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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1715536089 Message started by Odysseus on 05/12/24 at 10:48:09 |
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Title: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 05/12/24 at 10:48:09 Hi, all, 2005 S40 here. I have perused these forums and tried literally everything I could find concerning this topic to no avil. Here's the ish: Horn / lights did not work. Installed new battery. Horn / lights did not work UNTIL the bike stopped and I tugged the POS cable - it went, and they worked. Horn / lights did not work. They mysteriously stopped. Got new handlebars. Put them on and horn / lights worked. Adjusted them (pulled em back a little) and guess what stopped. Read this forum. Took the seat/gas tank off (put a new plug in while there) Test - open, reseat - every wire I could see. Redid the battery cables. Horn / lights did not work. So now the bike sits with tank off and seat off. Can anyone help? :-? |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/12/24 at 18:01:38 In 2005 Suzuki switched to a system that incorporated two sets of contacts in the starter button switch. One set of contacts closes when the button is pushed, and the other set of contacts opens when the button is pushed. The set of contacts that open when the button is pushed provide power to the lights and horn. This feature is intended to provide more juice to the starter during the start cycle. It shuts off the lights when you are trying to start the engine. The power to your lights and horn runs through the starter button switch. When the button is in the released position, power from the orange wire is connected to the yellow/white wire. The yellow/white wire runs from the starter button to the multi-connector under the tank, where the yellow/white wire is connected to black/red wire. The black/red wire hots up the horn and the lights. Check your starter button switch. Verify that you are getting 12V at the yellow/white wire when the button is in the released position. If you are getting power at the yellow/white wire, check the large multii-connector under the tank and verify that you are getting 12V to the black/red wire. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 05/13/24 at 10:46:12 5A5C532F2D2A2E1E0 wrote:
Thank you for that tutorial - will try when I get home and report back. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 05/14/24 at 13:55:11 Had to get a new meter - but everything looks ok. Now what? :-/ |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by verslagen1 on 05/14/24 at 16:42:43 Quote:
You got an intermittent problem, it's going to be tuff to find because it works when you do something and it doesn't when you do something else... something that only you know what you did. This is why it is very important to explain what you did to explore the problem. Even the little hint that it stopped working when you adjusted the handlebars is important. Quote:
You said you check the battery cables, I assume the battery terminals were tight and were tight at the relay and ground? Quote:
Engine running/lights off? Then engine quit. You tugged on Pos cable, then it ran and the lights came on? |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/14/24 at 17:11:14 Yes, description unclear. Odysseus, are you saying the motorcycle starts and runs, but the lights and horn don't work? That is the impression I get from your description. I just did a quick & dirty check on mine. Disconnected the red/black wire from the horn and connected to meter (+). Connected meter (-) to engine ground. Key on meter reads +10.5V. Press start button meter reads 0.0V. You should do same test. If you don't get voltage to horn connector with key on and start button released, use the attached diagram to ring the system out. The circuit runs through both multi-connectors under the tank (right hand and left hand). |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 05/15/24 at 09:20:26 You got an intermittent problem, it's going to be tuff to find because it works when you do something and it doesn't when you do something else... something that only you know what you did. This is why it is very important to explain what you did to explore the problem. Even the little hint that it stopped working when you adjusted the handlebars is important. Yes, agree. The bike was at a light and cut off. I simply tugged a little on the POS wire and it fired up. :P Quote: Test - open, reseat - every wire I could see. Redid the battery cables. Horn / lights did not work. You said you check the battery cables, I assume the battery terminals were tight and were tight at the relay and ground? Yes, correct. Quote: Horn / lights did not work UNTIL the bike stopped and I tugged the POS cable - it went, and they worked. Engine running/lights off? Then engine quit. You tugged on Pos cable, then it ran and the lights came on? Yes see above. Thanks. I will look at your post more clearly as well, Mike, with the schema, thanks, and report back. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 05/18/24 at 12:59:47 Ok, I am starting to track this down. I've traced the wire back to the black and red wire by disconnecting the horn/light mechanism from its position in the box as shown in the pics. There is a general view of the box and a close up of the red / black wire's beginning. The third pic is under the seat. So, from here do I simply track this wire? Because to do that would require cutting open a bunch of tape and black wire coverings. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 05/18/24 at 13:05:04 Here's number 2 - beginning of b/r wire. