1981 GS 550T electrical problem *Weird noise*

[CafeRookie]

1981 GS 550T.

New battery. New oil and filter. All wires hooked up according to the wiring diagram. New starter solenoid.

When I put the key in and turn to the on posiiton the oil light comes on. When I turn the right hand controls to "start" a grinding noise comes from the Stator area. When I push the start button nothing happens except the lights go a little dim on the spedometer. The engine sits still. All I can hear is the grinding sound.

Any ideas as to what this might be?

[Brendan W]

It could be that your starter clutch is not engaging the crank.
I would be inclined to take off the stator cover and see what is happening.
If you remove the starter motor the clutch should lock in the forward anti-clock direction and be free in the reverse.

[cowboyup3371]

Sounds like you don’t have enough juice in the battery to even spin the starter let alone start it. Do you have a multimeter? What is the voltage with the key off, key on, and while starting?

[tom203]

“When I turn the right hand controls to "start" a grinding noise comes from the Stator area.“

Did you mean when you flip switch to “run” …??? nothing noisy should happen till start button is pressed. Seems wiring is messed up, probably at starter solenoid…so doublecheck connections. Remove trigger wire on solenoid and see if noise is still there in “run”

[Rich82GS750TZ]

“When I turn the right hand controls to "start" a grinding noise comes from the Stator area.“

Did you mean when you flip switch to “run” …??? nothing noisy should happen till start button is pressed. Seems wiring is messed up, probably at starter solenoid…so doublecheck connections. Remove trigger wire on solenoid and see if noise is still there in “run”

Agree w/ tom203. Suzuki GSs have a red rocker switch that is either in RUN or OFF, and no noise should occur until you press the START button, a momentary switch that sends signal to the starter solenoid only when pressed. This does not gel with your assertion that " All wires hooked up according to the wiring diagram". Do you have an aftermarket right hand/throttle control?

[CafeRookie]

I was goofing around with the wiring harness at one point. I must have hooked up connections wrong. When I move the red rocker switch to RUN that is when the grinding noise starts. It sounds nasty - like a metal fork in a garbage disposal. I'll have to look at the wiring again.

Agree w/ tom203. Suzuki GSs have a red rocker switch that is either in RUN or OFF, and no noise should occur until you press the START button, a momentary switch that sends signal to the starter solenoid only when pressed. This does not gel with your assertion that " All wires hooked up according to the wiring diagram". Do you have an aftermarket right hand/throttle control?

[TheAlt]

I was goofing around with the wiring harness at one point. I must have hooked up connections wrong. When I move the red rocker switch to RUN that is when the grinding noise starts. It sounds nasty - like a metal fork in a garbage disposal. I'll have to look at the wiring again.

I'm not clear if the starter is engaging or not. but I a grinding sound in the stator area would make me think maybe a screw has come loose and is grinding against the flywheel.
If the engine is spinning then seems like at least the starter circuit is correct. Regardless of firing or no.

If you pull a plug and then take rotate the engine by hand do you hear that same grinding noise?
Sound travels so you may want to stick a tube in one hear and plug the other, then stick the other end of the tube on the stator. This or a long screwdriver in one ear and the blade on the area to listen too. This will help isolate where the noise is.
Isolate exactly where the sound is coming from, or do you best, then pull that cover and look deeper.

Alt