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nothing!!! how can there be absolutely nothing?!?

  • Thread starter Thread starter pbkid6974
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pbkid6974

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Ok so I bought a 1980 gs450 about a month ago. It has fired up every single day without a problem. Even today. But I rode it about 5 miles to my buddys house and as soon as I pulled in his driveway it died. The is no power to anything anywhere. Battery is good. I have no clue where to start.
 
I feel your pain

1. Are the battery connections secure? (my 650 kept rattling the negative terminal loose). How do you know the battery is good? Did you get a voltmeter across it? Tried it on a friend's bike to see if it cranks it over?

2. voltage drop across the fuse box?
 
Greetings and Salutations!!

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. pbkid6974,

Start with the obvious. Inspect the fuses, check the terminals at the battery, check all the wiring connections under the tank, under the seat, behind the side covers, inside the headlight bucket, etc. How do you know the battery is good?

Anyway, let me dump a TON of information on you and share some GS lovin'. :D

I just stopped by to welcome you to the forum in my own, special way.
big_hi.gif


If there's anything you'd like to know about the Suzuki GS model bikes, and most others actually, you've come to the right place. There's a lot of knowledge and experience here in the community. Come on in and let me say "HOoooowwwDY!"....
hat1.gif


Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", "Top 15 Tips For GS Happiness", the Carb Cleanup Series, and the Stator Papers. All of these tasks must be addressed in order to have a safe, reliable machine. This is what NOT to do: Top 10 Newbie Mistakes. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...

carpet.jpg


Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike! :D

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed. I will put you on my prayer list.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
Fuse is good. First thing I checked.

Jumped starter solenoid and it cranks so battery should be good. Only thing I can think of is ignition switch. That would send power to the whole bike correct? And since there's no power there's no spark right?
 
Hi,

It's possible that there is enough juice in the battery to turn the motor but supply such a weak spark that it won't start. Measure the voltage at the coils both at rest and when you crank the motor. It should read at least 12v at rest and more than 10v when actually cranking the engine.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
pbkid6974 said:
Fuse is good. First thing I checked.

Jumped starter solenoid and it cranks so battery should be good. Only thing I can think of is ignition switch. That would send power to the whole bike correct? And since there's no power there's no spark right?
Click to expand...


Correct, if you're able to jump the starter solenoid and get it to crank, yet when you turn the key you get no lights, brake lights, or starting, I'd guess ignition, I can't think of a blown fuse combo that would produce those results.

If your battery is low, you'd loose the ability to crank before spark.
 
Fuses can look good but still blow under the metal cap. If you only checked them visually, still take a power light and verify it. Better to know for sure than to waste hours troubleshooting something that isn't right.
 
pbkid6974 said:
Ok so I bought a 1980 gs450 about a month ago. It has fired up every single day without a problem. Even today. But I rode it about 5 miles to my buddys house and as soon as I pulled in his driveway it died. The is no power to anything anywhere. Battery is good. I have no clue where to start.
Click to expand...


open the headlight bucket and start at the KEY SWITCH base. then the key switch plug connection.

fuse block 3rd main ground 4th and so on so forth.
 
cowboyup3371 said:
Fuses can look good but still blow under the metal cap. If you only checked them visually, still take a power light and verify it. Better to know for sure than to waste hours troubleshooting something that isn't right.
Click to expand...

Truth here. I had a fuse blow but look fine when I pulled it. A new fuse confirmed that the older one had blown, even though it looked intact within the glass tube.
 
Does anyone know where I can find a pdf wire diagram? I will be starting this hopefully short and simple voyage (probably wont short or simple) tomorrow after work. Thanks for all the suggestions.
 
pbkid6974 said:
Does anyone know where I can find a pdf wire diagram? I will be starting this hopefully short and simple voyage (probably wont short or simple) tomorrow after work. Thanks for all the suggestions.
Click to expand...

Go back one page to BassCliff's mega welcome post and go to his website, there is both a Haynes and Clymer manual for download on there you can refer to :)
 
pete said:
Go back one page to BassCliff's mega welcome post and go to his website, there is both a Haynes and Clymer manual for download on there you can refer to :)
Click to expand...

The service manuals have wiring diagrams that are spread across 2 pages and easier to read than the Clymer ones.

HTH
 
Does your bike have a clutch safety switch? Maybe you should bypass it for now.
 
I had a similar problem when I first got my bike. Would crank if I jumped the solenoid but had nothing else when I turned the ignition on. PO told me someone had tried to hotwire it when it was for sale on his front lawn. Had a ground wire completely fried in one of the harnesses under the tank and I had to replace the ignition switch. I would check ignition switch and all grounds, starting with the main ground to the crankcase.
 
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