Starter switch relay?

[Guest]

Hi all,

Here is the situation. I was riding my 1980 GS850GL home and the left plastic cover must have fallen off as it was gone when I got home. It was also raining a bit so corrosion might be to blame. I rode it without issues for a few days after that. I got home, went inside for a few hours, and came back to turn it on. I hit the starter switch, hear a few clicks and see a spark near where the battery ground connects to the frame, and everything (lights, starter response) goes off. I found that if I jiggled the black battery ground wire the lights would turn back on. I tapped the starter switch a few times quick enough so that it wouldn't die completely to locate the source of the sound. It sounds like it's coming from the starter switch relay (I think, pictured as I don't know much about electrical systems). Does that point to a bad relay? Bad battery? Fuses? A short due to corrosion? The fuses look unbroken and I charged up the battery but have the same issues. Is there anything I can do to try to narrow down the problem? I took the headlight and tank off but didn't see any obviously problematic connections but again I am not very experienced with electrics.

Thanks in advance for the advice, I appreciate it.

[leedutcher]

That's the starter solenoid. They way I tell if it is bad is by bridging the two points. If the starter kicks in bad solenoid.

[OldVet66]

It all points to an accumulated lack of maintenance and most notably a corroded main ground that failed before your eyes. It also showed you that jiggling the connection would partially reestablish the circuit until you put a heavy load on it (starter motor) where it fell flat on it's face. The solenoid appears to still be working from what you said. The immediate failure is the main ground terminal. The connection surfaces of the terminal lug needs cleaning and there is most likely hidden corrosion between the inside crimps of the terminal lug and the wire strands. This type of situation generates a lot of heat (high contact resistance) that weakens the wire. I would not be surprised if it is ready to break if you wiggle it around a bit, but it still might be fixed with a good cleaning. The rain accelerated what would have happened eventually anyway. You have had a very good demonstration of what can happen on any connector, ground, plug and switch on your bike. A thorough cleaning, and or replacement, of all these electrical contact points is in order. Fortunately there won't be many that need to be replaced. A good cleaning and coating with dielectric grease will fix most of the problems. Connectors that are burnt or damaged will need replacement.

[posplayr]

It all points to an accumulated lack of maintenance and most notably a corroded main ground that failed before your eyes. It also showed you that jiggling the connection would partially reestablish the circuit until you put a heavy load on it (starter motor) where it fell flat on it's face. The solenoid appears to still be working from what you said. The immediate failure is the main ground terminal. The connection surfaces of the terminal lug needs cleaning and there is most likely hidden corrosion between the inside crimps of the terminal lug and the wire strands. This type of situation generates a lot of heat (high contact resistance) that weakens the wire. I would not be surprised if it is ready to break if you wiggle it around a bit, but it still might be fixed with a good cleaning. The rain accelerated what would have happened eventually anyway. You have had a very good demonstration of what can happen on any connector, ground, plug and switch on your bike. A thorough cleaning, and or replacement, of all these electrical contact points is in order. Fortunately there won't be many that need to be replaced. A good cleaning and coating with dielectric grease will fix most of the problems. Connectors that are burnt or damaged will need replacement.

DeOxit works well, but for heavy stuff other types of cleaning work to get the bulk of crap off. I use Naval Jelly.

[corsiva]

Thanks all for the quick and helpful replies. Shame on me for letting it get to that point but 30 minutes with an old toothbrush and some silicone grease and the bike is running beautifully again. Now to go through my Clymer's and complete all the maintenance...