• Required reading for all forum users!!!

    Welcome!
    Register to access the full functionality of the GSResources forum. Until you register and activate your account you will not have full forum access, nor will you be able to post or reply to messages.

    A note to new registrants...
    All new forum registrations must be activated via email before you have full access to the forum.

    A Special Note about Email accounts!
    DO NOT SIGN UP USING hotmail, outlook, gmx, sbcglobal, att, bellsouth or email.com. They delete our forum signup emails.

    A note to old forum members...
    I receive numerous requests from people who can no longer log in because their accounts were deleted. As mentioned in the forum FAQ, user accounts are deleted if you haven't logged in for the past 6 months. If you can't log in, then create a new forum account. If you don't get an error message, then check your email account for an activation message. If you get a message stating that the email address is already in use, then your account still exists so follow the instructions in the forum FAQ for resetting your password.

    Have you forgotten your password or have a new email address? Then read the forum FAQ for details on how to reset it.

    Any email requests for "can't log in anymore" problems or "lost my password" problems will be deleted. Read the forum FAQ and follow the instructions there - that's what we have one for...

  • Returning Visitors

    If you are a returning visitor who never received your confirmation email, then odds are your email provider is blockinig emails from our server. The only thing that can be done to get around this is you will have to try creating another forum account using an email address from another domain.

    If you are a returning visitor to the forum and can't log in using your old forum name and password but used to be able to then chances are your account is deleted. Purges of the databases are done regularly. You will have to create a new forum account and you should be all set.

no start help

  • Thread starter Thread starter ms5490renegade
  • Start date Start date
One thing that would help is putting your bike year and model in your sig. Just had to scroll down to the bottom to remember what bike you have :) Trace those wires down to see where they go. That's your first order of business. Doesn't really matter what the diagram says at this point if you don't know where those wires goto. Maybe take a quick snap of what each of those wires goto and post if you aren't familiar to what the other end of those wires is connected to.

Back to the beginning too. You say no start. Does it crank? Do you have any idiot lights? (not saying you are an idiot, just generalizing :))
 
dueller said:
One thing that would help is putting your bike year and model in your sig. Just had to scroll down to the bottom to remember what bike you have.
Click to expand...
Why scroll to the bottom? :-k

That's where the NEW posts are. :p
Or, at least, they should be. :o

It is so much more logical to read a post from top to bottom.
shrug2.gif


Very easy to make that change in User CP / Edit Options / Thread Display Mode / Linear - oldest first.
While you are there, also change it to Show 40 Posts per Page, it minimizes page-flipping on longer threads. :D

.
 
Steve said:
Why scroll to the bottom? :-k

That's where the NEW posts are. :p
Or, at least, they should be. :o

It is so much more logical to read a post from top to bottom.
shrug2.gif


Very easy to make that change in User CP / Edit Options / Thread Display Mode / Linear - oldest first.
While you are there, also change it to Show 40 Posts per Page, it minimizes page-flipping on longer threads. :D

.
Click to expand...

Cuz I have a Polish heritage :-$ lol Just haven't changed it. I already did the 40ppp
 
Got it to attempt a fire up with the electric start. Then nothing
 
ms5490renegade said:
Got it to attempt a fire up with the electric start. Then nothing
Click to expand...

You know, you really need to be a lot more forthcoming with the information. While there are some great guys here who I KNOW could figure out what's wrong no problem with just a little while with your bike, none of them are with your bike! All we have to go on is what you're typing or posting pictures of, and that ain't much at this point.

"Got it to attempt to fire up with the electric start"

OK, so the starter turned it over. Was it trying to "catch"? Was fire happening inside the motor?

"Then nothing"

The battery ran dry? It will still crank but isn't trying to catch? Just clicks? Doesn't even click? How long did you try to crank it? Did you change anything between these two extremes?

Did you check for spark when the starter was running? Do you have a trickle or float charger for your battery? What's the current resting voltage?
 
mike_of_bbg said:
You know, you really need to be a lot more forthcoming with the information. While there are some great guys here who I KNOW could figure out what's wrong no problem with just a little while with your bike, none of them are with your bike! All we have to go on is what you're typing or posting pictures of, and that ain't much at this point.

"Got it to attempt to fire up with the electric start"

OK, so the starter turned it over. Was it trying to "catch"? Was fire happening inside the motor?

"Then nothing"

The battery ran dry? It will still crank but isn't trying to catch? Just clicks? Doesn't even click? How long did you try to crank it? Did you change anything between these two

Did you check for spark when the starter was running? Do you have a trickle or float charger for your battery? What's the current resting voltage?
Click to expand...
I'm sorry. I really dont know much about bikes. The battery is new. I held the starter for just a few seconds. I was a bit shocked it tried to start. It won't do it again. I will try to get a video of the wires and where they go. I'm almost sure I'm messing something up. Is there anyone in the vicinity that could help? Cold beers and food would be provided....
 
The dash lights are on so I gotta be doing something right... Right?
 
dueller said:
Typically the black with white stripe wires are ground wires! Did you add all those wires or were they there already? Follow those down to where they end if you don't already know. That's what had me all confused. There should only be the one wire to the starter solenoid from the Positive battery terminal or there should be a fat wire from the battery pos to the starter solenoid and a smaller red wire to your regulator/rectifier. Check what all those black with white stripe wires are for if you didn't add them. I would bet they are a common ground point and should be on the negative terminal.
Click to expand...

