Pressed start button, electrical dumps.

[MBanks]

Hello folks,

Interesting electrical problem I am experiencing on my '82 GS850GL. Everything has been working fine until today. Turn the key, everything lit up, press ignition button. Heard a soft click, then lost all electrical systems. Lights off, gaugues off, no ignition, etc. All fuses intact, can't figure out the problem. Any suggestions?

[IanDMacDonald]

"To Measue is to Know"

As Ed Ness' signature states, "To Measure is to know". Get you Multimeter out and start probing all around the bike. Start from the battery, and work your way towards the fusebox. I had a similar problem, and it was a bad connection at the terminal of the main fuse. Also, make sure the fuse block is grounded properly. Pull the fuses, and swap them out one by one for a piece of 12 gauge wire in-between the two contacts. My bet would be that you have a quality of connection issue somewhere, and my bet is on a bad ground, or a bad connection in the fuse block. And like others say, just because the fuses look good, does not mean they are.

[Redman]

Hello folks,

Interesting electrical problem I am experiencing on my '82 GS850GL. Everything has been working fine until today. Turn the key, everything lit up, press ignition button. Heard a soft click, then lost all electrical systems. Lights off, gaugues off, no ignition, etc. All fuses intact, can't figure out the problem. Any suggestions?

And did it stay that way?

If so, then get a meter or a test probe/lamp and test artound to see where you are loosing it. Could be a problem with the batteryh nesitive conneciton as easy a s the positive connection.

So ... do you have a multi meter ? a test probe light ?

.

[cowboyup3371]

Don't just rely on your eyeballs to say the fuses are good.

[tom203]

Don't just rely on your eyeballs to say the fuses are good.

Yeah, sounds like solenoid current draw was just enough to blow main fuse.

[Steve]

Yeah, sounds like solenoid current draw was just enough to blow main fuse.

The miniscule amount of current that it takes to activate the starter solenoid should not blow any fuse on the bike, let alone the main fuse.

If the proper fuses are installed, it would blow the IGNITION fuse before it took out the MAIN fuse.

.

[MBanks]

Hello folks.

Thanks for all the advice folks, but my problem was much simpler than I had feared. I had switched out my main fuse last night, but it was dark so it accidentally placed the fuse in the space between the holders, if that makes sense. Switched the main just now, everything is fine, on my way to NAPA to buy a pack of fuses. Thanks for all the advice!

[Dogma]

Good news! So why'd it blow?

[tom203]

The miniscule amount of current that it takes to activate the starter solenoid should not blow any fuse on the bike, let alone the main fuse.

If the proper fuses are installed, it would blow the IGNITION fuse before it took out the MAIN fuse.

.

" Miniscule" ? just checked mine, it draws 3.1 amp- more than I would have figured. A tired 15 amp main fuse with lights and ignition on could be pushed over the edge with an extra 3 amps!