Electrical feathers.

[argonsagas]

I am sure the birds have been into my electrical system and left a feather somewhere, but I just can't find it. The bike keeps blowing the fuse for the light circuit. It has two circuits, one for the headlight, another for everything else. The headlight is fine. The other has a feather somewhere that tickles a contact and blows fuses.

While on the sidestand, turn on the ignition, and everything works. Touch the starter and the bike starts, but the lighting fuse blows. All other fuses are fine.

A volt/ohmmeter is only partly good, because the lighting circuit is branched in several places, some at the front, and probably more inside the harness. No problems expected in the harness because it was bought brand new about a year ago.


Buy a box of fuses and try to isolate the problem...First: remove the fairing. That takes care of the headlight and front signals/park lights. Problem continues.

At the fusebox the wire is orange-green. Pull open every connection at the front that connects with OG wires. Problem continues.

Lift the tank. Pull the plugs for the signals, oil pressure, gear indicator and fuel gauge. Disconnect the flasher, and pull wires off rear brake switch. Problem continues.

Maybe feedback through the R/R. Disconnect it. Problem continues
Maybe a problem with the starter switch circuit. Bypass it.

Turn on ignition, now I have no lights, no instrumentation, no charging system. There is no electrical load on anything. Only the ignition works.
Check it out before starting. Turn on ignition. Nothing happens. Fuse holds.

Starter switch circuit is disconnected and then bypassed by connecting the starter relay directly to the battery. Turn on ignition..connect starter....bike starts....lighting fuse blows. :roll:

Bought an open fuse block and can re-wire to create separate circuits for lights, instruments, signals, but still
cannnot understand what blows the fuse as there is no starter circuit, or anyting else to impose a load or induce an electric flow that is in any way connected to the starter. All it has is a wire that leads directly to the battery. yet still the lighting fuses blow the moment the starter is engaged, and the other fuses do nothing.

All that's left is vibration...but what vibrates? Maybe a conductive and invisible feather that floats over and connects two otherwise unused wires?

Suggestions? Please...?

[Anonymous]

Ron, in my best (mis)understanding of electricity, as the voltage drops (due to draw on the battery from the starter), amperage (current draw) increases to make up the total wattage required of the application. At the risk of insulting you, I like to ask the easy questions first. Is the fuse of the proper size? Assuming that it is, you might try a "slow blow" type of fuse instead of the "instantaneous" blow. That should give you enough reserve without risking damaging the wiring.

If all you have left wired is the ignition circuit, unplug the primary wires from the coils (try one at a time). That will remove another load from the circuit

I'm thinking that the real problem is likely excessive demand by the starter (bad connection or solenoid contacts) or a weak or undersized battery causing a voltage drop. Try to hook up a voltmeter to the battery and watch the voltage before and when you engage the starter. If you have a significant drop, you can get an inexpensive clamp-on type of meter (I got mine from Sears) to test the amperage draw on the starter.

Good luck.

[argonsagas]

Jeff:
Thank you for the reply. You may be right about the amp draw, but I did not check it because I am running the starter directly off the battery, so there is no other circuit involved, either directly or indirectly.

I am convinced the problem is in the harness, somewhere, simply because only one of four fuses blows.. and its always the same one. Except for the main (15) all are 10 amps.

Today I tried your suggestion and pulled away one wire from each coil....bike did not start , but it blew a fuse.

Just now, I am taking a few moments out....knees are suffering from being twisted on the ground and trying to check circuits.

Now the harness is right off and I am removing the wrapping.

As the pile of used tape builds, it looks like there were about 1000 yards used to wrap it, and I'm not finished yet.

It's no wonder we have electrical problems as these things age.

You would not believe how many splices they use inside the harnesses. My guess is that if they ran one wire for each part of every circuit the harness would be too large to fit the frame of the bike.

