Bad to. Please Help.

[JStones]

Okay, heres the rundown...

I got a 1980 Suzuki GS550L. Had not been on the road in 4 years but was garage kept. I took the bike home, got carbs off and shined up. Cleaned the bike from headlight to taillight. New battery. Every light, horn, etc worked great. Hit the start button and nothing. Could start right up by touching both terminals on the relay.

After a few weeks decided to get a Solenoid/Starter Relay. No change.

So last night I am at it again turn the key and then everything goes dark. Blew the 15 A fuse sitting atop my black cluster of 4. One is seperate from the unit in a clear container (Still good). I kept checking wires and adding fuses to it. Went through 5 fuses and finally have reached this point.... I turn the key and fuse does not blow however, I only have the red light in upper left of my instrument panel that works. No Headlights, no signals, no taillights. No Neutral indicator.

I am defeated. I was looking forward to finally taking this thing for a ride and feel like I took 100 steps back.

Please Help.

[cowboyup3371]

Have you checked all of your fuses (not visually but with a power light)? How is the battery right now? Is it fully charged and registering 13v on your multimeter? Have you cleaned all the wiring harness connections and visually ensured you don't have any bare wires anywhere they should be?

Do that and I'm sure you'll start getting there.

[Nessism]

Your electrical system obviously has a short somewhere. When you blow a fuse, and then another, you should stop. Your continually replacing the fuse may have completely cooked the harness somewhere.

I suggest you open up your service manual, find the wiring diagram and start tracing wires. You will have to remove the gas tank and side covers to gain access to the harness. Look for visibly melted sections. It's not rocket science, just takes some meticulous work to see what circuits have conductivity and which don't.

BTW, what does "Bad to" mean?

[JStones]

Thanks guys.

Bad to Worse, must of not finished it or something.

The only reason I was replacing fuses was to see if there was any change. I wasnt blowing it, replacing it, blowing it, replacing it. I was blowing it, tracing wires, cleaning connections and then trying a new fuse.

To answer Cowboy up. Battery is good, checked that. All fuses checked out with light.

I took my tank off and I spent a couple hours trying to trace according to my wiring diagrams. Ill get back into this evening when I get home. I am sure its just going to take some time. Electrical is frustrating.

[JStones]

I spent 4 hours last night on this. Any tips as to where I should be looking? Ive rechecked fuses, traced wires. cleaned connections. Im just not finding it.

[tom203]

I spent 4 hours last night on this. Any tips as to where I should be looking? Ive rechecked fuses, traced wires. cleaned connections. Im just not finding it.

Take out all fuses except for main (15 amp), turn on ignition, - does fuse blow? No, put in ignition fuse- turn on ignition again, if doesn't blow yet, then proceed to turn kill switch on, then starter button to see if one circuit is causing the main fuse to blow.
What kind of starter solenoid did you get? doublecheck your wiring, since your fuse blowing started with this replacement. Remove the solenoid and see if fuse blowing stops.

[Nessism]

First place I'd check is the connector where the LH hand control joins the main harness. There is a stupid out and back stator wire loop that quite commonly cooks the harness at that connector. Cutting out that unnecessary wire loop is highly recommended regardless of whether that is the problem or not.

[1_v8_merc]

Uhh did you check ALL of the grounds?

I thought there was someone with a similar problem last week, and it turned out to be a bad ground?

Also, I thought a bad Rectifier can cause blown fuses too.
(something about it not regulating the juice, and it overloads)

[JStones]

95% Solved, still no start button

I took apart and cleaned at almost every location. Took both handle controls apart. I removed all grounds and cleaned them up. I have everything back I lost. (Lights, horn, signals, indicators)

The reason why I say 95% is the Start Button. This all started with me trying to fix the electric start. Still after all this cleaning and work (estimated 10 hours), I have no start button. Thoughts?

[tom203]

I took apart and cleaned at almost every location. Took both handle controls apart. I removed all grounds and cleaned them up. I have everything back I lost. (Lights, horn, signals, indicators)

The reason why I say 95% is the Start Button. This all started with me trying to fix the electric start. Still after all this cleaning and work (estimated 10 hours), I have no start button. Thoughts?

Yeah, it takes time to clean all those connections- fortunately, it doesn't have to be done that often.
You replaced the starter solenoid, which is connected to starter button, so suspect that connection. Power passes thru kill switch and down to solenoid which has to be grounded to make it work.

[Nessism]

You have to pull in the clutch before the starter will turn. I'd check the interlock circuit and the starter solenoid itself as tom suggests. Maybe put a volt meter on the green/yellow wire on the solenoid and see if it is triggering when you push the starter button?

[JStones]

I need some more understanding

Nessism: Tested yellow green wire and nothing changed when start button pushed.

I dont hear a click. Its as if pushing the start button does nothing at all. I've traced this wiring from solenoid to headlight bucket to clutch switch to handle and I am sure its good. Does this mean start button or does this mean solenoid?

Ive already replaced this solenoid so I find it hard that it could really be 2 bad solenoids.

Ive taken this handle apart and cleaned connections at button and kill switch. Do they truly just go bad?

[miked]

Nessism: Tested yellow green wire and nothing changed when start button pushed.

not nearly enough info to help us help you

tested how? voltage or ohms? what was the result of the test?

put meter in DCV mode, 20v scale. put black lead on battery -. touch red lead to batt + to confirm at least 12v on the meter display. once you have 12v on the meter display then you know you have a good ground. now put red lead on the solenoid lug with grn/yel, pull in clutch handle to override safety switch, and push the start button. what value does the meter show with the button depressed?

[JStones]

Meter in 20 DCV.

Battery test checked out.

Positive wire on Solenoid matched battery.

Green wire test resulted in 0.00 with clutch engaged while pressing start button.

[miked]

let me trace that green/yell wire out tomorrow for you, believe it goes back to the start button. if you still have the throttle housing apart on the R handlebar you can check to be sure you have 12v on the kill switch (key on, clutch doesn't matter) and then 12v on the other side of the kill switch with the kill switch on and key on, then power to the start button, then power out of the start button with the button pushed. the wildcard is the clutch safety switch. at least that is how my 1100 is wired, hope yours is the same. more in the morning once I have had a chance to look.