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Hi:
This is an update on my electrical problem. I had geat advice from this site and it turns out there were multiple problems and many of you mentioned some of these.
My bike had the following symptoms - after riding I would find that I could not start the bike. When it would not start, one of two things would happen - the relay switch would "clack" but no start - had to bump it. This was the "least worst" problem. When all hell broke loose, I would loose power in my headlight/idiot lights and could not get ignition - even with a bump. The bike never died while running only after I shut off the ignition. After time, the bike would inexplicably start and run like new.
I took Joe Nardy up on his offer to check out my electrical system. He's a great guy with a beautiful GS1100E and other cool bikes. Here's what he found while I nodded meaningfully and tried to look like I understood what he was doing:
- He checked out the bike with a multimeter and tried to teach me to use it. There were some problem areas we tracked down and cleaned/reconnected. Retests showed we/he did some good. I now have dangerous knowlege of basic multimeter usage.
- He took off the grounding wire and we found some corrosion. Cleaned and replaced. After replacing this wire, we had better readings.
- We found an after-market connector that was definitely "bad". We found it lead to the "kill"/"ignition" switch. This a likely culprit for the worst of the problem. He was kind enough to remove the bad connector and fix it.
- Then, we removed the starter motor. It sounded like broken glass was inside the case, and when he opened it up, there were large magnet shards and dust that came out and the magnets were not glued to the cylinder wall. Major problem, but it was strong enough to crank once in a while and clear out the broken magnets for a few spins before locking up - that is why it was an intermittent problem. We could not spin it by hand prior to opening it up, so it was a mess.
- We took it about and he suggested trying to rebuild the case for a temporary fix while I searched for a more reliable one. We removed broken magnet pieces, glued them back to the case, and put it back together and it spun by hand nicely. Unfortunately, it would not start. We tried a bunch of different things, but the shock of being reassembled was probably too much. We never tested it off the 12 V while it was out of the case, but we expected it to work.
So, after about 4 hours of work (his work, not mine - I was trying to act smart and not screw anything up), I bumped it without a problem and went home. I thanked Joe profusely, I know where he lives and know what his favorite brand of beer is.
The likely prognosis is that we solved some electrical issues, and tested a few things that were helpful in deducing what is not at fault. Likely, I can put a new/rebuilt/working starter in the bike and it will work. I'm going to test the current starter with a 12V to make sure there is not another problem lurking out there. If so, Joe's already figured out what it can be.
But, I need a starter anyway and will likely look to E-Bay and or a supplier that rebuilds starters. Meantime, I can start my bike and I have peace of mind knowing that my charging system is working, the battery is strong, etc.
I hope one day I get smart enough to return the favor for someone else. Not only did Joe save me big bucks, but he taught me a few things and I had a great time. Not sure I can say the same for him though.
Thanks again.
ANDY
This is an update on my electrical problem. I had geat advice from this site and it turns out there were multiple problems and many of you mentioned some of these.
My bike had the following symptoms - after riding I would find that I could not start the bike. When it would not start, one of two things would happen - the relay switch would "clack" but no start - had to bump it. This was the "least worst" problem. When all hell broke loose, I would loose power in my headlight/idiot lights and could not get ignition - even with a bump. The bike never died while running only after I shut off the ignition. After time, the bike would inexplicably start and run like new.
I took Joe Nardy up on his offer to check out my electrical system. He's a great guy with a beautiful GS1100E and other cool bikes. Here's what he found while I nodded meaningfully and tried to look like I understood what he was doing:
- He checked out the bike with a multimeter and tried to teach me to use it. There were some problem areas we tracked down and cleaned/reconnected. Retests showed we/he did some good. I now have dangerous knowlege of basic multimeter usage.
- He took off the grounding wire and we found some corrosion. Cleaned and replaced. After replacing this wire, we had better readings.
- We found an after-market connector that was definitely "bad". We found it lead to the "kill"/"ignition" switch. This a likely culprit for the worst of the problem. He was kind enough to remove the bad connector and fix it.
- Then, we removed the starter motor. It sounded like broken glass was inside the case, and when he opened it up, there were large magnet shards and dust that came out and the magnets were not glued to the cylinder wall. Major problem, but it was strong enough to crank once in a while and clear out the broken magnets for a few spins before locking up - that is why it was an intermittent problem. We could not spin it by hand prior to opening it up, so it was a mess.
- We took it about and he suggested trying to rebuild the case for a temporary fix while I searched for a more reliable one. We removed broken magnet pieces, glued them back to the case, and put it back together and it spun by hand nicely. Unfortunately, it would not start. We tried a bunch of different things, but the shock of being reassembled was probably too much. We never tested it off the 12 V while it was out of the case, but we expected it to work.
So, after about 4 hours of work (his work, not mine - I was trying to act smart and not screw anything up), I bumped it without a problem and went home. I thanked Joe profusely, I know where he lives and know what his favorite brand of beer is.
The likely prognosis is that we solved some electrical issues, and tested a few things that were helpful in deducing what is not at fault. Likely, I can put a new/rebuilt/working starter in the bike and it will work. I'm going to test the current starter with a 12V to make sure there is not another problem lurking out there. If so, Joe's already figured out what it can be.
But, I need a starter anyway and will likely look to E-Bay and or a supplier that rebuilds starters. Meantime, I can start my bike and I have peace of mind knowing that my charging system is working, the battery is strong, etc.
I hope one day I get smart enough to return the favor for someone else. Not only did Joe save me big bucks, but he taught me a few things and I had a great time. Not sure I can say the same for him though.
Thanks again.
ANDY
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