Blowing the Signals fuse - GS1100G

[salty_monk]

Ok that's good news. Looks like I'm making some progress then!

I have a short in the O/G going to the fuel gauge by the looks of it. Now I need to work out where the other one goes, I can't see it on the wiring diagram yet.

It's in a connector that goes to the Kill switch but it has a small loop of black wire on the other side connecting it to a grey wire that goes back into the main loom at the neck.

With both these O/G dis-connected I can insert a fuse & not have it blow when I operate brake lights, horn (I don't have signals connected at the front so I will plug those back in to test with the fuse too).

[salty_monk]

Solved it!!!

On a whim I put a fuse back in to make sure it didn't blow with those connectors disconnected. No problems. I then connected back the O/G that I couldn't work out (it goes to the grey which does the gauge lights and rear tail). They work fine, brake lights, horns etc all work fine.

I connect back the Fuel gauge connector - POP!!

To further diagnose I unwrapped the wire between the two connectors - no problem. Then I put a meter on the gauge connector. Closed circuit between Orange (takes from the O/G) and the black white. I snipped the Orange and plugged the connector back in... Everything works fine.

GS1100G Tacho by salty_monk, on Flickr

GS1100G Tacho by salty_monk, on Flickr

GS1100G Tacho by salty_monk, on Flickr

So... how do I fix it or should I just replace? It doesn't seem easy to access & it's definitely shorted internally as the wires (that I can see are ok).

Now I have to spend an evening putting it all back together!! Grrr

[salty_monk]

This is one of the stupidest design flaws I've seen of Suzuki's... I can hear something rattling around. Look inside see a piece of metal, realise it's one of the deflector shields for the lightbulbs rattling around inside!

Forced the bezel off, withdrew the gauge & removed the deflector. Re-join the Orange wire & plug it in... short circuit now gone!

I guess these things are held in place by friction & what appears to be a small amount of glue! I think it had originally fallen down & was interfering with the needle assembly at the back causing my hanging needle & then fell further down when I rode touching the nut holding the orange wire and something on the body inside grounding it!

How weird & how annoying! Question I guess now is can I get the bezel back on without totally wrecking it & do I bother putting those deflectors back in or just leave them out.... Answers on a postcard!

Inside the GS1100G Tacho by salty_monk, on Flickr

The deflectors: (or maybe they are defectors as the went awol...)

Inside the GS1100G Tacho by salty_monk, on Flickr

Inside the GS1100G Tacho by salty_monk, on Flickr

How they should be fitted

Inside the GS1100G Tacho by salty_monk, on Flickr

How it was... the other one wasn't very secure either!

Inside the GS1100G Tacho by salty_monk, on Flickr

Inside the GS1100G Tacho by salty_monk, on Flickr

[posplayr]

Great news and congratulations as persistence pays off.

I would be tempted to reinstall the deflectors but with some more epoxy.

I suspect the indirect gauge lighting will be off without them.

[Redman]

Good troubleshooting !

Good pics. Thanks for explaining.

I suspect those deflectors are needed to distribute the light around, rather than being brighter on the one edge.

Have heard of other folks here reassembling a gauge by recrimping that ring somehow.

[Nessism]

Good job Dan. Persistence indeed. That's what solving electrical shorts is all about; tracing wires until you find the bad one.

I'd glue those shields back on with epoxy. I've got some good industrial grade stuff should you want to go that way although run of the mill hardware store stuff should suffice.

[Grimly]

Excellent work, Holmes.