How do you know if your starter is bad? - 2007 Harley Davidson XL 883 Sportster

Ignition switch, connections at switch, or small post on the starter solenoid, or wire broken between the two. Or possible bad "new starter solenoid". It's been a problem for other starters. May be a bad batch of solenoids. You may be alble to veryify the solinoid by a jumper from the positive battery terminal or cable to the small post solinoid terminal. If it activeates the starter, you know the solinoid and starter are ok and the problem is the wire or connection to the starter switch. If you had problems before, It may be a bad ignition switch and the internal starter switch. Did you test the old starter? you may not have needed to replace.

Could be a bad starter. Try tapping on it with a large screwdriver or hammer, then try starting. If it starts that time, bad starter.
If you know how to jump the starter solenoid to the starter motor, you could check starter operation. On the solenoid is a purple wire. Use a small screwdriver (key off, car in park) and bridge that post with the purple wire to the large battery terminal on the starter. If starter is good, it will start cranking the engine. If you just get another click, the starter is bad, assuming the battery cable connections are clean and tight.

you may have a bad starter relay, or bad starter colenoid, best solution, have starter relay checked, if good, replace starter, does it click when you try to start?but won't? clicking indicates bad battery connections, bad starter colenoid, or simply bad starter. sometimes it's better to replace the whole starter, considering how much it costs to check all the above. suggest that you have battery checked for free at autozone or advance automotive for free. if battery checks good, replace starter. if you accept my solution and it works, let me know via fixya.com and thank you for choosing fixya.com

one way to see if the starter is bad is to jump the terminals on the starter if it rolls over the starters good if it does not then the starter or large positve battery cable is bad probily just a starter though.

either bad connection to the starter solenoid 1 starter solenoid itself going bad 2 the positive battery cable going to the starter from the battery needs replacement.
solutions check fuse for starter, replace positive battery cable, replace starter

Bad hot wire, bad cround or bad starter. Use jumper cables to jump from battery directly to the starter. If it doesn't turn over the starter has a problem. If it does, than you have eather a bad ground or hot lead going to the starter. Use a DC volt meter or a test light to see if its got power coming from the starter button. Do all that and you'll know the answer.

When you say you know the battery is good, how do you know? Did you check the battery with a voltmeter and, if so, what is the reading? Check the battery cables for loose connections, check the connection at the starter, if loose, tighten. If all of this has been done and the car still will not turn over, it is probably either the Bendix in the starter is bad or the starter itself is bad. Pull the starter and have it tested, I would be willing to bet it is bad...any autoparts store should be able to test it and should be able to sell you a new or re-built starter. Hope this helps, let me know!

The starter is bad. Solenoid is good, the starter itself is bad. You can remove it and take it to Schuck's/Chief's/Kragen/NAPA, they will test it for FREE. You can't beat free!!!

The problem could be a few things. First, you could have a bad starter. You could have a bad solenoid (device on the starter that "makes the contact" between the battery and the starter. Finally, I have seen bad cables between the battery and the starter. If you have access to a multimeter, you can test the resistance of the cable between the battery and the starter solenoid. It should read almost zero ohms. If the cable is heavily corroded, it could be much higher and would prevent the starter from operating. (this is very unlikely though) I would lean heavily toward the starter or the solenoid. Let me know if you want to know how to test the solenoid.

Bad battery, starter, starter relay. Anyone of those could be it. If it clicks and the battery is good than usually the starter is bad. If you know the battery is good take out the starter and have it tested. If it is bad than replace it. Local parts store can test starter. If starter is good than swap a good relay with the starter relay and try again.