gs 1100 electrical problems

[joeryandotus]

Sorry I posted this in the wrong topic are twice....

Hi All I'm new to the list but have been reading up on my possible problem from previous posts, anyway I hope you can help.

I have an 81 gs1100e which ran absolutly great, I bought and resurected it from a friends crash of 7 years ago. mechanically it ran perfect. I rode it about 3000 miles last season. It was recently tuned with a new 4 into1, carbs sync and re jetted for the new pipes and my new elevation of 600 ft (from 8,000 feet rocky mountains...new oil cooler, fork seals etc. and new rubber.

My Problem:
I pull into a gas station, shut off the bike and fill it up. I try to start the bike after filling and nothing. I have power to my intruments, lights turn signals so I'm thinking that the kill switch has a short (I did not use the kill switch to turn off the bike) or the starter button is corroded or shorted.

I inpect and clean the assembly and test the wires w/ a tester and find no short, and can pass a current through all the wires as well as the kill switch.
I test those three wires thoughout the harness, to the selenoid. Everything can pass a current.
I try to jump the selenoid with a screwdriver and nothing. The battery was getting low from testing wires etc though. ( I think i read that the selenoid shoud make an innitial ticking sound if working properly). I fully charge the battery..I jump the negative wire from the selenoid to the main fuse and the starter will turn over. I'm thinking bad selenoid?...

It (the selenoid)makes no sound so I buy a used selenoid off ebay and install it. The selenoid does not make a ticking sound but I am able to jump it with a screwdriver to turn the bike over but there is still no spark to any of the plugs.

I have traced and tested the red lead wire from the battery to the selenoid, the negative wire from selenoid, and the wires to the spark ignitor seem to be fine as well. I have also tested the wires and diods etc of the spark ignitor and they seem fine. I have also traced the wires to the coils as well.

i tested these with a tester but not an ohm meter.

Do I need a new ignition, new coils, or new spark ignitor? Any help would be great as this is my only form of trasportation and it's quite hard to hit job interviews on my bicycle!

Thanks in advance

joe ryan
Edit/Delete Message

[Boondocks]

The clicking sound of a solenoid is noticeable when the starter won't turn, but not when the starter is turning the engine (blocks the clicking sound).

Have you checked your fuses? It could be something as simple as a blown ignition fuse. It's the fuse in the middle of the fuse block, the third from the top. If it is a blown fuse and it keeps blowing, you will have to trace the circuit to see where the short is.

[joeryandotus]

gs 1100 electrical

I have no blown fuses.

[Boondocks]

Could be the start/run switch - the clutch saftey switch -side stand switch. ON the solioid check to see if you get 12v on the small wire when you push the start button. Trace it back thru to the battery. Check the ign fuse too!
No spark ?? check for 12 v at the coils
Get a wiring diagram

I've taken the liberty of taking SqDancerLynn1's comments in reply to your post in a wrong forum and quoting them here. Follow these instructions and see if you can find a bad switch or an open circuit (broken or corroded wire). Have you replaced the ignition fuse? Sometimes a visual inspection won't detect a bad fuse. I would replace it with a new fuse to make sure it is good.

[BRycraft]

Solenoid Grounded

When you short out the solenoid is the ignition switch in the on position or are you just checking the solenoid for operation? I ask this because with the key off jumping the solenoid only operates the solenoid and there is no power to the other components. Also I have found on my 850 the solenoid itself was not grounded properly to the side plate. The side plate was painted and when the solenoid was installed it wasn't grounded, the frame of the solenoid has to be grounded. So I scraped away paint from the side plate creating a good ground on the solenoid body because that is what completes the circuit from the thin yellow wire that is activated by the clutch handle as a safety. If in doubt take a ohm meter and check for continunity from the small soldered terminal on top of the solenoid to a solid ground, if there is no continuity check the small soldered terminal to the side of the solenoid body itself, that is checking the actual coil inside, no continunity and the solenoid is bad, good continunity and nothing to a frame ground and the solenoid needs a better ground on the side plate. I even went as far as installing a ground wire from one of the mounting screws to the engine ground terminal, problem solved.
If all that is good the common demoninator to no spark at both coils is the ignitor, i would check for voltage at the connectors to the coils, if the ignitor failed it wont trigger the coils and neither will fire, it is rare that both coils went bad at the same time so i would work back from the coils to the ignitor on the side of the batter box, make sure the connectors are secure, sounds like either the ignitor went bad or a connector worked its way loose.
Good Luck. Bill

[joeryandotus]

thanks guys, I did jump the selenoid with the ignition on, I will try to create a better ground as you did with the 850 and let you know tonight. I will also replace the fuse.

I appretiate it.