1983 Suzuki GS1100ED --- "Big Boy"

Shouldn't the lights work even if you didn't have a motor in it? Now I don't mean take the motor out but unplug everything from the motor to the wiring harrness and see if you get lights.

I'm thinking if it's in the engine he unplugs everything from the engine to the harrness then the lights should come on. Am I right or am I wrong chef?

Hmmm... Not quite. The check panel control unit is dependent on the oil pressure switch.

My batteries ground is on the engine too.

Shouldn't the lights work even if you didn't have a motor in it? Now I don't mean take the motor out but unplug everything from the motor to the wiring harrness and see if you get lights.

I'm thinking if it's in the engine he unplugs everything from the engine to the harrness then the lights should come on. Am I right or am I wrong chef?

Have you considered the ignition switch?

Explain.

That is one the most crazy "WTFs" I have heard yet.
Where Jeeprusty with his cloud theory?

Right you are. "Look up and admire the dark cloud abouve your head, Allen."

But seriously, WTF???

Maybe the boot is off on the starter where the cable hooks up and is grounding so slightly to the dust cover or the crankcase?

Good call! I will check that out!

Have you considered the ignition switch?

Maybe the boot is off on the starter where the cable hooks up and is grounding so slightly to the dust cover or the crankcase?

That is one the most crazy "WTFs" I have heard yet.
Where Jeeprusty with his cloud theory?

FC, take it off the battery turn your key on and touch the wire to the ground on the crankcase. Do this with the key/power on to see if it changes anything.

It sounds to me (and I think Bill) that it's some thing in the engine doing this. We think this because you turning the engine over and they don't come on but when you turn the starter for a second your putting the crank in a different position maybe freeing what ever is doing this.

Will do! I can rotate the engine to different positions and see if anything changes as well.

Now how about this? The lights only work with the clutch cover OFF! So weird!

FC, take it off the battery turn your key on and touch the wire to the ground on the crankcase. Do this with the key/power on to see if it changes anything.

It sounds to me (and I think Bill) that it's some thing in the engine doing this. We think this because you turning the engine over and they don't come on but when you turn the starter for a second your putting the crank in a different position maybe freeing what ever is doing this.

Ground it anywhere. With the key on.

Bill,

I made a small length of wire. One end is a bullet connector and the other end is a 1/4" ring terminal. I disconnected the wire clip for the green/yellow wire then plugged my wire I just made in. Then I connected the ring terminal end on the negative battery post. Key is turned to ON. NO LIGHTS!

Now what?

Ground it anywhere. With the key on.

Ground your oil sending sensor out. If the lights come on the sending unit is not grounding out inside your motor. The plunger should ground on the engine case.

So I take the green/yellow wire from the oil sending unit and connect it directly to the negative battery terminal?

Ground your oil sending sensor out. If the lights come on the sending unit is not grounding out inside your motor. The plunger should ground on the engine case.

Don't change it, just unplug it and if the lights come on then plug it back in to see if the lights go back off. If they do then this might be the problem but if nothing happens then it wasn't the problem.

I work at a casino as a Slot Tech and when I go to trouble shooting a machine I swap parts unplug parts and so on to find the problem. Now I know you can't just swap parts on your motor cycle but you can unplug things as you go along to find the problem. If you unplug something and it works then plug it back in to see if it stops working. Then you'd know that's whats causing it.

I have a spare check panel control unit and a spare gear position sensor. I can try those out.