Mysterious Disconnected Ground Wire

[Anonymous]

For the last couple of weeks my 85 700E has not been charging properly. I started poking around and pulled at a small black wire attached to the negative terminal on my battery. It came out of the wire jungle to easily. Apparently the solder had broken weeks ago. Now I don?t know where to reconnect it.

Was it connected to the ground wire coming from the regulator? If so where? I can?t find a place to get to that wire without splicing into it.

Was it connected to the negative side of the fuse box?

There is solder on the end of the wire, obviously not stock but whether a fix or a mod I can?t tell. I don?t have a manual to see if there are two wires coming from the ground on the battery or just one. I was expecting to see a matching piece of broken solder somewhere down in the wire jungle but so far I?ve come up with nothing.

Is there a place this should be connected or was it just a mod of a PO trying to improve the now nearly nonexistent battery charging?

Heck I?d run ground wires from every negative connection I can find back to the batter if I knew I wasn?t doing any harm.

As you can tell I know next to nothing ?bout ?lectrics but I?m learning.

Paul Billett

[Anonymous]

"Heck I?d run ground wires from every negative connection I can find back to the batter if I knew I wasn?t doing any harm. "

you cant hurt anything by running ground wires---see if there is a place on the frame where you can put a bolt and run a wire from the battery minus to the bolt and then run your extra ground wiresto the bols, this would be best for future battery maintainance. Your charging system can be checked by using the method suggested on this website--Dont look to the extra grounds as a cure but as extra insurance against future problems

http://www.thegsresources.com/garage/gs_statorfaq.htm

This page contains links to other information on this website--all is found on the home page under the :IN THE GARAGE" link. If you do not spring for a repair manual, you may find out that you will spend lots more in other ways--good luck

[Anonymous]

http://www.thegsresources.com/garage/gs_statorfaq.htm

Yeah I?ve been using those pages but was hoping to find out if this wire was stock so I could at least reconnect it. It seams to be the difference between running and charging.

My battery is at 12v and while I?m running I?m getting about 12.5v if I can get that up to 13 I think my battery will charge. Most of my connections are fine. There is very little corrosion. The bike has been garage kept and babied all of its days so I?m hoping with just a little help I?ll be able to get her up to speed.

I'll try some misc negatives and see if I can get any more Vs out of grounding them.

Paul

[argonsagas]

I suggest you take Scotty's advice.

As you said the other wire had solder on it, it was probably connected to another wire, and not worth wasting your time over. Run a ground wire to the frame and to the fuse box, and you will have covered the grounding necessities of the electrical system.

Since you have only 12 to 12.5 volts you do need to check your stator and regulator/recifier as well as all connections. Check the fuse box connectors, as they often look OK, but have hidden problems.

The R/R units from Suzuki seem prone to failure. Electrex replacements are good...and guaranteed. If the stator goes, it usually takes out the R/R. Stators can be replaced or rewound (I had mine done) but a faulty R/R has to be replaced.

BTW when you get to the Stator Papers section...print them and take them to the bike. Follow instructions in order.

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys I followed your advice. If you'd like to keep up with the continuing saga check out my next post...

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/viewtopic.php?t=1558

Paul Billett