Gear indicator intermitant

[Hoomgar]

1983 GS1100ES

The gear indicator works like clock work in 4th and 5th, sometimes in 2nd, almost never in 1st and positively never in 3rd. What gives? I never had a bike with a gear indicator before so I am clueless on how they work or what to look at. I know I am asking the right people here

[UncleMike]

I'd be very interested in this information as well. I've got a gear indicator that sometimes will show 5th lit up halfway all the time, until I shift into 5th, and then it's fully lit.

Sorry if this is considered a hijack, Hoom.

[Hoomgar]

I'd be very interested in this information as well. I've got a gear indicator that sometimes will show 5th lit up halfway all the time, until I shift into 5th, and then it's fully lit.

Sorry if this is considered a hijack, Hoom.

Nope, right on topic. Now we can just sit back like lazy lumps and let the experts tell us how stupid we are

[beby99]

Nope, right on topic. Now we can just sit back like lazy lumps and let the experts tell us how stupid we are

Yep...your both stupid.







Sorry, could not resist.

[jpaul]

I'm not sure exactly how it works, but I have the shop manual for the GS1100 at home. If I remember tonight, I'll browse the section and get back to you. On a side note, Mark, if you need to check any stuff from the manual, let me know. I can scan the pages into a pdf file and send them to you if you need it. I started a project to scan the whole manual a couple yars ago, but lost interest when most the pages disappeared in a computer crash.

[BRycraft]

Gear Indicator Help

The gear indicator is controled by a gear position switch located on the left side of the motor under the shifter peg, it is a round disc shaped device a little larger then a quarter. There is a wiring harness that comes off it that comes up the left side and up the back side of the motor up under the battery, in that area. There is a molex connector that connects to the wiring that goes directly to the indicator lights. How this works is the disc shaped device has flat metal contact points on it one for Neutral and one for each gear of the transmission, on mine the neutral wire is not included in the connector but is a individual wire that plugs into a single wire to the gauges, but is right next to the connector. If you were to remove this switch you have to be very carefull as there is a spring plunger in the housing that you dont want to lose. As you change gears you are basically making different switches via the flat connector points on the switch completing the ground thru the plunger, there are no moving parts on the switch but in the housing that plunger is what rotates as you shift gears making contact with the different flat terminal points on the switch, each terminal will light a different lamp in the gauge showing what gear you are in. There are a couple possibilities with your problem, you could have a couple burned out lamps in the gauge itself, that is a pain to change so I could check that last since it is easier to check the switch and wiring itself. On my 82 GS850 the wiring is as follows and might be the same for yours,
1st-White/Yellow, Neutral-Blue, 2nd-Red/Black, 3rd-Green/Blue, 4th-Yellow/Blue, 5th-Brown/Red
What you can do is locate the molex connector coming off the switch and disconnect it, now with a ohm meter, one that has a diode check is perfect as it will give you an audible sound when you have a complete circuit.
Check each wire to ground as you cycle the gears thru there positions, that will check each wire thru the switch to ground. If all the wires are intact there are no opens then most likely you have burned out lamps. I had trouble with neutral, the lamp wouldn't light and I found a break in the blue neutral wire INSIDE the black wire wrap the wires run thru, I repaired it and now works perfect. If you have breaks in the wires you will find that out quickly enough with an ohm meter. You could also take the switch out, only has 2 screws holding it in place and check each flat terminal on the switch to the end of the wiring harness, that will test the switch one terminal at a time, just make note of that little spring plunger in the housing on the motor, it shouldn't fall out but make note that there is one there, that is what makes contact with each point on the back of the switch as you change gears, it rotates around making contact with each terminal one at a time lighting different lamps on the gauge.
This reads a lot of information but once you find the switch and trace the harness to the connector it is really easy, maybe you have a bad connections in the connector, pins might have backed out of the conenctor, corroded, damaged wires, all the same open circuits, the circuit is simple the switch has no moving parts, so if you have other lamps lit then you know the ground in the switch is made so either you have a bad lamp or 2 or wiring trouble.
Good Luck Bill

[Jethro]

Bill beat me to it, and his description is much more thorough than mine was... EDIT

[Hoomgar]

Yep...your both stupid.



Sorry, could not resist.

Bret, I would have been disappointed if you hadn't

I'm not sure exactly how it works, but I have the shop manual for the GS1100 at home. If I remember tonight, I'll browse the section and get back to you. On a side note, Mark, if you need to check any stuff from the manual, let me know. I can scan the pages into a pdf file and send them to you if you need it. I started a project to scan the whole manual a couple yars ago, but lost interest when most the pages disappeared in a computer crash.

Thanks John but I have a manual, it came with the bike. I am not so much looking for that but more of a "this is what goes wrong with them" from guys who have had the issue. The manuals don't give us that. Thanks though man, you help is appreciated.




Bill, Geoff, thanks guys. I'll tear it open and have a look. My indicator is an LCD panel, not lights and when it doesn't show the gear it shows a 0 so I don't think it is burnt out lamps but maybe? The fact that it's behavior is intermittent with 1st and 2nd also makes me think that. I am betting there is bad connections in the switch then. I'll let you know what I find.

[Macmatic]

Hoomgar,

When I was building my bike it was pretty $hitty under there...years of built up dust and sludge. Maybe the contacts are just dirty or worn. Could be the spring in the moving contact is weak too.
Assuming its mostly the same as my bike I'd pop off the sprocket cover and clean the contacts and check for wear and proper action. I saw the harness and contacts (NOS) on ebay a few weeks ago and they went pretty cheap, under $15 I think.

/\/\ac

[bgmart450]

Does the sending unit for the digital gear position work just like the ones described here for the light for each gear one does?

If it does perhaps I can get a chip and indicator for a later model bike instead of trying to engineer my own.....

[Mr. Jiggles]

Mine started doing the same thing last year. It first started with just one gear and spread to most positions over the course of a month. Grounding at the connector didn't solve the problem, indicating (pun intended) that it wasn't the grounding switch at the transmission. I swapped out the indicator itself and that solved the problem immediately.

[Cassius086]

You replaced the digital indicator?? Where did you get one? Ebay, or a dealer? Looking to replace mine, or repair the LED if possible....

[Hoomgar]

You replaced the digital indicator?? Where did you get one? Ebay, or a dealer? Looking to replace mine, or repair the LED if possible....

I don't believe so? It looks stock to me. It is what came with the bike when I got it so maybe someone else did?. It's an LCD panel I believe not an LED panel. Anyway, all areas of it light up OK so I know the display is not the issue.

As for this issue, I haven't taken time to look at it yet but I still am going to. I'll post results when i have some.