Dyna S install question

[azr]

Hey all. So...we're installing a dyna S and coils to 'eddie21's 79' 1000S. Everything installs nicely but when I go to statically time the ignition I get constant power to the white and black wire. Here's the weird thing. If I spice the red power wire to any switched power wire (the orange/white ones for the coils, the power wire for the rear brake light, the blue wire for the neutral light) it gives constant power to the white and the black wires. BUT..if I do not splice it and connect it directly to the wire (we were only able to do this to the blue neutral wire) it works as it should, 12V tester light comes on when the crank reaches the 1-4 mark and the same for black wire with the 2-3 mark. So splicing causes constant power but plugging it in directly does not??? help me............ I am thinking there is an electrical short/break somewhere but I'm hoping someone can point something very simple out to me so I don't have to tear into his front end and the entire harness.

[posplayr]

The Dyna S red wire should be connected to the O/W and nothing else. If you can not static time the dyna that way then there is a dyna problem (assuming you have the dyna S grounded)

[azr]

The first wire I tried splicing it with was one of the orange/white wires from the coils, as per the instructions. But when we went to static time it the 12V tester light just stayed on the whole time. So after that we started trying other 12V switched power, ie; rear brake light, neutral switch. I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "assuming you have the dyna S grounded".

[OldVet66]

Start checking for bad grounds. It is a simple system and should work with switched voltage from the coils or any 12V source for that matter. You got it to work, so it's not the Dyna-S. Shorts blow fuses.

[azr]

That's exactly what I was thinking "this is not a complex system, red to power, black to one coil, white to other coil". I didn't think to check the fuses because everything we turned on was working. On a note....the crappy thing is the bike wasn't starting before we did this upgrade. 'I think' it was slowly becoming harder to start then finally wouldn't start at all. I 'assumed' it was a timing thing, but maybe it was a ground thing. 'eddie21' can probably chime in more on the symptoms that lead up to it not starting.

[OldVet66]

If you do a total connector, plug, ground, switch cleanup on the harness you will probably inadvertently fix the problem. Missing return paths (grounds) can cause all sorts of interesting problems. The system will try to complete the circuit even if it is through a bulb or another component. Do yourself a favor and do the maintenance and avoid a lot of tail chasing.

[eddie21]

That's exactly what I was thinking "this is not a complex system, red to power, black to one coil, white to other coil". I didn't think to check the fuses because everything we turned on was working. On a note....the crappy thing is the bike wasn't starting before we did this upgrade. 'I think' it was slowly becoming harder to start then finally wouldn't start at all. I 'assumed' it was a timing thing, but maybe it was a ground thing. 'eddie21' can probably chime in more on the symptoms that lead up to it not starting.

As you yourself would say Rob - Bingo! Yeah, it was becoming more and more difficult to start until finally it just wouldn't. Sure hope it is a ground issue, and that is true about the fuses, they are still intact. I'd really like to get it running before next April or so...

[salty_monk]

The Dyna S grounds through the casing if I remember correctly. If you want to completely rule it out you could try running a ground wire from the mounting plate of the Dyna S to -ve of the battery so you are 100% sure of a good ground... (temporary test).

Also check the Voltage coming out of the switched live that you are using. All those areas are prone to bad connections & voltage drops... even with a simple circuit like the Dyna S under voltage can cause weird things to happen.

If you temporarily connect the Dyna S back to the battery direct (seems that's what you did but in a roundabout way) it works right?

Time to clean all connectors, fuse block, replace all the fuses with new, clean up all the grounds (Making sure ground to engine, frame & RR are all good - add extra where necessary) & possibly do the Relay Modification on the Coils / Dyna S.

Good luck.

[azr]

If you do a total connector, plug, ground, switch cleanup on the harness you will probably inadvertently fix the problem. Missing return paths (grounds) can cause all sorts of interesting problems. The system will try to complete the circuit even if it is through a bulb or another component. Do yourself a favor and do the maintenance and avoid a lot of tail chasing.

THAT is the exact same advice I give to other people that post on here, lol. I think that's it Glenn. It'll take us a a few hours but in the end it's a good thing to do. The bikes 34 years old you know So if I have this right, we could probably avoid cleaning the harness if we wire straight into the ignition start button wire and wire the black and white wires directly to the coils thus avoiding the harness..but that wouldn't fix the problem that was already occurring...Ok, guess we're going to clean the harness. Go buy some beer Glenn

[azr]

We actually have the Dyna working properly but only when we connect it directly to a switched 12V, the neutral wire. If we splice it with any of the switched 12V wires it does not work. That's the weird thing that I cannot understand. That's right isn't it Glenn?

[eddie21]

Yep, if it is wired directly it is fine, but if it spliced anywhere it fails. Where is the 'shrug' smiley?

[salty_monk]

Still sounds like an under-voltage issue to me... my crystal ball works no better from this distance

[azr]

That's a good point Dan. I didn't check the voltage at the coils when we were cranking. I think the best thing to do is probably clean the wiring harness and then check the voltage at the coils. If less than 11 in goes a relay! Go get that beer Glenn

[salty_monk]

Classic point for large voltage drops on the GS is the Ignition switch..... you are having a problem only when connect to a SWITCHED LIVE right?

Make sure it's nothing with "lite" in it's name

[azr]

Classic point for large voltage drops on the GS is the Ignition switch..... you are having a problem only when connect to a SWITCHED LIVE right?

Make sure it's nothing with "lite" in it's name

VERY good point Dan, I should have thought about that when the problem showed itself. I was hoping to get it running 'then' check the voltage. Oh well, we'll clean the harness, put in a relay for the coils and hopefully she'll run and no worries about the 'lite' beer up here Dan, we don't do that sort of thing on this side of the border....