Electrical failure on GS1100ED

[Flaming Chainsaws]

This addresses the original issue. not the damage cased by the other guy.

You have 2 grounds going to to your starter relay mounting bolt (the 2 ring terminals)
Only 1 should go there.. it grounds the electrical mounting panel and the components attached to it.

The other ring terminal should be attached directly to the frame..
It ties the electrical harness ground to the chassis ground..
There should be a mounting point for it in the frame somewhere around the battery compartment..

Fix that and the ground looping should go away.

I always thought that a ground is a ground lol.

Yup, I will have to do all checks the long way. I do agree that it will help me get to know the bike a lot better...

[sschering]

I always thought that a ground is a ground lol.

Yup, I will have to do all checks the long way. I do agree that it will help me get to know the bike a lot better...

Yes but with both wires attached to the electrical mounting plate the wiring harness is only directly grounded to itself.. not the chassis/motor/battery.

So what it's doing is finding a path to the chassis through other grounded components attached to the wiring harness and looping back through them..

Like the neutral light switch.. it has it's own ground in the motor so current will flow to it through the neutral light circuit causing the light to turn on.

same with the oil light and side stand switch.. with the bike off the oil pressure switch is a path to ground through the oil light.
The side stand light switch is grounded to the frame.

The oil temp gauge is just reading resistance to ground.. The sending unit is just a variable resistor between the gauge and ground. If you were to disconnect the sending unit and ground the lead to the motor it would read 0.. no connection is infinite resistance so the gauge pegs.

My rule of thumb is.If the electrical system is doing strange and odd things (usually involving lights) always suspect your grounds first.

[Flaming Chainsaws]

OK then, regarding the 2 grounds that are currently on the starter relay's left mounting bolt, which one should go on the frame? The short or the long one? I think it's kinda obvious .

The short one must go on the starter relay then the long one goes on the frame somewhere. Am I right?

[sschering]

Yeah.. They both hook up to the same ground circuit so it won't really matter.. Just use the one that fits the best.

[dueller]

On your note about the side stand and oil light, I don't have near as many warning lights, but my oil light and sidestand light stay on till the bike is started whether the sidestand is up or down. Once it is started the oil light goes out and the sidestand light stays lit til the sidestand is put up. Or the ground puts it up for you because you forgot to put it up *(&$(*#^)^Q@#$ again!

[Curly]

Bypass the side stand light, unplug the switch and attach the two wires to each other. Works for the clutch switch too, it's all the switch does. Brake light too, but you probably dont want that on all the time.

[maro]

Hey ya'll. Was this ever resolved. Having the exact same problem.

[maro]

I replaced the turn signal switch with a different one, but still I am getting no power to the dash apart from the high beams. anyone? beuhler?

[sedelen]

I too have a '82 GS1100EZ, but I've never had a problem such as that, the most problem I have had were sticky relays inside that Idiot light relay box under the tank, a intermittant oil pressure switch (which provides the ground for most of the idiot lights) a battery light that wouldn't go off, (I attached the unconnected battery probe to the positive side of the battery) a intermittant side stand light (cleaned the switch). Turn signals that wouldn't shut off, (replaced the Turn signal control unit) When you have multiple and intermittant problems together it'll drive you nuts till you get it sorted. Once the problem is identified, it'll makes sense as to what it was doing.

If I had to start somewhere I'd have to study that wiring diagram and do continuity checks looking for a open ground or open 12 volts wire.

[maro]

thanks for the help, much appreciated.

[sedelen]

Hey ya'll. Was this ever resolved. Having the exact same problem.

I do think he resolved it, by selling the bike. It's unusual that you would have the same identical problem.

[maro]

I do think he resolved it, by selling the bike. It's unusual that you would have the same identical problem.

I surely do. Hopefully I will figure it out soon because I am not selling the beast. gotta be an answer

[maro]

quick update. Duaneage and I were able to find the issue. The leads going into the fuse box were corroded. cleaned, replaced ends and re-soldered. all is well again

[posplayr]

quick update. Duaneage and I were able to find the issue. The leads going into the fuse box were corroded. cleaned, replaced ends and re-soldered. all is well again

I am pretty sure that if you ran the stator pages phase a tests which measure voltage drops betray battery and r/r that would have been detected and could have been easily isolated. Even the quick test provides specific guidance about fold back and issues with the fuse box. Glad you figured it out finally.