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 05/18/24 at 13:05:57 Here's the under the seat view.... Since it DID work once or twice but failed again, I am now starting to wonder if I have a 20-yr old funky connection that requires cleaning somewhere maybe. Maybe. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 05/18/24 at 17:47:20 Tried to track it down but still no luck. Could a ground be loose? And if so, where to look? I'm a relative noob at electrical issues here if you can't tell. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by verslagen1 on 05/18/24 at 19:10:45 Most connectors have a ground wire, black w/a white stripe as well as frame ground. The main ground from the battery is attached to the right rear of the engine just behind the oil level sight window. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/18/24 at 22:34:42 Odysseus, it is still unclear to me exactly what the problem is. Can you please answer the following questions with a "yes" or "no". Your engine runs but the horn and lights don't work? Your engine does not run, and the horn and lights don't work? Your engine runs sometimes, and the horn and lights work sometimes, and when you tug on your battery cable it seems to correct the problem sometimes? |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/18/24 at 22:44:00 If your engine runs but the horn and lights don't work, then you can check to see if you are getting voltage past the starter button by doing a quick and dirty test. I already mentioned this in one of my prior posts. This video shows how to do the test. I think you will see how easy it is. The switch incorporated into your starter button is pretty wimpy and it gets fouled with rain and dirt. I have had two of them fail; one on my LS, and the other on my AN. They both start getting intermittent. The lights and horn fail to come back on when I release the starter button. If that's how yours is behaving, if the engine starts and runs but sometimes the lights and horn don't work, do this test. You can repeatedly press the starter button to verify that the contacts in the switch are good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKZnMXi0h60 |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/18/24 at 22:50:54 If nothing works, like the engine won't start and the lights and horn are dead, you might have a problem with your main switch. Mine left me stranded a few years back. The contacts in the switch get dirty, then pit. At first, it's an intermittent problem, but after a while, the bike goes dead. Mine started to misfire. I tried to ride home, and it gradually got so bad I couldn't ride it. Once I pulled over and shut it down, it was completely dead. You can do a quick and dirty check of your main switch by installing a jumper. The jumper is just a short piece of 12-gauge wire with two female connectors crimped on. Like this. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/18/24 at 22:59:10 Use the jumper to see if your bike operates normally with the jumper installed. With the jumper installed, everything will work except the taillight. Pop the seat off, unplug your main switch, install the jumper, and immediately start your bike. Your bike should operate normally. If your bike runs fine and the lights and horn are ok, then your main switch is most likely bad. BTW, you have to make sure your kickstand is up, kill switch is in run, bike is in neutral, and the clutch is pulled in to get it started. All the normal stuff, don't forget. This video shows the quick & dirty jumper test. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3JmJEsptL4 |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/18/24 at 23:03:10 I forgot to mention that the jumper connects the red/black wire to the orange wire on the switch connector. Like this. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/18/24 at 23:11:43 If you determine that your main switch is bad, or if you suspect it is bad, you can inspect it and clean the contacts if they are not too pitted. This video shows how to do that. Sorry, I didn't include a continuity check. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cz7VMs54BA |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/18/24 at 23:21:55 If you want to verify that power is getting from your battery, to the starter relay, to the fuses, to the main switch, and out of the main switch to the buss (on LS the orange wire is generally the buss), this video should be helpful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJl9c2L9cLg |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/18/24 at 23:25:11 I can see from your photos that your wiring appears unscathed. It doesn't look like it has been chopped up, spliced, or modified. Do I have that correct? Do you have a factory service manual? I don't think the Clymer's manual has a wiring diagram for the late model bikes. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 05/19/24 at 07:57:27 No, have a Clymer's though. Answers to MIKE: Your engine runs but the horn and lights don't work? CORRECT Your engine does not run, and the horn and lights don't work? NO - SEE ABOVE Your engine runs sometimes, and the horn and lights work sometimes, and when you tug on your battery cable it seems to correct the problem sometimes? ENGINE ALWAYS RUN - TUG HELPED HORN/HEADLIGHT ONCE (BUT NOT NOW) |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by verslagen1 on 05/19/24 at 08:37:41 In general, the law forces the lights on while the motorcycle is running. So, the lighting circuit is powered by the same circuit as ignition. If the engine is running, but the lights are off, it is solely due to the lighting circuit. So, I think you're pulling of the battery cable and it working is a red herring. The horn gets power from the left control B/R wire which also powers the pass button and the dimmer switch. I'd start there. