Fuse blowing during pre-ignition

[fritalian]

Thanks Redman.
I am picking up a new battery and a couple of packages of 10A fuses tonight and will begin following advice, starting with yours.
I appreciate your insight. Can't wait to get back on the road.

[Redman]

.....I am picking up .. a couple of packages of 10A fuses tonight...

Ah
... an 83
... an 83 550ES
Ah.... that have a fuse block with 4 (or 5) fuses... right?
The Ignition and the Signal and the Head fuses (and the AUX if have that) should be 10 amp fuses.
But the Main (that you say keeps blowing) should be a 15 amp.

If you don't have a 4 or 5 fuse fuse block, but just one fuse in a inline fuse holder, that should be 15.
(but if you only had the one fuse probably would not be calling it "the main fuse", you would probably just call it "the fuse")

If you have a 10 amp in the Main, I doubt that is THE reason it is blowing when you pull in the clutch, but it should be a 15.
(although maybe good is a 10 while doing all this shorting out -- a little less hardship on the wiring. Maybe keep using 10 in Main while troubleshooting.)



Again, When you pull in the clutch that should not energize any more wireing nor put on any more load on anything until you also push the starter button.



Another test could be: Pull out the Signal and the Head and the Igintion fuses (and Aux) and leave in only the Main fuse, and then see if the main still blows when pull in the clutch, if it does then that proves the "short" is in the Main wiring circuit and not in the clutch switch - starter button - solenoid circuit (which is on the Ignition Fuse) or any other circuit.

[fritalian]

You're right Redmam, it is a 15A. Don't know why I thought is was a 10, I've replaced enough of them in the pas year to know better
It is a 5 fuse block with four 10A fuses and the main 15A. Yesterday, I installed a new battery in and turned the key. No issues. When I pulled the clutch in, the familiar click and blown fuse never happened. I hit the starter and the engine turned over, no problem. So I decided to put the tank back on and try to start it. It turned over, and over, and over and over but the engine wouldn't start. Not even a sputter. Eventually, I drained the battery and had to walk away. This morning, I went back to the bike, activated the choke and pushed the starter. The engine coughed for the first time and immediately blew the 15A main fuse.
I'm wondering where to go from here. Where is this short coming from?
Should I replace the RR in order to eliminate this as a possibility?
I don't know what I should try next.
Any advice would be helpful.
Thanks.

[Redman]

....,
.... The engine coughed for the first time and immediately blew the 15A main fuse.
I'm wondering where to go from here. Where is this short coming from?
.....

SO now it is not blowing main fuse immeadaitaly when pull in clutch. But may blow main fuse sometime later.

Hum,
I suspect some wiring harness is worn thru soomwwehere, and the main fuse blows when something moves around and this bare spot grounds out to the frame or something, or some bare wire grounds out to a worn ground wire next to it. Maybe this happens when pull in clutch due to movement of clutch cable, but now maybe have moved something around so that doesntr happen now, but now happens with engine vibration or something.
Anyway, look around for wiring harness might rub up against the frame or something, like where the wiring harness goes around the frame neck or were goes between the coil mounts on frame.

If you suspect the R/R is bad, no, you do not need to replace it just to see if that was the problem causing the main fuse to blow.
If you suspect bad r/r is causing main fuse to blow (which it can, but usally right when turn on key), you can disconnect the r/r and every thing else will work, just will not be charging the battery and will need to use your own battery charger after a while.

Speaking of which, you said you said you cranked until battery went flat. Not good to leave it that way. Use charger to charge back up before leaving it that way.

Hard to troublshoot when the sysmptoms keep changing. But keep at it.

.

[fritalian]

I definitely had the battery on a charger right away after I drained it yesterday.
Just now, I brought home some fuses. I bought a 25 pack because I suspect I'll need them all before I figure out what the problem is. I would have bought more but they didn't come in a 1000 pack.
So, as I slid the fuse into its slot, it began sparking and crackling right away even before I inserted it. When I placed it inside the fusebox, it shorted immediately. I realized that when the fuse blew this morning when the engine was turning over and trying to start, I had left the key in the "on" position in the ignition. So, I turned the key to "off" and removed it before inserting another fuse. It didn't blow until I turned the key. I couldn't even get to the start button like I could yesterday. Why would the bike allow me to turn over the engine until I drained the battery yesterday, and yet today just turning the key causes a blown fuse?
I wish there was a way to isolate and test each system for a short. Anyway, I think I will start with the RR first and then go from there.

[fritalian]

I attempted to disconnect the RR but the plastic connector won't come apart, Also, the wires leading to the RR (the bundle on left in 1st photo) are rock hard and will not flex at all. Whereas the bottom bundle is flexible and pliable. I also noticed what looks like a slight deformation of the connector housing (1st pic). IN the second photo there is what looks like melting or deformation of wires (yellow). I'm thinking all of this = not good.
I'm pretty sure that I will destroy the connections trying to get them apart. Is there another way to disconnect the RR other than from the connector in the photo? I mean, this might not be the problem and if it ain't broke, I don't want to break it.

[Mista M]

, not sure what that gunk is though. The locking tab is broken on it, can you wiggle the connector at all. Grasp is firmly and wiggle.

[fritalian]

I've grasped very firmly and pulled plenty but nothing is moving. I'm thinking of using pliers next.

[Redman]

I've grasped very firmly and pulled plenty but nothing is moving. I'm thinking of using pliers next.

..or wide blade screw diver to pry between the connector bodied.

.
.
. d e l e t e d
.

But anyway, can see that the connector half on left isn't the exact mate for the half on the right (slightly different look and the retaining mechanism does not match), so maybe is quite a tight fit, or maybe has been a little melting that is making it difficult to get apart .. or maybe some corrosion between the metal connectors (but that usaly leads to bad connection and things heating up and melting connector real noticeable.)

[Redman]

HUm..... yep
550E (and ES I would think) are a bit different.

http://smokeriders.com/diagrams/Suzuki/Four-Strokes/GS550/GS550E.gif

[fritalian]

Tried to maintain the integrity of the connector this morning but it wasn't meant to be. It came apart alright, just not the way I had hoped. The connectors were totally nuked inside. Guess what happened after I attempted o start the bike after disconnecting the RR? Magic! It started as it should, hacked out 7 months of phlegm, jumped around in the revs slightly then settled in at 1000 rpm.
Does anyone know where I can get an RR shipped to Canada fast?

[fritalian]

HUm..... yep
550E (and ES I would think) are a bit different.

http://smokeriders.com/diagrams/Suzuki/Four-Strokes/GS550/GS550E.gif

Looks like the same configuration? 3 yellow, 1 red and the ground.

[Mista M]

i take back my previous post, that is fried . I have a stock 550 r/r i believe. You will be better to upgrade to a better r/r and be greatful that this didn't blow your ignitor.

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=134690

[fritalian]

Presently looking at purchasing this RR:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111311980136

Only used 2 of the fuses in the package before finding the problem so..... anyone need 23 15A fuses?

[Mista M]

dig thru the r/r threads before purchasing. might as well upgrade the grounds also.