SuzukiSavage.com /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Now its electrical trouble..... /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1354801576 Message started by drums1 on 12/06/12 at 05:46:16

Title: Now its electrical trouble..... Post by drums1 on 12/06/12 at 05:46:16 As though enough other things weren't wrong with the bike, now I have encountered a major electrical problem. Barely got it running the other day, only to have it stall. Went to crank it again, and poof. All power lost. If I put the key in "parking light" position, the tailight barely comes on.......and then gets bright as if the brakes were being applied. Key in "run" position---no power to anything. Yes, I changed the two 20 amp fuses, checked all the connections under the seats and gas tank, and nothing. Still no power. Major short somewhere. I'm thinking maybe the starter itself, or solenoid, or both....or ignition switch....or power box....or....or....or.... Maybe it's time to part the beast out. I have no more money to dump into it. Thoughts?

Title: Re: Now its electrical trouble..... Post by HondaLavis on 12/06/12 at 06:21:02 Did you check your battery voltage to make sure it's good?  A low battery and a charging system going out could cause similar symptoms. Double check your battery and try again.  If it runs, perform the charging system output test as described in chapter 8 of the Clymer's manual.

Title: Re: Now its electrical trouble..... Post by verslagen1 on 12/06/12 at 14:31:01 parking light uses the bright stop light, not the running light if I recall correctly. Although I'm having difficulty in getting past the 1st few words of honda's post, I'd start with the battery too. is this related to the dent in your cover?  maybe the stator is loose?  and rubbing on the rotor.

Title: Re: Now its electrical trouble..... Post by Cavi Mike on 12/07/12 at 01:28:56 Honda's post is yet another one of "those" posts of "just trying to help" but pointing someone in the wrong direction. If the bike started right up then immediately died and is completely unable to start as if the battery is dead - it's NOT the battery. Batteries don't die this fast people. Why is this so hard to understand? Also, what does the charging system have to do with it? The bike wasn't moving when it died nor was it slowly losing power - the bike was JUST STARTED. Again - just stop "trying to help" because you're not helping, you're hurting. OK now onto the actual problem - let me ask you a question: Did you even look at the fuses before you changed them? Just changing fuses won't do anything if they're not blown. If that little bar is still visible in the window - the fuse is fine. If the light was really dim then got bright all of a sudden, I'm thinking a bad connection somewhere and I'm almost willing to bet it's the ignition switch. Try jiggling it around and see if the lights dim/get bright etc.

Title: Re: Now its electrical trouble..... Post by Routy on 12/07/12 at 04:01:58 Yes, I would also check (load test) the battery first. Don't even think it would be the first battery to all of a sudden fail from an internal connection problem.

Title: Re: Now its electrical trouble..... Post by HondaLavis on 12/07/12 at 20:24:43 No need to be hostile, cavie mike.  The great thing about a forum is that it is a collaboration of brainstorms.  Sometimes you need a consensus to point you in the right direction; sometimes you need a variety of ideas.  It's hard to tell if you're helping or hurting until it's all said and done with the problem found. Here's the method behind my madness:  His bike is an '87. How old is the battery?  If the fluid level up?  How often does he run it or charge it?  Could he be suffering from severe sulfation?  Could one of the lead plates be cracked or broken due to vibration or corrosion?  As batteries get used, the plates shed their active material.  This collects at the bottom, and will EVENTUALLY short out the plates.  This is true of ALL lead acid batteries.  So if his battery is old, that could be an easy culprit.  Battery voltage is also one of the absolute easiest things to check.  From there, the way I interpreted "barely got it running" was that he had to crank on the starter for a while - ok, so I'm assuming.  He got it running, so wouldn't a properly working charging system bring that battery up to speed?  Nope, the bike stalled - no more sparkies.  Maybe his rotor isn't putting out what it should, and that battery fell off it's last leg.  Maybe his battery is shorted out internally, so his charging output wouldn't have mattered.  Maybe something else...  Cavi, I'll give you this:  charging system problems are a lot less common.  Just because it was the first thing that popped into my head doesn't mean he should be checking it first. Drums also said he already checked the connections under the seat and as tank.  This leads us to believe that it could be something less obvious.  Maybe his ignition switch or his solenoid are giving out after 25 years.  Corroded internal contacts on his ignition switch would also fit the given symptoms. Hopefully you have a multi-meter.  Check straight voltage on your battery first.  If that's good, load test.  Then check the contacts on your ignition switch using an ohmmeter. There are 4 wires: red, orange, gray, and brown.  In the OFF position, resistance between any wire should be infinite.  In the ON position, resistance should be low between red and orange as well as between gray and brown.  In the P position, resistance should be low between red and brown.  Have fun, and give us an update!

