1984 GS550ES / can't figure out electical issue

[cowboyup3371]

Do people actually still use Internet Explorer?! How's the leg, Cowboy(Scott)?

I have moved to Firefox for home use but still use IE11 at work for most things (Chrome for our trouble ticketing system and a firewall management console).

Although I had a bit of a scare yesterday morning I'm doing okay; I will find out more about the bones and my future weight bearing on Friday. Saw my chiropractor last night and it's seemed to have helped straighten some of me back up

[Neebs]

So I checked the resistance and the negative ground on the block and it was 156+ ohms. I cleaned it thoroughly, put it back together, checked it again, and it came back with 0.05ohms. Unfortunately, it didn’t change anything. After that I checked the wires going to the starter relay. Whenever I pressed that handlebar start button, the wires to the relay read 140 ohms. The relay itself tested fine. So does that mean there is an issue with the handlebar start switch, or something else along that line of wires?

[Cipher]

I am going to look at the wiring diagram but it seems clear that a previous owner thre it back together without plugging wires into the correct connectors. The Kickstand when in its on position( which should be down so as to illuminate the sidestand indicator light ) should not in anyway impact the gauge lights. The oi light should certainly be on as that perfectly normal on a non runing engine.

[Gorminrider]

For my bike, with the kickstand down the meter was reading 0.02 ohms, and with the kickstand up, it stayed at 1

Short help: This is correct. The switch tests ok .

Long help: The manual I'm looking at for the 550ES has the sidestand light working as:
"positive" + current comes through your dashlight, and then through the sidestand switch to a Black/white stripe wire ("B/W").....Black'White stripe wires are ALL attached to ground (and thereafter to the negative post of the battery "-").

Therefore, when sidestand is down, the switch is closed and the light comes on because the power at the dashlight bulb now has a path to "ground" through that switch.



About ohms on your meter...set the knob to the lowest range of ohms
..keep the prods apart...whatever the face shows -that is "infinite" resistance. Various meters show various numbers. Some do show OL some do not.
..touch the prods together Your meter will read: SOMETHING LIKE: 0.8 or 1.2 or even 2.4 ...You and I know this is a short circuit of the meter but it doesn't read "0"....

Why not?

It's a cheapy, that's why, but still useful...

Hereafter, as far as you are concerned the number shown as ohms with probes crossed is "0 ohms and perfect continuity" and with any number above ,you subtract this "cross-probe" number to arrive at a number that represents what the resistance actually is for the doodad you are testing.. It's Calibration.

The wiring diagram is what you will have to use. From your first post, it sounds like the wiring is screwed up. USE THE COLOURS in the diagram. This is always your best clue. The harness itself is wrapped with tape so it's not like you have any other way...be especially aware of "B/W". Black with white stripe. It is the path to ground..and ground is the connection to the battery's negative (-) terminal. Especially watch out, clean and be aware of any B/W with "rings" on them. These are the "ground harness's attachments to "ground". Without them clean and attached, a lot of stuff won't work.

[Cipher]

When you chase the wires from the sidestand where do they terminate? Also there is a B\W wire that connects to the negative terminal of the battery can you post a pic of some of your wiring.?

[Neebs]

I’ll have time to work on it some more this weekend, will get some good pictures to post then. In the meantime, can anyone think of a reason why the handlebar start button would send such a high resistance signal to the starter relay connection?

[Neebs]

I finally had time this weekend to work on the bike some more, and finally found the culprit. I thought I had located all the grounds on the bike, but realized there was one more after I looked at the wiring diagram. It took a while, but I found a ground wire that had been completed severed and stuffed in with a bunch of other wires. I’m not sure what the original owner was thinking when he did that. But once I got that wire properly attached, the bike has a nice strong crank, and every other electrical anomaly has vanished. Since things were looking good, I hooked up a fuel cell to the carbs and tried to start the bike. For a brief moment it sounded like it wanted to start, but then just kept cranking like normal. I noticed that the fuel from the cell was pouring out of both carbs. So I’m guessing a carb rebuild is my next step, although I can’t figure out how to get this airbox out of the way. I removed the battery and battery tray and it’s still not enough space. Does anyone know if there is a trick to removing it? Any dos and don’ts for carb rebuilding would be helpful too, never tried it before.

[tom203]

Yep...time for carb fun....no shortcuts or you'll be repeating the fun.

"I noticed that the fuel from the cell was pouring out of both carbs. So I’m guessing a carb rebuild is my next step, although I can’t figure out how to get this airbox out"

Probably similar to other 550/650...you likely need to loosen rear fender and push it back to get a little space to slide other stuff and airbox/airfilter back. One half inch is a big deal here. Then you can remove carbs...take pics to remind yourself where stuff goes.

[Neebs]

Is there any downside to using pod filters? I’m about to break this airbox just to get it out.

[tom203]

Is there any downside to using pod filters? I’m about to break this airbox just to get it out.

Downside ?,,,,how much carb fun are you hungry for? Stock filter setup is easiest to get right - once you have clean carbs. Honest, you don't need to remove airbox, just push it back and get carbs out.

[Gorminrider]

Tom is right. don't take it out, undo the rear fender etc....applying warmth to the rubber parts will soften it will aid removal and replacement of carbs..a "heat gun" or a hot rag will help. Don't overdo it and don't run the heat gun around gasoline fumes.

Get the bike running properly with the stock setup first. Learn to orbit the earth before landing on the moon.

[Cipher]

so was the ground the wire that connects on the left side small gauge black white stripe?

[fbody_mike]

This air box will actually go far back and give plenty of room. Just remove the battery, the Igniter and unclip the fuse box, then remove the battery box. Now just remove the two bolts on top of the air box and the crankcase breather hose and it will slide back 2 to 3 inches. Remove carbs to the right of the bike.

[Steve]

Any dos and don’ts for carb rebuilding would be helpful too, never tried it before.

Rebuilding the carbs is not all that hard, but does require a few special tools and some chemicals.

If you don't feel comfortable with the idea of doing them yourself, there are a few of us that do offer that service for a modest fee. I have done two sets of carbs like yours with good success.



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