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 05/19/24 at 09:11:08 Took off he ingnition switch and cleaned as per video (was not that bad). Rehooked it and same issues - turn sigs brakes but no horn or headlamp - Then took the entire starter switch assembly off and did the same thing. Nada. So far, I have.. 1) Check all connections. 2) Cleaned and rechecked ingnition assembly 3) Cleaned and rechecked starter assembly 4) Cleaned and rechecked horn assembly 5) Checked grounds Guys, I'm out of ideas. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 05/19/24 at 10:26:17 But what if that was NOT a red herring? I mean, now I'm thinking of all the things that vibrated off - my license plate once even. Isn't it possible something could have vibrated loose? This attached isn't working either - battery meter? Are there some leads that typically come losse in ya'll's expereince? |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/20/24 at 03:59:16 I'm gonna give this one last try. Odysseus, we don't seem to be communicating very well. I don't understand many of your comments. "2) Cleaned and rechecked ingnition assembly" Do you mean the ignition switch? Did you disassemble the switch like I showed in the video? Were the contacts or wipers corroded or pitted? "3) Cleaned and rechecked starter assembly" Did you remove your starter motor or do you mean that you cleaned and rechecked your starter button switch in the right-hand handlebar switch assembly? Are you saying that you removed the switch housing and removed the switch, disassembled, cleaned the contacts, and reassembled? Was there corrosion and pitting on the contacts or wiper? "4) Cleaned and rechecked horn assembly" Do you mean the left-hand handlebar switch assembly? Did you disassemble the switch assembly, remove the horn button, and clean the contacts? Was there corrosion and pitting on the contacts? "5) Checked grounds" Exactly how did you check the grounds? Where did you check? What did you use to check, visual inspection or did you do a continuity check with a meter? |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/20/24 at 04:07:06 You can do some easy checks that should tell you if you are getting power to the handlebar switches, and if your ground to the horn is satisfactory. Since the lights and horn use the same ground, if the horn ground is good then the light grounds should be good. However, it would be good to disconnect the starter motor wire like shown in this picture. You will be pressing the starter button to do the tests. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/20/24 at 04:15:18 Power from your main switch (ignition switch) flows through the orange buss wire to the right hand multi connector under the fuel tank. From the multi-connector the power flows to the starter button switch in the handlebar switch assembly, through the starter button normally closed contacts, and into the yellow/white wire. The yellow/white wire returns to the right-hand multi-connector. If you turn on your ignition switch and touch the positive lead from your meter to the yellow/white wire terminal the meter should read battery voltage. This shows the yellow/white wire in question. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/20/24 at 04:20:49 Check for voltage at the yellow/white wire coming out of the right-hand multi-connector. If your ignition switch is on and there is no voltage at the yellow/white wire, play with the starter button to see if you can determine if the switch contacts are intermittent. Probe with the meter lead, like this. When the starter button is pressed, the voltage should drop to zero, and when the starter button is released, the voltage should return to 12V. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/20/24 at 04:30:39 If you get 12V at the yellow/white wire coming out of the right-hand multi-connector, the light circuit through the starter button switch is OK. If you don't get 12V at the yellow/white wire coming out of the right-hand multi-connector, then no power is getting to the light contacts in the starter button switch, or the switch contacts are bad, or there is a bad connection in the multi-connector. Verify that you have power to the multi-connector by probing the orange wire. With the ignition switch on, you should have 12V at the orange wire. This wire. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/20/24 at 04:37:51 If there is 12V at the orange wire, then there is a bad connection in the multi-connector, or the switch contacts are bad. Check the connector pins between the orange wire and orange/red wire and the connector pins between the yellow/white wire and the yellow/white wire. If the connector pins are good and there is still no power at the yellow/white wire, then the switch contacts are bad. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/20/24 at 04:41:32 If you have power at the yellow/white wire coming out of the right-hand multi-connector, verify that there is 12V at the yellow/white wire going into the left-hand multi-connector under the gas tank. That would be this wire (green arrow). |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/20/24 at 04:43:57 Check the yellow/white wire with the meter probe. With the ignition switch on, the meter should read 12V. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/20/24 at 04:50:23 If you have 12V going into the yellow/white wire on the left-hand multi connector, then check to see if voltage is getting to the lights and horn via the black/red wire. Do this by inserting the meter probe into the female connector at the horn. With the ignition switch on, the black/red wire should have 12V. Insert the meter probe like this. