Electrical gremlins after 7 mths laid up

[Ricko19]

Hi Guys,

well finally got the bike back together after a 7+ months apart for various things. Carbs have been done, valve clearances etc etc.

Put the battery back in and ready to put petrol in and start her up but..... oh no, somethings wrong with the elctrics! Damn! Its was all working perfectly when I pulled it down!

When the ignition is switched on, I have no neutral or oil lights (Used to work fine). But the healight, indicators, horn, and brake lights all work fine. The indicator flashers and high beam lights work on the dash, so the whole dash isn't out.

Then when I hit the starter button, all I get is the loud click at the starter solonoid, (manual says this means its working ok?) but the starter motor won't turn over.

Battery is less than a year old but was only charged up every couple of months while it was sitting. Was charged up again last night. Measures 12.48 volts standing alone, not connected up.

I am a mechanical novice, but know absolutely nothing of electrics. I have checked over the wiring loom but could not detect any loose of frayed wires. As I say it was all working correctly before I took it off the road. I haven't touched any of the wiring except to disconnect the tank sender, horn wires, battery etc. to remove the carbs and do the valve clearances.

I have a multimeter but have no idea how to use it properly except to check the battery voltage. (anyone know any good sources to explain step by step how to use them? Couldn't find anything decent on the net as yet).

I didn't want to start poking it into things for readings not knowing what I was doing in case I caused more damage.

Any suggestions as to what I should look at next (and how) would be much appreciated.

[Steve]

Since your only expertise with the voltmeter is checking the battery, do that test again, but measure it when you hit the starter button.

If the voltage does not change much at all, the solenoid is not making contact to the starter.

If the voltage goes WAAYYYY down, you either have a short in the starter or a bad battery.

.

[bonanzadave]

Are you on the centerstand (back wheel off the ground) ? Could be the clutch plates have stuck together after the long lay up.

[spyug]

Sorry to hear of your problems. Electrics are the Achilles's heal of all old bikes and it is an area all owners should strive to learn about. It really is not that complex but you need to go at it logically. some education is always necessary and in this regard you cannot beat this manual :http://www.webbikeworld.com/books/mo...al-systems.htm

Tray Martin's book is hands down the best self help electrical manual for motorcycles out there and I highly recommend you track one down ( available through most good bookstores).

The information is clearly represented and comes with many simple diagrams that even the rankest newbie can follow. It makes sense of what seems like mumbo jumbo to you now.

I know you are looking for a quick solution to your issues but trust me , you need this book.

Good luck with it.

Spyug

[Theo]

Another helpful link to understanding wiring is this one:

http://www.btinternet.com/~jhpart/bkwirec.htm

The guy does an amazing job explaining all the different parts of a circuit and how to put them all together. It's definitely worth a look.

-Theo

[hikermikem]

Make sure the ground wire & connection is good from the engine back to the battery/frame. There should be a ground wire connection on the engine case under the carbs near the rear.

Also a good idea to run an additional ground from the battery to the mounting bolt of the R/R.

[spyug]

Grounds and connectors are always a good place to start as corrosion causes resistance which causes electricity not to flow correctly or at full voltage.

As suggested, clean off all connectors starting at the battery, to and from the fuse block, to the solenoid and from the solenoid to the starter motor. also as mentioned, grounds are hugely important so make sure your grounds terminate in good clean metal to tmetal contact.

One of the issues that sometimes arises is hard starting caused by batteries being unable to provide sufficient voltage to both the coils to provide spark and to the starter motor to turn the engine. This is often caused by the aforementioned corrosion at the connectors causing sufficient resistance to soak up needed voltage. There's enough voltage getting to spin things but not fire the plugs.

When time permits, you should go through all your contacts in the wiring harness especially those connecting the coils and the hand controls as these are often corroded.

Once you get familiar with your multimeter, you will be able to use it to perform a key diagnostic test known as a "voltage drop test" which will show you the amount of voltage you lose as it travels down a line from the battery. This can help you find problems in your lines and connectors.

For now clean up the connections, insure your fuses are good and your battery topped up and try again for some "fire in the hole".

We're pulling for you and you will get it going.

cheers,
Spyug

[Ricko19]

Thank you for the replies guys Will start checking all those things suggested.

Steve: will try your suggestion and see how I go

Bonzadave: Yes it was up on a table on the center stand for the best part of 6 months. I used to go out and work all the controls - brakes, clutch, choke, throttle every couple of days to try and stop them seizing up too much. Is there an easy way to tell if the clutch plates are seized?

spyug: thanks very much for the encouragement The book you suggested looks fantastic - i'll try and track down a copy over here in Oz. How basic does it get? I pretty much need something at this stage that explains what setting to have the multimater on, place your positive and negative probes here and here, and take a reading. Book has great reviews too! I will try and snaffle one for my birthday in a few weeks.

Theo: thats a good article - I will take my time reading through it while I fiddle with the bike.

Hikermikem: I will search out all those pesky grounds and check their condition.

Does the standing voltage in the battery (12.48 - full charge) sound like enough or is it toast as well?

Whats a good cleaner to use for electrical connections? Due to my health I can't use harsh stuff like brake cleaner but if there are any other products out there to recommend please let me know.

cheers

[Steve]

Does the standing voltage in the battery (12.48 - full charge) sound like enough or is it toast as well?

It really should have more like 12.6 or 12.7 if it's a wet-cell battery and up to 12.9 if it's a sealed, AGM battery (that's a type of battery, not a brand). The big decision maker will be to see what the voltage is when you hit the starter. If you have a bad cell or two in the battery, it could easily drop to just a couple of volts. If you saw the battery thread I started a couple of weeks ago, you saw that this can even happen to a brand new battery of a supposedly better construction.

.

[chef1366]

Check all the fuses with a multimeter even if you think they are good.

[Ricko19]

Steve, its just a standard wet cell battery. Will try the starter method when the missus arrives home with an extra pair of hands.

Chef1366 how do I do that?

[chef1366]

Check continuity between the two sides of the fuse. You will need a multimeter to do this.

[Ricko19]

I have a multimeter - I just don't know what to set it on to do this or if the probes should go on one particular side or the other?

[Kcwiro]

I am unsure what multimeter you are using or if you have the continuity mode on it...beeps when you have connection....no beep bad. The ones you get for $5 at radio shack typically lack this very nice feature. The digital one I had until the probes broke had everything you could possibly want. Best $50 I will spend again....

take the fuse out and put either end of it on each side of the fuse does not matter what goes on what side... or you can just use a test light, whatever tool you have/prefer.

[Ricko19]

here is the one I have but all the symbols on it mean absolutely nothing to me