Hey Dueller yeah those wires were already there but I might have to redo them they got a bit fried trying to figure out the harness. I've been constantly studying the wiring diagrams like its the Da Vinci Code but still having trouble. I got the regular 3 Wires. 2 out of the positive side black and red and on the negative it show the black and white frame ground wire. But if you are looking atthe bike from behind I have a fat black wire coming out the bottom right. This is for a 1983 gs 450e by the way. I'm trying to figure out is there a total of 4 wires in the battery or 3?
 
Lucygoosey said:
Hey Dueller yeah those wires were already there but I might have to redo them they got a bit fried trying to figure out the harness. I've been constantly studying the wiring diagrams like its the Da Vinci Code but still having trouble. I got the regular 3 Wires. 2 out of the positive side black and red and on the negative it show the black and white frame ground wire. But if you are looking atthe bike from behind I have a fat black wire coming out the bottom right. This is for a 1983 gs 450e by the way. I'm trying to figure out is there a total of 4 wires in the battery or 3?
Click to expand...

Well, like I said, there should only be three wires stock coming from your battery. One large one to the starter solenoid from the battery positive side (stock this wire is usually red but looks like someone replaced yours with a black one), one smaller guage red one going to your fuse box,
0815111639a.jpg


and a black one from your battery negative to the frame ground. I have two on my negative side because I have a replacement regulator rectifier. The green with yellow stripe wire on my negative side goes to the RR.

As Mike said here, you need to provide more info on what you are trying. Don't be afraid to explain the steps you are taking inbetween trials of things so that we can understand what is happening on your end!!
 
It's OK, we just need to get our expectations in the right zone. There have got to be a lot of members near Indy. Do you own a multitester (a la http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_03482141000P?mv=rr)? That is an essential tool for any electrical work (MC, car, or home).

An easy one - Did you have to pull the clutch lever to get the starter turning? The GSes shipped with a clutch interlock. That switch can get unreliable after time. Many of us bypass it: follow the two leads (they'll be wrapped in plastic) from the switch on the underside of the clutch lever back to the headlight bucket (you'll have to remove the headlight). The ends should go to two bullet connectors. Unplug the leads from the switch and plug the connectors that went to them (from the wiring harness in the bucket) into each other.


ms5490renegade said:
I'm sorry. I really dont know much about bikes. The battery is new. I held the starter for just a few seconds. I was a bit shocked it tried to start. It won't do it again. I will try to get a video of the wires and where they go. I'm almost sure I'm messing something up. Is there anyone in the vicinity that could help? Cold beers and food would be provided....
Click to expand...
 
Well im not getting spark. It is leaking gas from near the kickstarter
 
im going to post a few pictures and explain what they all are. hopefully this helps
 
IMAG0169.jpg

IMAG0170.jpg


its leaking gas/oil when i kick the kickstart

IMAG0171.jpg

almost all of the wires on the bike run to this silver (relay?) and it is plugged in the positive on the battery

IMAG0172.jpg

the black box on the left says ignition, turn signals, horn, and something else. it is tapped in to the silver box from the previous picture. it also contains the wires that go to the spark plugs


IMAG0173.jpg

from the battery i have a big ground that goes to the bike it self. there is a black box with a black and white wire coming out i have also grounded. the silver box on the bottom right side of the screen says 12V on it. it has a yellow wire that is tapped in to the silver box from the other picture, and a black and white wire im assuming is a ground.
 
The gas coming from the airbox is from overflowing float bowls or from a bad petcock. Look for signs of gas in the vacuum line from the petcock running to your cylinder #3 carburetor; if it's letting gas through there your petcock should be replaced. Make sure you're not leaving the petcock set to prime.

The black box with the labels (ignition, main, etc.) is your main fuse box. The silver cylinder is the starter solenoid. The main battery (+) lead runs to it, which is correct. It has no over current protection, so having it hanging out in the air like that where a ground could easily touch it is kinda scary. There are usually boots over the large post terminals to protect from that.

The starter draws (by far) the most current of any device on your bike - albeit very temporarily. It's hard to tell, but it looks like there's a black wire on that same incoming terminal on the solenoid which is taped to a red lead which goes to your main fuse? I'd make sure that connection is secure. Plus there's a red loop from which a wire has been cut on that same terminal? I'd remove that (disconnect the battery first before you go playing around with the solenoid). The other side of the main fuse goes up to your ignition switch, and also to the R/R output red wire. Back out of the ignition switch is the line/lines for your other three fuses, which then head back up to power your bike. Open the fuse box and check for battery (+) voltage at both sides of all fuses (the main fuse should always have +12V on both sides, the other three only when the ignition switch is on). Also check the leads running in to your coils under the tank (orange or red) for ~+12V with the key/ignition on.

I'm going to assume you still have points under the ignition cover?
 
Last edited:
It's hard to figure out things from photos... I'm just itching to stick a meter in there.

I'd be happy to come take a look -- there are several GS-ers around Indy.

PM me or email brian@bwringer.com and we'll set up a time. I live on the NW side of town, near 79th & Georgetown, and I work in Broad Ripple.
 
A superstar offer from one of our super-stars! :clap:

bwringer said:
It's hard to figure out things from photos... I'm just itching to stick a meter in there.

I'd be happy to come take a look -- there are several GS-ers around Indy.
Click to expand...
 
welp, decided to continue on the gs insteaed of buying a new bike. ive ordered a new petcock and im wondering whats my next step to getting it started? anyone have any ideas?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top