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/20/24 at 05:09:44 If you have 12V at the black/red wire at the horn it should verify that the horn and the lights are getting 12V. They all get their juice through this black/red wire circuit. The horn is always hot. As long as the ignition switch is on and the starter button is not pressed, the black/red wire circuit should be hot. The horn button works by grounding the other horn terminal so juice can flow from the red/black wire, through the horn, through the black/blue wire to the horn button contacts and back to ground via the black/white wire. So, the horn and the lights are powered up by the black/red wires. They also share the same ground. You can verify that the horn and lights have a good ground by checking continuity between the horn black/blue wire and a good ground. Turn the ignition switch off. Set the meter to ohms. Connect one meter probe to the horn black/blue wire. Connect the other meter lead to a good ground. Then press the horn button and verify there is continuity between the black/blue wire and ground when the horn button is pressed. So, one meter lead to the horn female connector on the black/blue wire. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/20/24 at 05:11:10 And the other meter lead to a good clean part of the engine. No paint or powder coat, bare metal. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/20/24 at 05:17:08 Press the horn button and the meter should read zero ohms or very, very close to zero ohms. If the meter shows no continuity or high resistance, inspect and clean the connector pins in the left-hand multi-connector. That would be black/white wire to black/white wire. If those pins check out, then the horn button isn't making good contact, but that wouldn't prevent the lights from working. If the power circuit checks out and the ground circuit checks out, the lights and horn should work. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/20/24 at 05:24:02 Regarding your "battery meter", it is likely that the meter either uses the same ground as your lights & horn, or the same power wire as the lights and horn, or both. Given the location of the meter, it is highly likely that it was hooked up to the lights and horn circuits because they are in close proximity to the meter. It would be a good idea to trace the meter wires and see where they are tied in. I'm guessin that it might be in the headlight nacelle, or under the fuel tank below the speedometer. The installation of the meter may have damaged a ground wire or a power wire. Follow the wires and see where it's hooked up. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by ThumperPaul on 05/20/24 at 05:59:55 Lots of good details and info, Mike! Wiggling the positive battery cable got it going tells me bad battery connection, OR it worked because the handlebars were inadvertently moved/repositioned when the cable got wiggled. To Verslagen’s point, the smallest detail could provide a clue. You might not even notice to repositioned the handlebars. Then, more things happened after the handlebars were swapped out. My bet right now is that the contacts in the starter button switch are dirty (your first response). The wiggling of the positive cable was unrelated and coincidental and it was movement of the handlebars. I know when I was swapping out the throttle cable on my bike, that entire housing can get pretty dirty in there. I think I used a 1/4 can of contact cleaner in there. I hate electrical gremlins! Continuing to follow this post and learn myself. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/20/24 at 19:00:24 Boy did I screw this up. Odysseus, I apologize if I have caused you a lot of grief. My test procedure that disconnects the negative battery cable is bogus, bogus, bogus. I am working on a correction video and will post as soon as possible. Doing the tests with the negative cable disconnected doesn't work correctly. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/20/24 at 20:13:39 So, I did another vid that does the test of the circuit from the main ignition switch through the multi-connectors and handlebar switches. The new test leaves the battery negative cable hooked up. I found that if you disconnect the negative battery cable your test device starts to serve as the negative buss. It doesn't work right. I think you will find this vid easy to follow and it's a pretty fast check. Let us know what you find. Again, I apologize for any confusion. I'm sure there are probably a few EEs, ETs and electricians on this forum. Maybe one of them can comment on the energized negative bus (black/white) phenomenon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1jqMqHoXxQ |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by ThumperPaul on 05/21/24 at 05:22:14 Good video, DBM. How did you realize the first testing was bogus? I ask because electrical stuff always baffles me and I swear I get false positives and negatives all the time not knowing what I’m poking around on or following the correct procedure. Also, if the contacts in the switch are hit/miss, couldn’t this test indicate it’s okay when it’s really not okay (like a false positive result). |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/22/24 at 01:34:42 I guess you could get a false positive test if the contacts are intermittent. I personally would press the button repeatedly and with varying degrees of force, angle of attack, etc. I guess I failed to mention that. Thanks for calling it out. