Turn the key & nothing happens

[SpookyJam]

Hey you lovely lovely GSers, i haven't been on in a long while .. i know..
Although thats another story for another time and everyone loves a GS the REAL one..

Anyway..
I've recently gotten my baby back from the garage for tire swap as i'm lazy with shafty tire swapping..
A week before gotten my Reg/Rec sorted.
And battery is at 100% charge (checked with my Oxford optimiser)

I turn the key to the ignition & nothing happens although weirdly enough life came into the bike taking it home from the garage 20-30 mins earlier..

I've checked the connections around the battery & they are clear.
GS - used daily & nightly.


Your help would be very much needed/appreciated/adored with this matter as i have work tomorrow night.

The volt meter says my battery is being recharged its just when ever i try to turn the key.. Not even a glimmer from my idiot lights appear.

Before all this tried to happen..
All my lights were flickering and so i did the usual by turning the engine off and then back on again & usually the problem would disappear.

Sorry about the gaps in my typing, i'm used to using my phone rather than a computer keyboard :/

P.S a few biker brothers say it could be the fuse although..
Where is the fuse?!?!

I've dismantled my headlight & its not there so..... i'm stuck..

[simon kuether]

Me again .
You've got a crook earth . Check the wires coming from the negative terminal of your battery are tight and clean at both ends .

This goes against my Aussie grain offering assistance to a pommy (or a Kiwi) , but there you go .

Good luck old mate .

Cheers , Simon .

[SpookyJam]

Me again .
You've got a crook earth . Check the wires coming from the negative terminal of your battery are tight and clean at both ends .

This goes against my Aussie grain offering assistance to a pommy (or a Kiwi) , but there you go .

Good luck old mate .

Cheers , Simon .

S'all good. Although i'm Jamaican..
SpookyJam (Spooky Jamaican) hehe

i like to Play with words

Any terminal around the battery is clean.
I take the battery out every week for a charge check, long story short.. i get paranoid.

[smoothbored]

Dvom

12v test light, DVOM. Wire diagrams from cliffs pages. a few fosters ( large ones) and your set mate. Reminds me of the good old days in Perth in uncle sam's floating service. The aussies were the most friendly to us from the US. Good luck fixing your bike mate.

[bomber737]

On my bike I had a similar thing on my gs1000. It was intermittent. Never happened at the same time or under the same conditions. It turned out to be my 31 y.o. ignition. I changed it out with a new aftermarket one and problem was gone. My bike had even shut down going 80 down the freeway one time. I juggled the key and back to life it came.

[Redman]

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Before all this tried to happen..
All my lights were flickering and so i did the usual by turning the engine off and then back on again & usually the problem would disappear.
.
.

Seems like what ever was happing before, has happened again and stayed that way this time. SOunds like some loose connection somewhere in the main positive wiring (battery+, to fuse block, to ignition swtich) or the main negitive wiring (Battery-, to frame ground).

Maybe leave key on, and go around wiggling wiring till maybe can make it flicker back on. Maybe try wiggling the igintio0n key and/or the big connector on underside of the ignition switch.
Do this as a way to narrow it down what area of the wiring.
Better way to troubleshoot this would be with a volt meter... let us know if that is a possibility.

Fuses behind left side cover.

.

[SpookyJam]

12v test light, DVOM. Wire diagrams from cliffs pages. a few fosters ( large ones) and your set mate. Reminds me of the good old days in Perth in uncle sam's floating service. The aussies were the most friendly to us from the US. Good luck fixing your bike mate.

Okie Doke.

Can't try with the multimeter..Since bike won't start or i'm incredibly stupid or there's another way to test the bike is recharging battery or sending power to other parts of the bike without my idiot lights showing signs of life.

I'm not to sure what the Fosters are that you speak of, so please specify

Wire Diagrams.. Currently Searching and looking.

Thanks for the reply man

[SpookyJam]

Seems like what ever was happing before, has happened again and stayed that way this time. SOunds like some loose connection somewhere in the main positive wiring (battery+, to fuse block, to ignition swtich) or the main negitive wiring (Battery-, to frame ground).

Maybe leave key on, and go around wiggling wiring till maybe can make it flicker back on. Maybe try wiggling the igintio0n key and/or the big connector on underside of the ignition switch.
Do this as a way to narrow it down what area of the wiring.
Better way to troubleshoot this would be with a volt meter... let us know if that is a possibility.

Fuses behind left side cover.

.

In the event of me fiddling with my fuses, can you offer any advice as to which fuses to look for in future? so that i have spares IF this ever happens again.

In the morning i'm going to take a few photo's and so i'm not just describing what i'm seeing through worded description only.

And.. Big connector on underside of ignition switch, i will interrogate that aswell and will take pictures the best i can.

As for wiggling the key.. Done that.
What's Weird and i mean WEIRD!
I've just been outside to try my luck again and my idiot lights came on as well as the bike firing...


Turned it off, tried the key in on position again and.. nothing..

[Redman]

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.
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I've just been outside to try my luck again and my idiot lights came on as well as the bike firing...


Turned it off, tried the key in on position again and.. nothing..

Hence the term "intermittent problem" .

