Gear Position Indicator --- off

[Poot]

HI all,


on my '80 GS850 L, my gear position indicator is out. the neutral, oilpressure, lights work, and the turn signal indicators work as well, although the left-turn shows really dimly.


Also, sometimes when I put my hand on the right side of my engine i can feel a very, very weak spark. didnt do it today, but maybe something?

i dont think it would be a fuse, and am wondering what it could be.... maybe a short?



gtg....



poot

[Poot]

if the gear position indicator isn't working, what is usually responsible?? I' dont have internet anymore so my trips here are limited . my speedo light is out too, but I think its just the bulb.


any hints?


thanks




poot

[focus frenzy]

is the tach lights working?
the wiring diagram fails to show where the power for the gearindicator comes from but it should come from same place as the instrument lights and neutral light.

the instrument lights (tach and speedo on one power wire) and (oil and neutral on another, I think the gear indicator gets its power from here)
all the gear lights have power, the grounds for the lights are selected by the gearposition switch on side of transmission.
if the neutral light and oil light work (as well as tach lights) I would suspect a short at the indicator housing.

[bjrehill]

My gear indicator was out too. What I found was that the contacts were dirty. I have a 1980 GS 850 GL. The contacts can be looked at from the right side of the bike. There is a wire with a connector that should be connected to a stem that is on top of what the microfiche calls the oil pressure guage. It is shaped like an elipse and is under the carbs on top of the engine.. The wire just slips over teh stem. It can get oily and dirty. ALos the wire can get broken.

I cleaned mine up and the indicator is working great again. Hope this helps.

[Poot]

thanks a lot.

heres hoping!

[Anonymous]

Should have your answer!!!

I just rewired my entire bike GS850GL (82) and am way too familiar with every inch of wiring. First let me tell you that the connector that connects the gear position switch to the display is a 5 pin white molex connector located somewhere behind the airbox area or up around the top of the carbs depending on how it is routed. The interesting thing about that info is that connector doesn't contain the blue neutral wire, that is run independently on the others but should be next to that connector, there are 5 wires in that connector but the 6th neutral wire is not in that connector, even the wiring print shows 5 wires then a separate neutral BLUE wire, sounds like that molex connector worked itself loose if you lost everything but neutral indicator. I would look for that connector and make sure it isn't damaged or the pins have worked themselves loose inside.. If that isn't the case and the connector is good read on. I am a very good troubleshooter when it comes to wiring and electronics, following the next steps will rule out everything but bad bulbs...

There is one thing you can do to test the Gear Position Indicator. Remove the indicator, to do this you need to remove the gear shift lever, then remove the screws from the secondary cover, (this makes access a little easier) at the very bottom of the motor on the left side is the switch, it is held in with 2 screws and is round in shape with a wiring harness attached. Remove those screws and switch but MAKE SURE the little spring plunger doesn't fall out, there is a tiny hole in the end of the cam that this spring fits in. It doesn't fall out easy but still make sure it is there.
2 things you can do, on the back side of the switch there are several (6) small round brass terminals, one for each gear position and one for neutral. Disconnect the other end of the connector up around the back of the carbs, the wiring goes up under the back by the center stand and up behind the airbox if the wiring hasn't been changed. With a known good meter set on Ohms or Diode check which will beep when continuity is made. Check each terminal on the switch with the end of the connector, check each terminal to each wire in the connector until you have continunity. If all 6 terminals have continunity to the end of the wiring connector then the switch is good. If you don't have continunity check for broken wires. I had the opposite problem each gear position worked but the neutral didn't, found the blue neutral wire was broken inside the wiring harness cover. If each terminal makes continunity you know that switch is good.
Another thing you can do is with a piece of test wire with the switch removed and the end of the harness connected to the main harness. Turn the ignition switch to the on position with the test wire ground each terminal on the switch to a good ground, the lights should light up as each wire is grounded, if they do you have a bad ground somewhere in the main harness.
If those check out the only thing it can be is a bad ground going to the center display since the position indicator worked with the terminals grounded on the switch. If they dont work and the wiring is good from the switch to the end of the harness on the switch, do the same thing with the harness that is disconnected to the wiring inside the headlamp that connects that switch to the dash., it sounds like a lot of work but it will rule out each item one step at a time.
Good Luck
Bill

[Poot]

:::::PROBLEM SOLVED:::::



I inspected the connections of all of the wires at the connector above the carbs, cleaned with electrical connection cleaner, and used di-electric grease, and did the same in the headlight bucket.


this seemed to do the trick!

[chuckycheese]

Great

Very excellent scoop, Bill. Thanks. :P

[Anonymous]

You are very welcome.
Billjavascript:emoticon('')