Burning fuse

[Laracroft]

I there, I own a GS1100EX 1981.
The fuse of my fuse box ( the top one HEAD) always burn
after 45 min ride of the bike. Anyone can help me diagnose the trouble ?

Sylvain

 

[tom203]

I there, I own a GS1100EX 1981.
The fuse of my fuse box ( the top one HEAD) always burn
after 45 min ride of the bike. Anyone can help me diagnose the trouble ?

Sylvain

So when this 10 amp fuse burns out, the rest of bike stays running? Or shutdown?

 

[Redman]

I there, I own a GS1100EX 1981.
The fuse of my fuse box ( the top one HEAD) always burn
after 45 min ride of the bike. Anyone can help me diagnose the trouble ?

Sylvain

When you say "burn", I assume you mean it "blows" or "opens" or otherwise does what it is suppose to when experiences an overload and/or short to ground.

Fuses blow under two situations
1) an overload that this over the, say 10 amp rating, like 12 or 14 or 16 so, and that may take a little time, say a couple seconds before the fuse blows (melts actually).
2) dead short to ground, which will be lots of amps, as much as the battery can push out down that wire, like the wire will heat up like a heater element in a toaster if it continues, and under such conditions the fuse will go off with a flash of light S P AAA R K, in a small fraction of a second.


You say after 45 minute of riding, but I guess it is some random thing happening that doesn't happen too often, like a bump or some vibration.
Sometimes some electronics or electromechanical things will short out after they heat up. But isnt much like that in Headlight circuit, well, the bulb itself heats up (but would be hot in a few seconds).
I would say some wiring harness somewhere rubbing against something. Take tank off and look around, pull wiring harness away from the frame and look for wear somewhere. Someplace where harness goes around an edge of something, could be just some small area worn down to the copper.
Other way to test would be to wiggle one part of the harness, and then wiggle another [part and then another and then another, while watching to see when fuse blows. THis just to narroow it down.

Maybe something coming apart in the hi/low switch or the t/signal switch.

Could be problem internal to the bulb.

You notice if this happens on HI or LOW beam...or both.
Maybe you dont really notice right when this happens, well, unless riding in dark area/time.



If by "burn" you mean it getts hot and is melting the plastic fuse block, that is a different story that we could talk about too.


.

 

[Laracroft]

Tanks for your replied and your advised.
When i say that the fuse burn, i mean it melt. And while riding the bike under direct sunlight, it is hard to notice when it really happen, until i use the turn signal that does'nt respond ! The lights of my pod cluster instrument are all dead, except for the neutral and oil light. The bike is still running, with no lights !

I've checked my RR wire connections and nothing wrong there.

Next step I Will remove the tank and check if anything wrong with the wire.

 

[koolaid_kid]

IIRC, the top one is MAIN and is 15 Amps.

 

[Redman]

on the Gs I am familiar with it is
top Head 10
Signal 10
Ignition 10
Main 15
Aux 10 (the termonals on bottom of fuseblock)

 

[tom203]

Strange, bike stays running but headlight and turn signals go out but oil and neutral light stay on. Maybe fuse box has been creatively modified.

 

[Redman]

Strange, bike stays running but headlight and turn signals go out but oil and neutral light stay on. Maybe fuse box has been creatively modified.

I would say is Not strange.
Is what would expect for Headlight fuse (on the Gs I am familiar with anyway). Headlight fuse powers the headlight, obviously, and the turn/signal switch.

(The t/signal controller is powered by the Signal Fuse. so if loose either head fuse or the signal fuse the t/signals dont work.)

Although, now that you mention it, that does bring up another point: OP didnt say if is the original stock fuse block.

.

 

[posplayr]

The only way that the fuse will blow is additional loads above the headlamp. It is pretty much the only load.
On the GS750EX the fuse block is the old glass style with crimps. It is easy for corrosion to get into these and heat up the fusebox which can lead to melted fusebox that shorts out a fuse.
Otherwise there might be a melted connection at the headlamp itself. A physical inspection of the wiring is necessary instead of just guessing.

 

[Wingsconsin]

NOT a GS - But an example of this problem ...

NOT a GS - But an example of this problem ...

The only way that the fuse will blow is additional loads above the headlamp. It is pretty much the only load.
On the GS750EX the fuse block is the old glass style with crimps. It is easy for corrosion to get into these and heat up the fusebox which can lead to melted fusebox that shorts out a fuse.
Otherwise there might be a melted connection at the headlamp itself. A physical inspection of the wiring is necessary instead of just guessing.

I found this problem on a GL1100 Goldwing last year . The 1980 vintage bike had a headlamp that would cut out and I traced it back to the fuse block...This is what I found... Corrosion had turned it into a melted burnt mess only days (?) away from a fire... New modern fused replacd this fuse block...

 

[posplayr]

I found this problem on a GL1100 Goldwing last year . The 1980 vintage bike had a headlamp that would cut out and I traced it back to the fuse block...This is what I found... Corrosion had turned it into a melted burnt mess only days (?) away from a fire... New modern fused replacd this fuse block...

It is hard to look at those pictures, it is just pure neglect and easily avoidable.


Assuming that is your mod, it looks pretty clean to most I've seen. Those little fusebox are a bit deceiving as they look small but after you put all the wires coming in from opposite directions the foot print expands significantly. I would still add a little spray of DeOxit to all of the contacts/fuses. With enough corrosion even the new stuff can overheat.