To troubleshoot it when it is working: wiggle things until it is not working.
To troubleshoot it when it is not working: wiggle things until it is working.

Fuses: One 15 amp (Main) and four 10 amp. An 82 will most likely have the plastic tab type fuses (not the glass tubes).

ALthough a fuse itself not likely to be an intermittent problem like you are having. Maybe how the fuse fits in the fuse holder might be, or the connector on the fuse block.

Apparently Smoothbore thinks you have Fosters beer in the UK (is in Australia).

.

[Crankthat]

Okie Doke.

Can't try with the multimeter..Since bike won't start or i'm incredibly stupid or there's another way to test the bike is recharging battery or sending power to other parts of the bike without my idiot lights showing signs of life.

I'm not to sure what the Fosters are that you speak of, so please specify

Wire Diagrams.. Currently Searching and looking.

Thanks for the reply man

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foster%27s_Lager

[SpookyJam]

Hence the term "intermittent problem" .

To troubleshoot it when it is working: wiggle things until it is not working.
To troubleshoot it when it is not working: wiggle things until it is working.

Fuses: One 15 amp (Main) and four 10 amp. An 82 will most likely have the plastic tab type fuses (not the glass tubes).

ALthough a fuse itself not likely to be an intermittent problem like you are having. Maybe how the fuse fits in the fuse holder might be, or the connector on the fuse block.

.

Thanks Redman, i appreciate the reply!

To save time and any headaches, i'll take photo's of what i see.
gently clean and reinsert then if nothing. I'll replace and take note of what's been changed for future reference.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foster%27s_Lager

Hehe not a bad snakebite with Magners or Strongbow, sadly its the only way to get beer in me.

[chuck hahn]

Be sure the plastic part that has the wires attatched and snaps in the bottom of the ignition hasnt come out of battery. They will sometimes slip down and the dog that links the lock cylinder to the switch doesnt grab anything. I use a dab of epoxy to reseat them

[SpookyJam]

Quite surprising as the 15amp was burnt and into 2 pieces..
After gently yanking the second part out which had tried to combine itself with my fuse box.

I've gently cleaned & replaced all the fuses as Redman had said, even though once actually seeing the fuse box was pretty obvious haha.

Instead of a 15 amp replacement i had to put in a 20amp (no more 15's left but more ordered from ebay a GB retailer not chinese) =/

My baby fired up instantly
Thank you to everyone that assisted in advice and stuff, as for checking the ignition area, i won't do that just yet as its raining

Apparently i'm famous for electrocuting myself


Another thing
My headlight still flickers a bit..
not massively to the point where it can be mistaken for indicators/blinkers but enough to be concerned about, when the rain stops or eases i'm going to dismantle quite a bit of the bike and take a look around most of the expose wiring.


By the way, out of curiosity. Near the fuse box but on the topside i see two big electrical blocks or terminals. What would be the best way to defend them from the elements in your opinions?

I've a few idea's with electrical tape and the electrical sleeve that shrinks once a little warm.

[Steve]

I've recently gotten my baby back from the garage for tire swap as i'm lazy with shafty tire swapping.

Wow, that's REALLY lazy.

I would rather change 10 shafty tires than one more chain. Much cleaner, much easier and no chain to tension and re-align.

The volt meter says my battery is being recharged its just when ever i try to turn the key.. Not even a glimmer from my idiot lights appear.

Before all this tried to happen..
All my lights were flickering and so i did the usual by turning the engine off and then back on again & usually the problem would disappear.

You have already found the problem (bad fuse), but what are your voltages?
Key OFF. Key ON. Bike at idle. Bike at 2500 rpm. Bike at 4-5000 rpm.

Sorry about the gaps in my typing, i'm used to using my phone rather than a computer keyboard :/

My, how times are changing. Some day, I will probably have problems getting used to the small keyboard on a "phone" (really a 'pocket computer').

P.S a few biker brothers say it could be the fuse although..
Where is the fuse?!?!

I've dismantled my headlight & its not there so..... i'm stuck..

This one had me worried.

I take the battery out every week for a charge check, long story short.. i get paranoid.

Paranoid or not, constant removal and re-installation is going to take its toll on the wiring. If you are that worried about the charge, install an on-board voltmeter and look at it occasionally while you ride.

I'm not to sure what the Fosters are that you speak of, so please specify

It is a beverage with a modest alcoholic content.

It still baffles me how anything that has the ability to hinder your thought process and coordination is going to help you solve a baffling problem.

To troubleshoot it when it is working: wiggle things until it is not working.
To troubleshoot it when it is not working: wiggle things until it is working.

I like it.

I have heard it said that the only thing more frustrating than an intermittent problem is one that is occasionally intermittent.

By the way, out of curiosity. Near the fuse box but on the topside i see two big electrical blocks or terminals. What would be the best way to defend them from the elements in your opinions?

I've a few idea's with electrical tape and the electrical sleeve that shrinks once a little warm.

Can't tell from your description, but it sounds like you are talking about the starter solenoid. A small round can with a square-ish block on one end? Two large terminals coming out of the square-ish block, each with a large wire? That is the starter solenoid. No defense necessary, other than keep the side cover on the bike.

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