starter button works only at certain angle

[Guest]

I can push the start button on my 82 gs1100g and it will start the bike, but I have to press and hold it in a certain upward angling way to get it to work. I do have a parts bike, 83 gs1100gk, and the starter button seems to be in a lot better shape than the one on my g. Are these two parts interchangeable?

[tkent02]

Take it apart and clean it, that's usually all it needs. Dead spiders love it in there. I think they crawl in the little drain hole and get too big to come back out, wander around ****ing and laying webs on electrical stuff until they starve, then sit down on the starter button or horn button and die.

Every old bike I have ever resurrected has had dead spiders in the switches.

[JTGS850GL]

I recently had a colony if ants build a HUGE nest in the instruments of a bike I just bought. I couldn't read any of the indicator lights (oil, high beam, gears... nothing). Thought that I had a blown fuse or harness issue but then saw some ants coming out around the back cover. I opened it up and DAM!!!! There were so many ants in there that it completely blocked up any space inside the instrument cluster. Totally gross. Ended up taking it out into the driveway and washing it down with ant killer before I could begin dis-assembly and cleaning. Still ended up with several ant bites.

[chuck hahn]

Worn contacts or the hard board that has the wires attatched may have cocked sideways. When you open it up take a peek at the board as well.

[chuck hahn]

OHHH...and very important before you break it. To remove the button you have to retract the spring back so the end slides up past the detent in the metal rail looking things. Then it will slide up and out.

[spchips]

could just spray contact cleaner on it from the inside. That way you don't actually have to take any of the important stuff apart. Contact cleaner can be found at Radio Shack.

[Nessism]

could just spray contact cleaner on it from the inside. That way you don't actually have to take any of the important stuff apart. Contact cleaner can be found at Radio Shack.

Or you could take it apart, clean off the corrosion, and put it back together with dielectric grease so you will be assured of it working properly for the next 35 years.

[Flatline_Racing]

Watch out for flying springs. They like to shoot to the far corners of the shop, shed or wherever you are working on your bike.

[Phred]

To avoid the flying springs, I wrap a plastic baggie around the whole assembly. Poke a screwdriver through the baggie to avoid the springs getting lost in the driveway.

[gsgeezer]

spiders love de-oxit