Yamaha XVS 1100 DragStar (1999)

last change 27.07.2008

Problem: The starter doesn't start the engine. (download this side as pdf)    (pictures from megac)

Its a 1999 xvs1100 with less than 11000mls. I bought it new in march 1999. Now since any days the engine will not rotate when I hit the starterswitch. But I hear anything while I hold down the switch. (sorry my english is not so good).

It is not the same noise like when the battery is empty. It is a new noise for me . It seems the starter runs but w/o rotate the engine.

The engine I can start only when I roll down a hill and while rolling I put in the 2nd gear. The engine-noise is normal and I can drive like all is ok.

I removed the starter, looked in the hole in the motor and I saw the gear. It is ok. All teeth. I can rotate it just in one direction. In the other direction I am not able to rotate the gear.

The starter has had twistet Bolts. In an other forum I read about the twistet-bolts-prob. After opening it and cleaning and bend straight the curved anchor plate I put the starter together again. The starter is ok. It is running in the right direction. Now I installed the starter back to the engine and tried to start. In the first moment while pressing the starterswitch it seems the starter will rotate the engine. But in the next moment the starter is running w/o to rotate the engine. I am curious because the starter runs but the engine don't rotate.

Now I have just one idea what was happened. Inside anything is damaged. Here I will report that prob. Thats why take a look occasionally. The following pics are not so interesting because the starter is runnung even though its has twisted bolts.

pic1      Hole after removing the starter. The gear can free run in left direction (by pressing the teeth up with my fingers). But it cannot be run (by pressing the teeth down with my fingers) in right direction. I think that is ok.

pic2     twisted bolt

pic3

pic4

pic5   planetary is ok, in the grease are no broken parts.

pic6       just in the nut is a little bit broken above the dowel pin as you see

pic8      before cleaning with a soft brush it looks like so. The black coal dust is from the 4 coals. The marked sheet of metal is bend.

pic 9       after cleaning with a soft brush. Remove the 3 ring washers. The middle one is thicker than the other 2 ring washers.

pic 10    the 4 bolts are just a springholder so that the 4 coalbrushes are laying free and I can better remove the armature winding together with the commutator

pic 11        Just a view from the other side.

pic 12         all the stuff

pic 13       12mm long are the coals (after less than 11.000mls)

pic 14 + 15     The turn direction by pressing the starterstwich is shown with the red arrow. And when a startattempt is w/o success, sometimes it will fire back. I don't understand the damages in the red circle because the commutator is not strong connected with the anchor plate or the house. Just the magnets can transfer the fire-back-power. hm ...?!?!   any other idea?

the result is: starter is still ok and before it was just nearly ok. It has just twisted bolts. Now nothing is twisted. The engine is not moving while pressing the starterswitch. It seems the One Way Clutch is damaged because of kicking back from the engine. I think that is a constructional fault. Please contact me if you think other.

The engine can run if I start it when I roll down a hill.

Next step is to open the left side and look inside the engine.