Problems starting, possible electrical issue

[huahuahauzi]

I have an 84 gs550es and I'm having an issue starting it.

I put the keys in and the dash lights come on, but when i push the starter nothing happens. But sometimes when i move it around (push it up and down the driveway a few times) it will turn on. I've noticed that when it does start, the breaklight will be on before i start it, but whenever i notice that the breaklight is off, I get nothing. Not sure exactly how to reproduce the issue other than moving it around. More often than not, it just doesn't work. ANy ideas?

Thanks in advance, everyone has already been so helpful on other threads.

[terrylee]

Sounds like a short somewhere check all connections, clean or replace, especially the lights since you must have a short there somewhere. Also clean your ign. switch with some elec. contact cleaner, could be bad contacts in switch. Comes off and apart easily. terrylee

[duaneage]

Go through the handlebar controls and look for bad grounds. SOmetimes they just have metal touching the bars as a ground point. Maybe wires are not seated in the connectors all the way.

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

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You have a 30 year old motorcycle. All of the rubber parts are 30 years old. Things like the intake boots and O-rings probably need replacing. All of the wiring and electrical connections are 30 years old. The entire wiring harness should be checked and all of the connections cleaned, including the fuse box. The carbs may be gummed up and the tank may be rusty. They both need a good cleaning. Take your time and do it all correctly the first time. Save yourself a lot of frustration and follow the procedures outlined in the links below.

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[Redman]

Brake light? ..... Tail light?

Either way, they are a different fuse/circuit than the starter circuit.

You say the dash lights come on, so it doesnt sound like your problem is something that would effect everthing. But it is something that effects the tail light circuit and the starter circuit, but not the other circuits. Hum...
Hum... if the probelm was the ignition switch it would effect the headligh circuit also, but you didnt mention that.

But, ignoring the part about the brake/tail light for now.... just talking about general problem of starter solenoid not even clicking......

Without moving the bike around, try wiggiling the ignition key/switch and see if that effects anything. And try wiggling the clutch lever (pull it in and wiggle around) and see if that makes any difference. And try wiggling around the starter pushbutton. Lets try that first.

Any troubleshooting much beyound that will proceed better with some electrical test tools.

You have any electrical test equipment? A voltmeter? A test light/probe?

THings would proceed much better towards tracking this down if had a volt meter or test light.

>>>later note:
Also: put your general location in your profile (goto User CP). Then your location will show up in every post. Maybe put your bike model/year in your signature line also.

[huahuahauzi]

Went back outside to check a few grounds and noticed that there was a wire that looked hooked at the end, so i hooked it to the negative terminal on the battery, and am no longer having any problems on that front.

Side note: noticed you were from michigan. I just moved from the waterford area just a few months ago.

[huahuahauzi]

Apparently my luck with the wiring was just a fluke. After I finshed reinstalling the carbs, I gave it another try only to find it giving me the same problem. So I took some pictures in hopes that you all might be able to point me in the right direction.

Heres another description of the issue: I turn the key, and the dash lights come on but the tail light and the head lights do not come on. When I press the starter button, nothing happens. Not even a click. Occasionally, when i move the bike around a bunch, I will notice that the taillight and headlight both come on, and the bike turns over with no problem.

I have noticed a few stray wires that aren't connected to anything. Let me know if you can't figure out where the picture is.

[posplayr]

you should check your schematic but the B/W wires are usually grounds. You seem to have a single connector that fell apart.

The loose white wire seems to have been replaced with the large red wire. Maybe one of your stator wires or part of a R/R modification. It is probably OK.

[jbs80106]

Electrical gremlins!!!

Is that really where the Reg/Rect is on a 550? Very different to a 650 for sure (bottom of the bike).


Lights are over rated, just get her running!

[Steve]

Sounds like a short somewhere check all connections, ...

Come on, people, if it were a "short", he would have arcs and sparks and would be blowing fuses.

What we have here, is an OPEN, where wires are not connected, when they should be.

I hear this all the time at work, and yeah, they get the quickie lecture, too.

.

[huahuahauzi]

I went outside and followed the red wire up the frame and found that it plugged into the other side of the white wire here:

Also tried connecting the two black and white wires with no success. So I took the open wire back out and touched it to the negative battery terminal again and noticed the dash lights dimmed. So i checked the lights and they were on, very very dim, but they were on. Maybe the battery just needs a good charge.