Okay, where does this wire go?

[Guest]

So quick story: I worked to replace my starter solenoid today and I thought I was being cautious. I wanted to swap out the solenoid and fairly quickly and didn't want to screw anything up. Well, I may have screwed something up.

I took a picture before to make sure anything that didn't look right would get fixed easily, or at the least I'd know where things were before if I put it back.

Here's the before picture:

http://imgur.com/Jn4QaGY

and the after picture:

http://imgur.com/c1iTpDS

Anyway, I swap the solenoid and as I get to the point where I put the battery back I notice I have two wires on the negative side. Obviously one is going to the battery but I'm not sure where the other came from. Maybe it was on the solenoid, maybe it came from somewhere else and it's just been disconnected all this time.

Here's the mystery wire:

http://imgur.com/Fz4kq77

I could trace the origins of these wires and reference the wiring diagram, but I can barely read electrical diagrams, so maybe somebody can slap some sense in me. I feel like the mystery wire should connect to the starter solenoid, but from what I can remember there were only three wires connecting to it (two going to the top, and one part of the solenoid). In my before picture, though blurry, it looks like on the left post there is a washer, a nut, one wire ring (or whatever it's called) another wire ring, and the last nut. That would mean there should be four wires on the solenoid (two on the left post, one on the right and one part of the solenoid). Am I right and it's actually four, or does this wire go elsewhere?

[Steve]

So quick story: I worked to replace my starter solenoid today and I thought I was being cautious. I wanted to swap out the solenoid and fairly quickly and didn't want to screw anything up. Well, I may have screwed something up.

I took a picture before to make sure anything that didn't look right would get fixed easily, or at the least I'd know where things were before if I put it back.

Here's the before picture:

http://imgur.com/Jn4QaGY

and the after picture:

http://imgur.com/c1iTpDS

Anyway, I swap the solenoid and as I get to the point where I put the battery back I notice I have two wires on the negative side. Obviously one is going to the battery but I'm not sure where the other came from. Maybe it was on the solenoid, maybe it came from somewhere else and it's just been disconnected all this time.

Here's the mystery wire:

http://imgur.com/Fz4kq77

I could trace the origins of these wires and reference the wiring diagram, but I can barely read electrical diagrams, so maybe somebody can slap some sense in me. I feel like the mystery wire should connect to the starter solenoid, but from what I can remember there were only three wires connecting to it (two going to the top, and one part of the solenoid). In my before picture, though blurry, it looks like on the left post there is a washer, a nut, one wire ring (or whatever it's called) another wire ring, and the last nut. That would mean there should be four wires on the solenoid (two on the left post, one on the right and one part of the solenoid). Am I right and it's actually four, or does this wire go elsewhere?

What color is the wire and how heavy (what gauge)?

It appears that it might be the ground wire for most of the bike, especially if it's black with a white stripe. On the negative terminal of the battery, there should be a large (maybe 8 gauge) wire that goes to the back of the engine case and another wire (maybe 10 gauge) that disappears into the harness.

.

[80GS850GBob]

{Per the last pic}- I'm with Steve...looks like an auxiliary ground

[Dre]

So I have a question. I rewired some stuff on my 83 GS1100GK and I accidently shorted something out. Everything was working and all my fuses are good but now nothing lights up. Is there a hidden "main" fuse hidden somewhere?

[jbronin]

What color is the wire and how heavy (what gauge)?
.

So I don't have a way to properly measure the gauge of the wires, but I do have a digital caliper and Wikipedia so this may be a bit inaccurate. Anyway, I just went outside to check the wires (http://m.imgur.com/F49ttTB) and the small one (the one that I think may have been attached to the starter solenoid) is black with a white stripe and looks like a 12 gauge wire (measured at about .08 inches). The big one (that I think goes to the battery) measured around .24 inches so probably a 2 or 3 gauge wire.

[Steve]

Your measurement would have included the insulation. The largest wire is likely about 6 gauge. Which is the ground to the engine.

.

[gsrick]

Most of my GSs have two or three wires on the negative post of the battery. Like Steve mentioned black with white tracer is a ground, it was more than likely screwed to the frame or battery box with the solenoid mount bolt or the negative battery post. Looking at the pic of the battery, I'd say negative post of the battery.