Happy or Worried ? - mystery fix

[Gregory]

In addition to needing to get this 78GS1000 tuned and get new fork seals installed, one issue was that the blinkers did not work at all. I have the self cancelling ones.


I decided to start going through all the easily accessible connections and cleaning them up. Fuse box, new fuses, scrub all contacts with wire brush etc.


Initially when I put everything back together I lost my ignition and the blinkers still didnt work. I finally got the ignition working by taking the fuse box loose, then reattaching it. (mysterious)


I then took off the self-cancelling box and opened it up and everything was squeaky clean inside. All I could think to do to it was to blow compressed air in it then put it back on the bike.

Now IT WORKS! I dont know whether to be happy or worried since I really dont know what I did.

I am thinking I will just drive it and fix it if stops working? I think I want to keep the self cancelling blinkers instead of doing the workaround... (unless it gets real expensive to repair them)

[robertbarr]

I finally got the ignition working by taking the fuse box loose, then reattaching it. (mysterious)

This could make you a pedestrian at any given time of its choosing. Remember that James Taylor tune about 'Walking Down a Country Road'?

You want certainty here. As I recall, these had the super-simple fuse box -- not too much of a chore to go through and clean up.

I'd also be tempted to carry a decent gator-clip jumper lead to manually connect the battery to the ignition, just because there are times I'm not in the mood for long walks.

[Gregory]

Thanks Robert, That is some good advise!

I actually did clean up that fuse box, and that is when the ignition went out, until I loosened it from the bike, then it started. This is probably a stupid question, but I wonder if there may be a delay or lag between when you hook the battery back up, to when the ignition is available? (like old transformers in tv sets?)

BTW, Thanks again for the great o-ring kit robert. It really made things a simple proposition. I just noticed you are from Illinois. I grew up and have family in the western part of the state.

[tkent02]

There is no time lag, probably just a funky connection someplace.

[cowboyup3371]

No there won't be any delay. I'd take another look at the connections on that fuse block and even the fuses themselves.

[OldVet66]

You may have temporarily cleared up a grounding issue or an intermittent contact issue by just by moving wires around. The turn signal module is acting normally for it's failure cycle. It will fail again and you may get it going again, but the end result is that there is nothing you can do to prevent it's ultimate failure. I nursed mine along for a year before it finally went **** up. Had two other modules, one off a 4,700 mile bike. They also failed. The bottom line is you need to carefully go through the system until you find the problem, or do what you said and wait for it to break again and reveal the real problem. Eventually you will have to face replacing the turn signal module.

[robertbarr]

I nursed mine along for a year before it finally went **** up. Had two other modules, one off a 4,700 mile bike. They also failed.

Hey, Old Vet (or anyone else) (quick hijack of your thread here, Gregory), I'll pay the shipping if you'd send me one or two of the deceased units.

We now return to your regularly scheduled electrical problems...

[sedelen]

Isn't it amazing how these bikes tend to want to fix themselves? Mine run just to spite me I think.

Your iginition problem sounds like you may have had a loose ground, or loose connection.
And trust me, you got real lucky on the 1st Generation Turn Signal Control Unit, those have such a high failure rate. Don't know if you removed the unit from the bike, I have to believe you did if you took the cover off and blew it out. It was probably a bad or dirty connection of either one or both of those two connectors. What you need to do now is put some silicone where the wires feed into the black sleeve near the connectors to keep water from getting into the sleeve and working it's way down to and inside to those coils. Also, where it fits into the bike next to the battery you need to line the cavity it fits into with a piece of rubber, like from an old inner tube, this reduces the vibration transfered to the unit.
You need to do this because a new one will cost you $369.87 plus shipping at Boulevard Suzuki.

http://www.boulevardsuzuki.com/fiche_section_detail.asp?section=95430&category=Motorcycles&make=SUZUKI&year=1978&fveh=2146

[Gregory]

$369.87 plus shipping at Boulevard Suzuki.

OUCH. Thanks for the good tips, I will definitely will do those things. Probably glue the rubber to the metal between the strap connections behind where it sits.

I noticed that the majority of the contraption was filled with a material to protect the inside components.

It looks just like the stuff they use on the ECM units in cars and trucks. Those can be repaired, although definitely dont take it to ECMDEPOT/AUTOECM out of Grand Prairie Texas. They tried to fix my ECM 2 times and failed.

[sedelen]

$369.87 plus shipping at Boulevard Suzuki.

OUCH. Thanks for the good tips, I will definitely will do those things. Probably glue the rubber to the metal between the strap connections behind where it sits.

I noticed that the majority of the contraption was filled with a material to protect the inside components.

It looks just like the stuff they use on the ECM units in cars and trucks. Those can be repaired, although definitely dont take it to ECMDEPOT/AUTOECM out of Grand Prairie Texas. They tried to fix my ECM 2 times and failed.

Yes, that little circuit card those two coils fit on go deep inside that unit,
it's like expoxy, don't know if anyone has gotten to see the innards of those things, I do know several that have tried. These units were used on the '79 850G, '78 and '79 GS1000's. In '80 they came out with a newer unit and it's much more reliable but you can't retrofit it.

[Gregory]

Yes, that little circuit card those two coils fit on go deep inside that unit,
it's like expoxy, don't know if anyone has gotten to see the innards of those things, I do know several that have tried. These units were used on the '79 850G, '78 and '79 GS1000's. In '80 they came out with a newer unit and it's much more reliable but you can't retrofit it.

I am not sure what the ECM repair companies use to desolve the epoxy stuff, but do know that epoxy will emulsify in acetone. Dont know what else is inside there that could be compromised by acetone though.

[Shwartz]

This could make you a pedestrian at any given time of its choosing. Remember that James Taylor tune about 'Walking Down a Country Road'?.

You guys are lucky, I had the same recurring uncertainty issues this summer with a sailboat.
Try walking home a 32' steel, 4-tonne boat. Nothing quite like hobbling into a harbor on nothing but "tiller paddling power" while all the rich guys stand at the end of the dock watching.
How embarrassing.

[barnbiketom]

I am not sure what the ECM repair companies use to desolve the epoxy stuff, but do know that epoxy will emulsify in acetone. Dont know what else is inside there that could be compromised by acetone though.

On the one banger GN400s, the ignitor goes south and the timing won't advance, the bike then only goes 40 mph.
I said "what the hell" and tore the metal box off of mine.

then pried off the potting with a screwdriver on the pc foil side.

6 bad solder joints later, the bike was fixed.

I would try to yank off the potting and check for bad solder joints..that's usually what goes bad cause it's a mechanical thing.hot/cold flexing the joints.

[rustybronco]

I would try to yank off the potting and check for bad solder joints..

That's nye on impossible to do.

[tatu]

I would try to yank off the potting and check for bad solder joints.

I'm told that paint stripper will decompose some old potting compounds.