Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

does bad starter relay = no lights/power when key is on? where am I going wrong?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    #16
    You should check the back of the fuse box.. Disconnect the red power wire from the battery, unbolt the fuse box and take the cover off. Also, the path you should follow is battery --main fuse- igni9tion switch- 3 fuses and each of those 3 circuits. You should have 12 V at every point
    1978 GS 1000 (since new)
    1979 GS 1000 (The Fridge, superbike replica project)
    1978 GS 1000 (parts)
    1981 GS 850 (anyone want a project?)
    1981 GPZ 550 (backroad screamer)
    1970 450 Mk IIID (THUMP!)
    2007 DRz 400S
    1999 ATK 490ES
    1994 DR 350SES

    Comment


      #17
      Maybe a break in the wire at the steering head…

      if you can read the wiring diagram you can rule out the switch by shorting the contacts in the connector with a small length of wire….
      1980 GS1000G - Sold
      1978 GS1000E - Finished!
      1980 GS550E - Fixed & given to a friend
      1983 GS750ES Special - Sold
      2009 KLR 650 - Sold - gone to TX!
      1982 GS1100G - Rebuilt and finished. - Sold
      2009 TE610 - Dual Sporting around dreaming of Dakar.....

      www.parasiticsanalytics.com

      TWINPOT BRAKE UPGRADE LINKY: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...e-on-78-Skunk/

      Comment


        #18
        As I always suspect: I was doing it wrong.

        Multimeter showed everything good except the i​gnition switch/puck, even though all leads on the puck had continuity.

        Further investigation showed that I had (as a previous poster warned) reassembled the internals 180 degrees wrong. I should have trusted my disassembly pictures. You'd think the narrow arm on the key barrel and the skinnier arm of the 'plus sign' in the electric switch would match up..b​ut no. the skinny arm goes in the fat slot. After reversing the internals, everything works beautifully. Thank you all for your assistance.​20230312_124828 (1).jpg
        Robin Elwood
        1980 GS 850T
        My kids wish I had a sidecar. But I don't.
        ~
        Previous:
        '79 GS 850 GN
        '79 Kawasaki KZ400
        '83 GS 650L

        Comment


          #19
          20230312_124819 (1).jpgThe narrower arm to the left would be a good fit for the key barrel...but actually, it goes in the wider one to the right. Go figure.​
          Robin Elwood
          1980 GS 850T
          My kids wish I had a sidecar. But I don't.
          ~
          Previous:
          '79 GS 850 GN
          '79 Kawasaki KZ400
          '83 GS 650L

          Comment


            #20
            Yep, I made the same mistake. Fortunately, now that you know, you'll never do it again. Glad you got it sorted.
            Rich
            1982 GS 750TZ
            2015 Triumph Tiger 1200

            BikeCliff's / Charging System Sorted / Posting Pics
            Destroy-Rebuild 750T/ Destroy-Rebuild part deux

            Comment


              #21
              Problem fixed and lesson learned... A good day, congrats
              1983 GS1100E, 1983 CB1100F, 1991 GSX1100G, 1996 Kaw. ZL600 Eliminator, 1999 Bandit 1200S, 2005 Bandit 1200S, 2000 Kaw. ZRX 1100

              Comment


                #22
                Guys. Guys. I spoke too soon. It stopped working again.

                At this point, I have two ignition pucks; they both do the exact same thing.

                1) jumping the wiring harness at the 4-pin connector brings the lights/ignition/etc on every time.
                2) Plugging in either of the pucks, I get a solenoid 'click' but no lights/starter, except rarely and randomly.
                3) jumping the brown and red wires on either ignition puck brings the lights on every time.

                I've disassembled and cleaned contacts and checked springs etc on both ignition pucks multiple times. Ditto the pins in the connector.

                SOoOOOOOOOooo.. it seems to me that the problem is not the fusebox/wiring harness (works consistently when shorted at steering head).... And its not the connector, or wires from the puck to the connector. (short the contacts on the puck, everything works.)

                But...the pucks are cleaned out, shined up and reassembled. They're an 80 and an 81, so they even have different copper sprung contact arrangements inside. Yet they do the exact same thing...pass power, but not headlight/starter power. Except on rare occasions when they each work fine.

                What stupid thing am I missing?
                Robin Elwood
                1980 GS 850T
                My kids wish I had a sidecar. But I don't.
                ~
                Previous:
                '79 GS 850 GN
                '79 Kawasaki KZ400
                '83 GS 650L

                Comment


                  #23
                  Does the motor turn over when you jump the starter relay? It should do that whether the bike is turned on or off.

                  Comment


                    #24
                    sure does. but doesn't start unless ignition is on.
                    Robin Elwood
                    1980 GS 850T
                    My kids wish I had a sidecar. But I don't.
                    ~
                    Previous:
                    '79 GS 850 GN
                    '79 Kawasaki KZ400
                    '83 GS 650L

                    Comment


                      #25
                      FWIW: For now, I've simplified the ignition wiring by soldering the brown, gray, and orange all onto the orange terminal: All 3 have 12+ volts when key is in 'on' position now, although I don't have the tail-light only setting anymore. Bike is back on the road. I'm still mystified as to why the switches were both not passing power to brown and gray in any position but maybe I just have 2 identically defective units. Everything from the back of the ignition puck on tested correctly with a multimeter. But now its a problem for next fall, I hope. Thanks again for all the assistance previously.
                      Robin Elwood
                      1980 GS 850T
                      My kids wish I had a sidecar. But I don't.
                      ~
                      Previous:
                      '79 GS 850 GN
                      '79 Kawasaki KZ400
                      '83 GS 650L

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X