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 05/26/24 at 09:52:39 Ok, thanks Mike. Now I ran the new test. At 6:06 when you touched the yellow wire I'm getting .06 - that's it. Does that mean the culprit is the yellow wire - somewhere from there to the end? |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by ThumperPaul on 05/26/24 at 10:31:16 I’ll let DBM explain, but you should have 12v+ with the ignition on BEFORE you touch the starter button. And your lights should be ON when the starter button is NOT being pressed! Once you press the starter button, the voltage in the yellow wire should drop down close to ZERO and the lights should go OFF. This turning OFF the lights feature when the starter button is pressed is to allow as much battery power as possible to go to the starter relay and starter. If you are getting no voltage with the ignition on and you are not touching the starter button, you have a power interruption in the line before it reaches the connection where you are testing. It still sounds like your right side switch where the power button and kill switch live is the problem to me. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/26/24 at 18:51:51 "Ok, thanks Mike. Now I ran the new test. At 6:06 when you touched the yellow wire I'm getting .06 - that's it. Does that mean the culprit is the yellow wire - somewhere from there to the end?" In reply #29 I explained what to do if the yellow/white wire was not hot. I will try to elaborate. To start, you said you "touched the yellow wire". You should be touching the metal terminal on the yellow/white wire. That would be a yellow wire with a white trace. So, are you checking the yellow wire with white trace, and is your probe actually contacting the terminal in the connector? Did you check the orange wire to make sure you had 12V to the multi-connector? If yes to all, then there is no continuity through that circuit. Check the switch for continuity. Here is a picture of the switch removed from the motorcycle. You can also do these checks with the switch on the bike. Just unplug the right-hand multi-connector so that the pins are exposed. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/26/24 at 18:57:50 You will note that on this side of the multi-connector, the wire colors change a bit. Where you had an orange wire coming into the connector, you now have an orange/red wire. That would be an orange wire with a red trace. The other wire in question is still yellow/white (yellow with white trace). Like this. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/26/24 at 19:00:00 You will need some small female terminals that fit snug on the male pins in the connector. Connect your multi-meter to the appropriate pins in the connector socket. Like this. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/26/24 at 19:01:43 Use your meter to verify continuity. There should be no resistance, zero ohms. Like this. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/26/24 at 19:04:50 Sorry about the clarity of the pictures. Best I can do. With the meter still connected, push the starter button. The circuit should break, and the meter should read infinity or some very high resistance value. See how my meter is reading 100 megohms. That's essentially infinity. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/26/24 at 19:10:41 So, with the button released you should have zero ohms, and with the button pressed you should have infinity. I suggest you cycle the button a whole bunch of times to rule out an intermittent problem. In the event that the switch checks out good, then your problem lies in the pins and sockets in the multi-connector. But I'm betting that your problem is in the starter switch. If you determine that the starter switch is bad, it's most likely the result of dirt, water & corrosion. Here's a look inside a typical switch assembly. See how dirty and corroded it is in there. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/26/24 at 19:13:47 You can clean the contacts, but it is tricky and frustrating. Do it on a table where you can sit down. There are small parts inside that are easily dropped and lost forever. It's a bit like watch making. There are two screws that hold the switch in place. This is the first screw. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/26/24 at 19:14:25 And this is the second screw. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/26/24 at 19:22:04 The switch kinda pulls out of the housing with the wires attached. That white plastic cover has to be removed but it's fragile and easy to break. The black plastic piece has barbs. You must depress the barbs a bit in order to remove the white plastic piece. You gotta be gentle and go slow and have about six hands and thirty fingers and x-ray vision. There's springs in there and they tend to pop out and get lost. Good luck. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/26/24 at 19:27:07 Once the switch is opened, you will see the wiper assembly along with the springs. One problem with these junk switches is heat. IMO, they carry way more current than they should. When they get dirty, they start to arc and get hot. That heat gets transferred through the copper wiper to the springs and the springs get annealed and go soft. It's a crash dive downward spiral from there. Luckily, on this particular switch the wiper appears to be isolated from the springs by a plastic holder. I can't recall for sure if the springs are in plastic sockets are if they actually touch the copper. I have plenty of trouble with these switches on both my LS and my AN. See the dirty wiper and the cheesy springs. I hate these cheap switches. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/26/24 at 19:32:48 A little bit of work with some SkotchBrite pad and the wiper can be cleaned up. That assumes it isn't severely pitted. See how there is a pit in the wiper (green arrow). It's not too bad, but this switch isn't gonna last a whole lot longer. Note that in this view you can see a spring that pushes the wiper (yellow arrow). Alas, there is a spring in direct contact with the copper wiper, so it gets cooked good when the switch starts goin south. If you get into this switch, check that spring. Make sure it isn't dead soft. