe your solenoid is bad.

By jumping the power on the two solenoid lugs, you are simply bypassing the solenoid and putting power directly to the starter motor. This means the starter is good but the solenoid is not passing power to the starter.

Do this, use your multimeter and check power from the solenoid to the starter motor while pressing on the pedal. If you don't have 12v there, the solenoid is the blocker.

It could be a grounding issue. To test this, you have to run a ground wire from the negative battery post directly to the solenoid base mounting bolt. See if that does it. This happens on older tractors and equipment all the time, corrosion on the solenoid mounting surface creates a bad contact.

[1arunem]

Of the two small posts, one should be going to ground when pressing pedal. Is this happening? If not, bad ground. If so, sounds like your solenoid is bad.

[Dmanfre]

Originally Posted by slonomo

If you are getting 12v to the solenoid through the pedal switch, then I have to believe your solenoid is bad.

By jumping the power on the two solenoid lugs, you are simply bypassing the solenoid and putting power directly to the starter motor. This means the starter is good but the solenoid is not passing power to the starter.

Do this, use your multimeter and check power from the solenoid to the starter motor while pressing on the pedal. If you don't have 12v there, the solenoid is the blocker.

It could be a grounding issue. To test this, you have to run a ground wire from the negative battery post directly to the solenoid base mounting bolt. See if that does it. This happens on older tractors and equipment all the time, corrosion on the solenoid mounting surface creates a bad contact.

Thanks for the reply on this!!! You just saved me big time. Indeed was a grounding issue. Like you said, there is a ground wire that runs to the mount of the solenoid. I ran a dedicated ground from my negative battery post to the solenoid mounting bolt. Hit the foot pedal and cranked over immediately. Thanks again!

[Dmanfre]

Originally Posted by 1arunem

Of the two small posts, one should be going to ground when pressing pedal. Is this happening? If not, bad ground. If so, sounds like your solenoid is bad.

So it's like many people have said on here, don't start replacing parts until you correctly diagnose. Well, I did just that. Went out and bought a new solenoid, only to find out it was a grounding issue after all.

Thanks for the reply though!

[Dmanfre]

Quick question though... Running a dedicated ground from negative battery post to solenoid mounting bolt, is this a permanent fix? Or do I need to chase down the ground short?

[1arunem]

On one of my carts I had to run a dedicated ground (to small terminal on solenoid) and its been that way for 3 years. No issues.

[slonomo]

It's difficult to say what's going on to cause the ground issue, but usually corrosion and dirt under the solenoid contacts cause the issue. Sometimes you just gotta run that wire lol. If it works, it works.