The wire I have a problem with at the fuse box splits into four of the same colour inside the harness, plus a black one. Three break off for other destinations and one continues toward the front of the bike. Nearer the front the now single wire is spliced into four again, and the black one was spliced into two, then it is also spliced again.... All of this splicing applies to what was one wire at the fuse box. 8O

[Jay B]

As much as your going to hate to see me say this. You are more than likely going to have to check everyone of those wires for the feathering as you have called it. Also check all the splices and go get yourself some Liquid Tape to seal them back up with.

[argonsagas]

Liquid tape.....why did I not think of that???

I've seen it sitting on the store shelves, but never bought it. Today is a perfect opportunity to use it though.

Thanks, Jay.!!

[argonsagas]

Liquid tape.....why did I not think of that???

I've seen it sitting on the store shelves, but never bought it. Today is a perfect opportunity to use it though.

Thanks, Jay.!!

[argonsagas]

Sorry about those posts.....cat decided it was time to jump up and visit me, and stepped on the mouse before I was finished....(appropriate??)

I agree with you about the splices, and planned on pulling them all apart, but I was dreading the re-taping.

That liquid tape is a great idea!!

Thanks again.

[Jay B]

Liquid Tape is also good for covering connections that you don't want wet or ones that have been cleaned and you want to protect them from any new corrosion. COmes off really easy when you need to remove the wire for whatever reason.

[argonsagas]

OK, Jay.
I tried to buy it locally, but couldn't. Had to leave town and head off to a Walmart store, where I knew I had seen it. (about 15 miles away) Sells for CA$5.88 plus taxis. (You know, these taxi guys really have it good!!)

Hope it works...I spilled some of the clear liquid when I opened the can, and I don't know it that makes a large difference when you use it.

Looks good, though, settles down and gives a very good coat on the connection.

All the connections were soldered, then coated and set aside to dry. Everything is taped back together now, but I still have to put it back on the bike tomorrow..

[Anonymous]

I had a similar problem until I had tested every damn wire on the bike. Still the lighting fuse blew. Finally I isolated the fuse itself tiying in an inline fuse. I soldered the ends of the inline fuse to the wires attached to the original fuse. I have no trouble since. Can't explain why the fuse holders would cause the fuse to blow but this seems to have been the case.

[argonsagas]

Re-installed harness..bike starts, runs, fuses all OK. Apart from finding so many splices in the harness, which are all soldered, found nothing wrong.

Left with a puzzle.

We have had heavy rains, but on the driveway I found a tiny spring ..nice and shiny....a straight section, 3/8 inch long, a double coil and then it's bent away at the other end. I don't know where it came from, but I did nothing else out there, so maybe ......??

[Jay B]

What about the fuse block itself? Maybe its not grounding out right?

[earlfor]

Ron, the only place I can think of that uses a spring that small is in the brake light switch on the right handlebar or the clutch switch on the left handlebar.

Earl

[quote="argonsagas"I found a tiny spring ..nice and shiny....a straight section, 3/8 inch long, a double coil and then it's bent away at the other end. I don't know where it came from, but I did nothing else out there, so maybe ......??[/quote]

[argonsagas]

[quote="earlfor"]Ron, the only place I can think of that uses a spring that small is in the brake light switch on the right handlebar or the clutch switch on the left handlebar.

Earl

Thanks, Earl, but I did not disassemble the clutch or the Kill switch and did not touch the brake switch....I did that a while ago.

FYI
They don't use this type of spring. They use a coil spring. The one I found has a double loop, then a piece of about 3/8 inch straight. On the other end it has a straight section of about 1/8 inch, then it went into a 90
turn, then another after another 1/4 inch.

Can't guess what it may have come from, but I am one of those few idiots who have taken the handlebar switches apart and, after a long while regretting that act, not only retained a smidgin of sanity, but got them together! I am a true GSer!!

[Jay B]

I took both switches apart and cleaned them right after I discover that the clutch switch wasn't working right. I guess I got lucky because they both went back together really easily and I did'nt have to go through all the contorsions that some other have had to go through to get them together again.