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/26/24 at 19:42:31 The black plastic part of the switch has two sets of contacts. See how dirty these contacts are. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/26/24 at 19:44:26 Same deal with cleaning the contacts. SkotchBrite pad and some electrical contact cleaner should do the trick, provided the contacts are not severely pitted. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 05/26/24 at 19:48:02 Put it back together and check continuity again. Now, when the start button is released, you should have zero resistance across the orange/red and yellow/white wires. When the start button is depressed, you should have infinity across the orange/red and yellow/white wires. Let us know what you find. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 06/01/24 at 11:48:38 DragBike, you are the man! I finally got her up and running. Here's what went down: I focused on the switch apparatus, as you suggested, taking it off and meticulously going through the points to clean it. On the actual ON - OFF swith itself, I removed everything and cleaned the copper connectors. Put it all back, plugged in the tank, and voila! Lights. But here's where it gets interesting. I then peiced everything back together, check as I went to make sure I still had power. When I got the tank secure, there was none again. I move that big section of wires that was plugged in to the ON - OFF switch assembly, and it worked?? So, I tightened everything up and now am a go to finally take it back on the road. Hopefully, it stays together. I wil keep you posted. Thanks again Mike. 8-) |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by ThumperPaul on 06/01/24 at 12:58:26 Mike is the man! So a good cleaning of the switch seemed necessary. Good job cleaning it up! But are you saying you also have/had a bad connection or bad wire at the connection under the gas tank? Did you find where your connection or wire(s) is/was bad under the tank? Did I understand you correctly? I'm always worried about pinching or cutting into the wiring under the tank when reinstalling the gas tank. It's always kind of an awkward nerveracking process installing the gas tank without bumping around and damaging all the wires, connectors, and cables. Happy Trails to You! |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 06/02/24 at 09:09:58 Hi Paul. to answer: But are you saying you also have/had a bad connection or bad wire at the connection under the gas tank? Did you find where your connection or wire(s) is/was bad under the tank? Did I understand you correctly? At first, it did seem like that for some reason, but after I buttoned it all and took it out for a ride yesterday (~20 miles) seems fine! I guess I'll cross that bridge if/when I come to it. One other thing to note: Ever since I've had this bike, the horn sounded very weak and this gauge was constantly "bouncing" up and down, by tat I mean one dot lights up then two, then three, then back to two etc but in rapid succession (going from 0-10 spastically really. Now it stays on. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to work? I've never had one like this. It's on the halfway mark right up at 12 mostly, whach are red-yellow-yellow-yellow, but once in a great while will flash the green light (over the halfway mark). That light never really stays on but I can see it once in a great while. Before this trouble I never even saw it. Guess I don't know how to read the durned thing. . |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by ThumperPaul on 06/02/24 at 09:36:54 I have no idea. That volt gauge looks ancient. Hopefully it doesn't have gremlins in it at the root of your problem. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 06/09/24 at 17:39:22 Redux problem: Overall, I had the system working. Now, however, when I drive the left front light only works intermittently (you can see it's actually off in the pic) and the flasher lights range from a steady green flash to a spastic flash. I don't know which they should be. The gauge I've attached here shows the system at a stop when I rev the engine; when I stop revving or am driving, it's minus the green light. Also, when I gun it, hop on the highway etc., the gauge goes bananas for a minute or two, flashing etc. until it goes back. Other wise, it's working as far as headlamp and horn, so overall I'm good, but I wish I could get the final kinks out >:( |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by DragBikeMike on 06/11/24 at 17:40:06 The connectors for your front turn signals and running lights are in your headlight nacelle. Remove your headlight and check those connectors. It's easy to figure out which wires and connectors since the wires run directly into the turn signal light stems. You should follow the wire to your LED voltmeter and see where it's connected. Let us know where it is connected. |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 06/12/24 at 09:52:17 Thanks Mike, I will check that out. Quick note/observation: While riding I tugged on the harness that goes to the switch on the handlebars, and everything went on. Thinking also to check the connection under the tank (again)> :-? |
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Title: Re: Help with electrical issue - horn, lights only Post by Odysseus on 06/12/24 at 13:35:31 Have not opened the front headlight yet but I did take the seat off/tank and fiddled with that cluster of wires. Now all seems well except for the left front running light, which seems to illuminate when I beep. :P I'll test drive it tomorrow. |
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