82 GS 1100 L - Technical Difficulties

[Anonymous]

As you could probably tell by my screen name, I have a 1982 Suzuki GS1100L.
The other day, I was riding, and the main fuse blew..
Well, it did this, right after I had leaned way back on the seat, so I assumed I may have pinched a wire. Well, I had another 15 amp fuse, so I stuck it in there. It blew, after running for just a minute. We pulled the seat off, and moved some wires around. The only other fuse I had, was a 25, I figured if it was a short, it would have blown it also. Well, the fuse did not blow, and I was fine for a week or so. Then, one night, I came out, and my battery was totally dead. It was about 5 years old, so I figured maybe the battery had just went bad. I got a NEW battery, and added the acid, then stuck it in the bike, and put the charger on it.
It charged all night, then it was totally dead in the morning. I jumped the bike off, from a spare car battery I had, and it would run, but the lights would be dim. I would occasionally hit a bump, and everything would brighten up normal. But, typically, at idle, everything was dim. Unless I would rev the motor, and it would come up, so I figure the alternator / generator, is working fine. Well, I noticed, that with the key off, when the battery was either charged, or hooked up to the charger, there was a slight "hum" coming from the bike. I knew this was not normal. So, I pulled the cover off of the fuse black, and the fuse that I put in there, was melted, along with the slot in the block that it goes into.
My questions:
1) Do you have a diagram for this?
2) Are the fuses in the block, somehow connected, or is each fuse slot an individual circuit? Could the key switch be causing the short?
3) Where does the red wire, coming from that "main" fuse, go to?
4) There are two red wires coming from the fuse block, one of them is large, and runs to the positive side of the solenoid, it is the smaller red one that I am asking about.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Please feel free to call me, if it would be easier to help me via the phone ...
Daniel Cooper
214-424-4780
Dallas, Texas

[Anonymous]

bump.
Hey guys and gals, please give me some advice...

[Anonymous]

Hey, last night I was looking for some help of my own. I stumbled across the ELECTREX site. They have a detailed t-shooting guide there. Granted it's geared toward regulators but it's a place to start.

[Jay B]

Well first off you have some bad grounds somewhere. Find all the grounds and clean them. Use new bolts or screws and then cover them with Liquid Tape. Something else to check. If you have a ground that grounds to a fender or any other piece that bolts to the frame take that piece off and clean it as well. Make sure all the hot wires are clean and that you havent got 2 touching somewhere. You maight have to go thru you entire wiring harness to find it. First places to check are anywhere that a wire bends, turns or goes thru something. The head light buckets are notorious for this sort of thing. Hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

I agree, having a fuse just blow like that is usually going to be a chaffed wire somewhere causing a short. Maybe even a bad connector grounding out.

[Anonymous]

Okay guys,
Last night, we basically removed the fuse box, and jumpered through it.
In the harness plug under the tank, there was 2 wires, that were immediately looped, and ran back into the plug. These wires, (white / red & white / blue, I think) came back to the left side of the bike, and one went to the regulator (heat sink below battery box) and the other went to the rectifier (black box inside of battery box). I think this is what these 2 boxes are. Anyway, those 2 wires were EXTREMELY HOT. I am beginning to think that maybe the regulator / rectifier has failed ??
We tested the stator, according to to the information from the GS Resources tech page, And it tested good, with no short.
The only thing that baffles me though, is this: If the regulator has failed, would it cause "undervoltage" to the battery, and a dead battery?
Or would it cause over voltage?
With the bike running, all I am getting at the battery, is a solid 9.4 volts, no matter how high the engine is revved.
Tell me this, does the lights and stuff, run from the battery, or from the generator / alternator ??
Thanks for your help guys!!

[Don Lobacz]

You are getting a straight short somewhere and you can find it by watching the voltage as you disconnect connectors - the voltage will go up noticeably when you remove the short. The reg/rect may be the short, but if it works intermittently it is more likely that the ground or hot to it is corroded. That wire that got HOT may have melted into a ground and is causing the problem. Look for melted wires. Good hunting.

[Alan Schlosser]

Hey Daniel,
I have the factory shop manual for this bike. It's the same as mine. If you want, I could send you all the schematics for the wiring. It would be easiest if you get me a fax number that I can send it to. I think if I scanned them, you may lose some resolution. Let me know.
Al Schlosser
schlossr@netacc.net or alans@equitrac.com

[moto_dan]

Okay guys,
Last night, we basically removed the fuse box, and jumpered through it.
In the harness plug under the tank, there was 2 wires, that were immediately looped, and ran back into the plug. These wires, (white / red & white / blue, I think) came back to the left side of the bike, and one went to the regulator (heat sink below battery box) and the other went to the rectifier (black box inside of battery box). I think this is what these 2 boxes are. Anyway, those 2 wires were EXTREMELY HOT. I am beginning to think that maybe the regulator / rectifier has failed ??
We tested the stator, according to to the information from the GS Resources tech page, And it tested good, with no short.
The only thing that baffles me though, is this: If the regulator has failed, would it cause "undervoltage" to the battery, and a dead battery?
Or would it cause over voltage?
With the bike running, all I am getting at the battery, is a solid 9.4 volts, no matter how high the engine is revved.
Tell me this, does the lights and stuff, run from the battery, or from the generator / alternator ??
Thanks for your help guys!!

Your bike should be equipped with a Reg/Rect. in a single unit enclosed in a heat sink and in your case mounted under the battery box. The other black box is probably your turn signal relay. Check out the Electrex site for a thorough step by step troubleshooting guide. It appears that you are working without a manual or schematic, which in my opinion is risky. Reg/Rect can fail causing too little, too much or a no voltage situation. All electrics are powered from the battery that is recharged by your stator/reg/rec. Also use the search feature for related info. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Allan,
I just emailed you a fax number..
aThanks guys, for all of your help, please keep the info coming..
I would just hate to run out and buy the rectifier, regulator, and it not be the problem..
Also, on most pages, it talks about the rectifier and regulator, being the same box. But, I heard mention of some models having 2 seperate boxes. One being the regulator, and the other being the rectifier. Do any of you know for sure??

[moto_dan]

Allan,
I just emailed you a fax number..
aThanks guys, for all of your help, please keep the info coming..
I would just hate to run out and buy the rectifier, regulator, and it not be the problem..
Also, on most pages, it talks about the rectifier and regulator, being the same box. But, I heard mention of some models having 2 seperate boxes. One being the regulator, and the other being the rectifier. Do any of you know for sure??

Check out the eletrex site, or bikebandit, but unless your bike has been tampered with I'd bet a cup of coffee that it is a single unit reg/rect. I think Suzuki went with the single units about '80.