ignition switch

[Redman]

Is my memory correct, in that there isnt any access to the internals of the ignition switch. Isnt any way to spray in any contact cleaner, right?

Is kinda hard to get at on my GK. ANd I think that if I were to dissasemble enough stuff to get at the ignition swtich that I am not going to be able to sray in any contact cleaner anyway, right? I am refering to the contacts in the electrical switch portion, not the key portion.


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[robertbarr]

It's not really clear what year G you're talking about, but the ignition switch on my '81 thousand was almost trivial to disassemble & clean. Here's a 'before' photo of what it looks like internally:


Sorry -- kinda big.

[Redman]

It's not really clear what year G you're talking about, but the ignition switch on my '81 thousand was almost trivial to disassemble & clean. Here's a 'before' photo of what it looks like internally:
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Bob, Oh, yah, that picture of your does look like can be taken apart and cleaned up.
You say trivial to take aprt and clean, I wil assume also was able to put back tpogerter and have it work (and work better).
Can you say why it was you took it apart, and if your cleaning did improve the situation.

And I think 82 GS1100GK ignition swtich would be same, as shown here.


My problem is 1.5volt drop across the contacts. The 1.5volt drop is one concern. the 15 or so watts of heat making it worse is another concern.
(I know I can rig a relay to bypass that, but am looking for an alternative that does not involve hacking up the wiring harness. But that is a different subject.)

[Redman]

Well, on second thought, maybe 82 1100GK swtich is different from Bob's 81 1000 igbnition swtich picture. I say that for three reasons.
1) I know was several design changes to most all models between 81 & 82.
2) 1000 seem to be have thngs unchanged from 78-79
2) your photo seems to show a wiring harness comming from the swtich. My 82 1100GK igintion swtich has a connector directly on the swtich.

But, maybe I will look further into what it takes to get the ignition swtich out. Maybe evn if it has a connector on it, it still comes apart.


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[robertbarr]

I was plagued by huge voltage drops as well, as shown in this thread. I had the headlight assembly out & the ignition switch was easily available. I had had troubles with the ignition switch on my Nighthawk, and decided to be thorough.

Two bolts & it was out. From there, I simply pried the bottom off with a screwdriver. Pretty Neanderthal, actually. It just snaps back together.

I'm still not comfortable with the losses I'm finding, and I'll probably go with a main power relay, once and for all, but my fuse box needs to be reworked first.

Good luck with yours. The exploded looks familiar; I suppose you could compare the exploded diagrams between the two bikes.

RB

[Redman]

I was plagued by huge voltage drops as well, as shown in this thread. .....
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.....I'm still not comfortable with the losses I'm finding, and I'll probably go with a main power relay, once and for all, but my fuse box needs to be reworked first.
..

RB Bob,

Thanks. I recall that post of yours. About voltage drop due to the wires being partly cut through by those clamp on connectors. So you repaired that, and cleaned up the ignition swtich contacts ... and still have some voltage drop somewhere.

Yah, I see the two bolts that hold the ignition switch in place. After I take a few minutes to remove the fairing, looks like should be easy to get the ignition switch out. Then call upon my neandrathal-inner-self to go at it with big screew driver and see what I find (hopefully dont break anything). COuld be some corrosiion on the contact surfaces that can be cleaned up. Or maybe surfaces just worn away or something else so the cantacts are not making good contact that maybe cant be repaired.

Thanks,
Dave

[Redman]

Like RB said about headlite on his 1000;
Sure is easier to access the ignition switch with fairing off the GK.



Two allen head bolts; and.....


One phillips screw, and....


A little Neandrathal prying with multiple small screw drivers, and....

The half on the left with the two spring mounted contacts, tht plate is spring loaded too with all the key position detent stuff under it, that is the part that can fly apart with springs and whatnot flying around. Try to avoid that.
I figure one of the contacts is for the tail light swtiching (park ectera) and the other is for the main function of the ignition switch (the main red to the orange wire for head-signal-ignition) that carries all the current and has the voltage drop. One looked abit darker and not as smooth. I cleaned them up then swapped them.
The half on the right has no loose parts. I cleaned that up too. And then greased it lightly.

Got the switch back together, and installed back.

And while fairing off am cleaning up some things that can now get at.

Hot in garage. (okay, okay, hot and huimid for this midwestern guy.)

Will get it all back together tommorow evening. And report more then.

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[robertbarr]

Nice job with the photos. You might consider some DeOxit on that harness connector. I bought the kind that comes in the tiny bottle with a little brush, like womens' nail polish. Expensive!

(I have yet to try a test of the stuff using a resistance measurement before / after of my fuse panel. Now that it's cooled off a bit, maybe I'll attack.)

I forgot to take a 'before' resistance measurement on mine. The 'after' was as low as my meter will read, 0.1 ohm.

[Redman]

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I forgot to take a 'before' resistance measurement on mine. The 'after' was as low as my meter will read, 0.1 ohm.

RB, Thanks again for you comments and photo.

You bring up a good point. We talk about "volt drop" here or there, and we are lookiing for the cause of the "volt drop". When I have the ignition switch out and on my bench, I am not going to be able to measure a volt drop, well, not unless I can run a certain current through it. I can measure a resistnace (ohms). Really what are looking for is a resistiance of several ohms where there should be about none.

At first, I noticed a volt drop because was measauring voltage. The volt drop is a result of the high resistance. The high resitance is the real problem, the volt drop is the symptom of the problem.


Dave

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[Redman]

Update:
Now that cleaned up ignition switch internals; Got about zero point nothing volt drop across the ignition swtich (if measure right at the ignition switch).

But still have most of the volt drop back at the fuse box connector between red wire to ignition switch and the orange wire that comes back. DOAH!

Have discovered that most of the voltage drop is IN the red WIRE from fuse box to the ignition switch. That length of wire is where the R/R output wire must tie in (splice) somewhere in the wiring harnes, and on GK also another red wire tied in somewhere to go to fairing connector.
So this adventure goes on beyound the "ignition switch" topic of this thread.

(Why is it I have an old bike? Hum, yah! Yah! Why?)

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(Oh, now I remember. I have 5 or 8 or 10 or 12 or 15 thousand reasons, each with a dollar sign.)

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