Help ! major electrical problem.

[Guest]

I have not touched the bikes electricals other than to put in a brand new battery.

I got the bike running a few days ago after cleaning the carbs. No running issues other than I need to synch carbs.

All electricals were working. Absolutely no issues.

This afternoon I go to start the bike on the remote gas tank. As soon as I push the button there is a fairly loud bang on the leftside which sounded more like from the engine block than exhaust pipe or carb. Almost immediately the bike starts to crank by itself ( over and over) with clutch out and my hand off the right controls. I hit the off switch it keeps cranking. I turn and pull the ignition key....keeps trying to crank. Look to the battery and the insulated cap on the positive side is melting. I touch a screwdriver to the bolt to disconnect and it sparks. Finally get the positive lead off and it stops. I disconnect the negative side and put the multimeter on the battery ii show 12.5 volts.

I reconnect the positive lead and as soon as I touch the negative to the pole it sparks and starts to crank again.

I am thoroughly baffled and a lot upset. I don't understand this at all.

Any ideas please? This bike is fighting me all the way.

Thanks,
Spyug.

[Gravity Tester]

I know you will get other replies later but since you are still on.
on the left side is there any burnt or smoked wires or componets?
If to can find the fuse for the starter/ Ignition pull it then try & hook the battery back up.

not sure if you have a starter syloniod on this model but see if you can find it ther are ussaly 4 wires to this to from the ignition one to the battery other sid right to the starter. it sounds like the syolanoyed is stuck closed try braking it down from there.

Pat

[rustybronco]

It should have four wires on the starter solenoid, two large wires, one from the battery to the solenoid the other from the solenoid to the starter, and two smaller wires, one that pwr starts at the battery goes through the ignition, clutch switch, start button ect. to energize the solenoid when you push the button, the other smaller wire is the ground for this pull-down coil.
disconnect one of the smaller wires then touch your negative battery cable up to the negative battery post and see if it still cranks, if it does the solenoid is bad. plastic melting? probably a bad connection at the positive terminal at the battery but you will need to investigate further.
Start with this... i'm going home now, be back soon. vacation, gs and no rain... woohooooo!

[Steve]

Don't know what would have caused the noise, but it sounds like you have a stuck solenoid to me.

Most of the solenoids I have seen were on the left side, under the side cover. Follow the positive lead from the battery. Within 8-10 inches, it will come to the solenoid. There will be a similarly heavy wire going from the solenoid to the starter and a smaller wire that goes up to the starter button.

After disconnecting the battery, remove the wire from the solenoid to the starter. (Sometimes, power to the rest of the bike is piggy-backed off the battery side of the solenoid, and we want to keep that connection intact, for now.) Reconnect the battery, use your multimeter or a test light to see if there is power at the small wire on the solenoid. If so, your starter button is stuck. If not, the solenoid itself is stuck. If it is the solenoid, go to Auto Zone and get a Ford solenoid. Heavier duty and cheaper. If it is the starter button, take the right hand grip apart and clean it. You might find there is a broken spring in there that is causing the problem. Might have to go to the hardware store to find a spring to replace it.


.

[bonanzadave]

Not to be a smart arse but make sure you have not connected the battery up backwards. It almost sounds like the whole thing was trying to run/starts backwards.

If thats OK it sounds like maybe the starter button is jambed / stuck in.

[Steve]

I thought of that, too, Dave, only I was thinking of the one-in-a-million chance that the battery was labeled incorrectly.

Use your multimeter to verify the polarity of the battery. :shock:

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[Gravity Tester]

Not to be a smart arse but make sure you have not connected the battery up backwards. It almost sounds like the whole thing was trying to run/starts backwards.

If thats OK it sounds like maybe the starter button is jambed / stuck in.

Start w/ the easy stuff first I thought about it but guess I should have said it.

[spyug]

Thanks guys.
The first thing I checked was battery polarity & charge everything ok. Next I looked for was burned wires or components. Didn't find anything suspicious.

About a half hour later one of my technicians came in and I tried to show him what I had experienced. Connected the positive lead back then ( gingerly) the negative. Nothing out of the ordinary. Turned key, all lights on dash no weird noises or sounds. Pressed the starter and away she goes. Still need to balance carbs but runs and idles. Stopped and restarted about 20 times. Nothing strange.

I thought about the starter button and or solenoid but I don't understand how it was cranking with the run switch to "off" and the key out. That's the part that gets me. I also would have expected the ignition fuse to blow.

I'm still puzzled and now a bit leery. I'd like to take her for a test spin on the weekend but I'd hate to go up in a ball of blue smoke:shock:

I hate the unknown and until I figure this out I won't be comfortable with this bike. I'll start with a look at the start button and run switch and go from there.

Thanks again guys.
Spyug.

[Mark whiz]

It really does sound like some sort of starter solenoid issue. Now that it is running, check your voltage regulator output with it running and everything turned on that you can get on. I say check that because the only time I heard a "POP" out of my GS was when I fried a regulator/rectifier. It started putting out about 18volts and the more load I added, the higher the voltage got. :shock: I'm thinking it is possible that if the regulator fried itself - it might have sent a surge back toward the battery and starter solenoid that stuck the solenoid in "start" mode until it could cool off and reset itself.

[chef1366]

Your solenoid stuck. Get a new one cause it will do it again. While your at it clean the ignition switch with WD-40. Clean the starter button and the kill switch. Clean the positive battery cables that connect to the starter solenoid and the solenoid to the starter with fine sandpaper. Also do this to the negative batery cable to the crankcase.

[80GS750]

yea it was your starter solenoid.... replace that puppy cause it will happen again. it couldnt have been the starter button cause the ignition (key) would have killed it if so....

[spyug]

Thanks for the input guys. After a few brewskis to calm down, I got to thinking solenoid myself.

First opportunity I'll get one ordered up. I'm just glad nothing fried and the bike is otherwise good to go.

Appreciate the concern and input.

Cheers,
Spyug.

[derwood]

Your solenoid stuck. Get a new one cause it will do it again. While your at it clean the ignition switch with WD-40. Clean the starter button and the kill switch. Clean the positive battery cables that connect to the starter solenoid and the solenoid to the starter with fine sandpaper. Also do this to the negative batery cable to the crankcase.

Yes, it will happen again if you don't replace the solenoid, there is a mechanical problem inside the solenoid that caused the disc to weld or stick itself to the contacts.

[rustybronco]

or to much draw from the starter over time arcing the contacts inside it, causing it to stick. replace it.