Title: Re: Now its electrical trouble..... Post by justin_o_guy2 on 12/07/12 at 20:37:08 Prove to yourself what you can to eliminate questions of "What If" A wimpy battery causes Big TRouble as stated above Weve seen a connector shut a bike down in the owners driveway. He rode in, & then it wouldnt start. REmove the tank & make sure every connector is fully connected( or, you can do this first) Weve seen connectors under the tank come loose. If that isnt it, then get the battery tested, IF it passes, Then Dont look at, dont tighten REmove & clean the ground on the case REmove & clean the hot wire to the starter If that doesnt help, go to the solenoid & clean those. Its a frustrating thing, but, its winnable. First step, look at what its doing, & then, control the imagination, dont catastrophise , dont imagine some horrible gremlin, focus on the simplest possible solution. Work thru the possibilities from simplest to most complex.

Title: Re: Now its electrical trouble..... Post by Grayowl on 12/08/12 at 08:45:05 JOG Wrote – First step, look at what its doing, & then, control the imagination, dont catastrophise , dont imagine some horrible gremlin, focus on the simplest possible solution. Work thru the possibilities from simplest to most complex. That is the prefect summary of trouble shooting an issue.  I do have one additional piece – only change / fix one thing at a time and see what happens before moving to the next piece.  You will keep a better handle on the overall trouble shooting process that way. I have been in the diesel world for 30 + years and have seen way to many technicians go so far a stray trying to trouble shoot by not following your advice above.  I have used something similar for years working with new field technicians.  With your permission I am going to add some of your wisdom to my standard technician warnings.

Title: Re: Now its electrical trouble..... Post by drums1 on 12/10/12 at 08:52:07 Good idea's, all. I now have starting blocks. And here I was, ready to trash the bike, just because it won't start. Silly me. I will update as soon as I find something.....or get stuck.

Title: Re: Now its electrical trouble..... Post by rustysavage on 12/10/12 at 15:05:32 Sounds like a poor ground, loose or dirty, check connections at battery. Usually its something simple

Title: Re: Now its electrical trouble..... Post by drums1 on 12/11/12 at 19:22:27 Where does that ground wire hook to the frame?

Title: Re: Now its electrical trouble..... Post by Cavi Mike on 12/11/12 at 20:37:52 The ground doesn't connect to the frame, it connects to the transmission by the starter. oil level window   ;D

Title: Re: Now its electrical trouble..... Post by Cavi Mike on 12/11/12 at 21:23:21 Oh crap - I forgot I relocted mine. Whoops.

Title: UPDATE Post by drums1 on 01/04/13 at 20:21:22 Well, I had checked the battery--read 12.3v. I also checked some more connections. All looked good. Still nothing. I took battery to Batteries Plus and they ran a draw test. 41 cca. Should be 220. So I purchased a battery tender jr., and a new Xtreme 24 month with a 220 cca rating. Installed battery. ALL problems solved. I didn't want to believe it until I saw it, I guess. I now believe. **Mental Note......Check Battery Draw 1st** :D

Title: Re: Now its electrical trouble..... Post by SALB on 01/04/13 at 20:30:02 [smiley=thumbsup.gif] Amazing how sometimes the simplest things are the biggest headaches. ;)

Title: Re: Now its electrical trouble..... Post by houstonbofh on 01/04/13 at 21:35:31 I have a few bikes and was slow to adopt the Batteries Plus batteries, but I have to say I am a fan.  Solid batteries, and a warranty if they are not.  But I am on the second bike with one so far, and still no troubles.

Title: Re: Now its electrical trouble..... Post by thumperclone on 01/04/13 at 22:46:23 extreme temps always show lead acid bats weaks

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