Wires melting and other carnage!!

[Anonymous]

I'm a new gs owner and love this site. I have a 82 gs1100L . I just got it 2 days ago and got 3 good rides out of it. My problem started the other night when I took the bike over to a friends place to show it off. When I went to leave it wouldn't start. I had no troubles before that. The battery was very weak and wouldn't turn it over. We boosted it and got it to run but the bike would lose power and stall soon after. We continued to boost it until I got it run long enough to take home(it stalled at the end of my drive way). I took the battery oout and charged it over night. The next day I put the battery back in and took it for a 4 mile ride wiht no problems. It sat for a few hours and I took it for a 8 mile ride when it lost electical power and stalled 1 mile from home. I went to boost it again but I could get no power to light the neutral indicator so I towed it. When I got home the 15 amp main fuse was blown and I replaced it. When I hit the starter button the fuse went. After that the fuse would blow as soon as I put it in. I found 2 melted wiring plugs one before the keyed switch and anohter under the gas tank. I used butt connectors to fix the conections. After that the fuse would wait unit I started the bike to blow. Then the fuse went back to blowing right after installation again. A friend and half assed mechanic suggested jumping the fuse to see which wires got hot. After doing that the red wires coming out of the bottom of the fuse box started to heat. Now I can't get any power anywhere in the bike. I am sorry about the length of this post but I wanted to be as detailed as possible. Any help is appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Welcome to the world of Suzuki electrics.

Check the "Stator Papers" at this site, a wealth of information. Get out your vu meter and follow the troubleshooting instructions. Then get out your checkbook and get ready to by a complete "Electrex" stator and regulator/rectifier.

[Mr. Jiggles]

Something similar happened to me while I was working on my '82 GS1100E two weeks ago. Like Jaesbow mentioned, I wound up buying a new stator and reg/rectifier. I soldered all connections, extended the R/R ground to the battery and cleaned up any ground connections I could readily see. Runs well now.

It was somewhat expensive (around 300) but I had planned on replacing them both anyway.

Jeff

[granny_rocket]

this JUST happened to me a week ago. I got halfway around the block and BAM the bike cuts out. Main fuse blew and as you said, I replaced it and it blew right after starting the bike.

I have lead the problem to be the R/R - which cost me $127.50 (that's including shipping) from Electrex. I tell ya, they make a nice beefy unit!

Anyway, hit up the "stator paper" on the homepage of this site and it'll tell you step by step how to check the stator and the regulator/rectifier.

Be sure to check your stator because they aren't usually bad, but a bad R/R can cause a good stator to burn out.

Good Luck, Hope this Helps and remember, be sure to make sure all electrical connections are solid and complete. Someone suggested taking apart each connector one by one and spraying them down with contact cleaner!

-Al Conforti

[argonsagas]

First thing to do is QUIT playing with it and trying to ride it. You can not and must not ride it.


First thing to do is disconnect the battery, then charge it slowly. Overnight, at a very low rate. Now you can try following advice on the Stator Papers.

Most likely, you will have a problem with the regulator/rectifier, but my expectation is that this will be only a part of the problem, and fixing it will be a bit of work as you described enough damage to the wires that you will almost certainly have to pull apart the entire harness to deternmine exactly how extensive the damage is.

And knowing that is vitally important.

Start at the end...any end....

Cut the tape slowly, and examine everything that is revealed.

When you get to a junction, cut it apart, examine it carefully. Replace any burnt/melted wires. Solder any visible connections (there are many of them within the harness). Wrap the wires with fresh tape after examination/replacement. Continue along the harness, unwrapping as you go. Fix everything you find wrong. It is possible, though, that some wires will run the full length, and require complete replacement....along with anything to which they are connected inside the harness.

Make a diagram. Write down the details.........this avoids confusion later, especially if you have to stop overnight or longer.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the help!