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1980 GS850L electrical brain teaser

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    1980 GS850L electrical brain teaser

    Dear listers,

    I have a strange electrical issue on my GS850 that I would like to run by you. The bike is in like new condition (12,000k) and has always been garaged. I ran my problem by a couple of folks on the list privately, and they suggested that I post it here for you all to think about. Here is the jist.

    I started having intermittent loss of my turn signals, headlight, and taillight a couple of weeks ago. The problem finally became permanent, and I began to investigate. I finally traced the problem to the relay switch because that is where I could hear a click when I turned on the turn signals yet was not getting power. I tested it first to see if power was getting to the switch, which it was. Then I simply used some wire to bypass the switch to see if that was the problem, and what do you know the headlight and turn signal came right on. So assumed it was the switch.

    Now, I do not claim to understand why the lights have anything to do with the turn signals, but on my bike they are obviously linked in some way. It could have something to do with the fact that my bike has Q-switch installed (anybody remeber those?). I went to the suzuki shop to get a new switch, learned of the cost, and immediately wrote to the GSresources. In the meantime, I went to the auto store and bought a 4 dollar flasher switch with the two prongs on it instead of 3 prongs like the suzuki switch. I hooked it up to the connector with the load in the right slot, and the turn signals worked great (although no longer self cancelling). The problem is that I still did not have front and rear lights (tailight still works when braking). It seemed that something was related to the third prong on the suzuki switch. I have no idea what the letters L, C, and B next to each prong on the suzuki switch mean. L is obviously load.

    I bought a used but functional switch from our friend Nick, but, after installation, I still had no signals or lights. The switch still clicks when you turn on the signals, so it is getting power. Needless to say, I am baffled and frustrated. I assume my old switch was not the problem, but at least now I have an extra. What in the world could be going on that I am missing? What is happening in that switch that does not happen when it is bypassed, and why does the two prong switch work with the signals but not the lights?

    If you or any of you shed any light on this problem, i would certainly appreciate it.

    Cheers, kurt

    #2
    Do you have a manual? I'm not near mine right now or I'd look it up for you. Will be tonight though, I'll look up the wiring and check to see if someone else has posted a fix for you. You are welcome to send me a reminder at robert.dally.2@worldnet.att.net if you want.

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      #3
      Kurt, it's apparently something common to all the circuits. Does the switch use a body ground (screw), or one of the wires from the switch? Off the top of my head, it sounds as though the relay circuit is not complete, and not allowing it to close and complete the circuits to the other lights. If you don't already have one, get a manual and find someone to help you read the wiring schematics to learn how the circuits are wired.

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        #4
        BAD GROUND SOMEWHERE.

        Comment


          #5
          also meter out the wires and shake em while reading. If it went intermittent then to perm, sounds like a possible short some where.
          Stimpy

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            #6
            Kurt:

            If you have the same harness that fits my 82 1100Z you will have an orange and white wire that runs from the fuse box forward. It's marked
            signals on the fuse box. I tore my entire harness apart a few weeks ago to cure a problem with fuses blowing.

            The orange/white wire is spliced about one foot into the harness, splitting it into four O/W wires, then has two black ones that go to the horns, and then the black ones split again, and go up to the headlight, while the O/W wires split a second time in the harness, becoming four more O/W, and then there are multiple connections with grey wires inside your headlight and back to the tail / signal lights. In other words your one wire at the fuse box becomes many through mechanical (squeezed) splices, so there is plenty of opportunity for any connections inside the harness to become poor, result in voltage loss, or fail. Additionally, each of the leads resulting from the splice has its own connection, and all of these wires are of minimum gauge, so now you get a better picture of why the electrics are prone to failure.

            And don't forget the ground/earths that are poor at best and need attention.

            Again, if it matches mine, you may have had some other alterations done to the wiring, as the headlight is a separate circuit, with its own fuse, so wiring the signals directly should have had no effect on the headlight.

            Connections in the headlight are the most likely to fail, as there could be moisture in there. Check all of them, and follow every other suggestion you get before taking this next one of mine, but if you have to pull apart the harness, don't be afraid of it....it's a tedious job, but not difficult. Get a clipboard and paper/pen, a small, sharp knife, a soldering gun and get some liquid electrical tape (Thanks again, Jay ), along with a large roll of vinyl electrical tape. Allow a full day to do it. Before disconnecting anything, make a general drawing of the wiring as you see it, and write down the connections you see, according to colour and destination.

            Cut the harness wrap from the rear and unravel it forwards. Be very careful not to cut into the wires. One apart, clean up and solder ALL connections, (you will be amazed at how many there are) then cover your solder work with the liquid tape, and wrap with vinyl.

            As I said...lots of connections to fix, and it's very tedious work, but if nothing else works it has to be done as a brand new harness is expensive, if you can find one. Suzuki stopped stocking them in Canada
            but I believe you can still get them in USA.
            Bertrand Russell: 'Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education.'

            Comment


              #7
              Thanks for all of the feedback and advice. I will make the time this weekend to look more deeply into the problem per your suggestions, and let you know how it goes.

              Cheers, Kurt

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