SuzukiSavage.com - electrical trouble

Hiker YaBB Newbies Offline Posts: 20 Gender:	electrical trouble 03/10/07 at 13:11:06 I have an 07 S40 with 1200 miles . Heres my problem. I noticed that with the key in the run position, front lights all worked, no flashers or blinkers though. No rear lights at all, except brake lights. With the key in the accessory position all thel lights work, headlight, tail ight, front and rear blinkers and flashers. What could this problem be?
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justin_o_guy

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Re: electrical trouble
Reply #1 - 03/10/07 at 16:23:45

Seems you had this same prob under anothet thread. It occured after a run in with a wall? Busted a turn signal off?
Have you got a shop manual? Have you got a volt/ohm meter? There are most likely wirinbg diagrams online here, but I can't see them as well as the book. Just a cheapo volt ohm meter from radio shack will do. Get some wire to make jumpers, too, cuz the leads on a little meter are short. Little alligator clips are handy, unless you are related to an octopus. Prett nice to be able to hook one up & let go. There are clips that slip on meter probes, those can be clipped on a wire & the wire then used as a probe. If you solder a piece of hard wire on the new probe your little meter will be very handy.

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verslagen1 YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline Where there's a will, I want to be in it. Posts: 28884 L.A. California Gender:	Re: electrical trouble Reply #2 - 03/10/07 at 21:13:28 In other words you got a short or crossed your wires. Can't hide behind blind threads can you? So rip that puppy back apart and find your mistake.
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Hiker YaBB Newbies Offline Posts: 20 Gender:	Re: electrical trouble Reply #3 - 03/10/07 at 21:28:44 I haven't taken anything apart to cross wires.
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Savage_Greg Serious Thumper Alliance Member Offline Don't go around your ass to reach your elbow... Posts: 7844 SW Washington State Gender:	Re: electrical trouble Reply #4 - 03/10/07 at 21:39:12 Hiker wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03: I haven't taken anything apart.... That's why the other thread didn't work either... It won't fix itself
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Hiker YaBB Newbies Offline Posts: 20 Gender:	Re: electrical trouble Reply #5 - 03/10/07 at 21:50:28 I hoped to get some advice on how to fix it. All anybody was interested in was the tape. THe tape is irrelevent nothing was ever taken apart.
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Savage_Greg

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Re: electrical trouble
Reply #6 - 03/10/07 at 21:56:16

Hiker wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03:

I hoped to get some advice on how to fix it. All anybody was interested in was the tape. THe tape is irrelevent nothing was ever taken apart.

You broke it. The advice is to remove the tape and find the problem.

No one knows exactly what you have there until you tell us. Then we'll be more than glad to talk about it.

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verslagen1

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Re: electrical trouble
Reply #7 - 03/10/07 at 23:45:04

We only know 2 things, the lights are screwed and the light was broken off. And that was repaired with ample amounts of duct tape, probably of the wrong color.
Check the contacts at the light for grounds or open circuits. With the key in the park position only the tail light should be lit. Brake lights or signals should not work. So, believe it or not, you got a short.
Guess what? You're going to have to tear all that duct tape off no matter what color it is.
Please use the right color next time. Grin

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justin_o_guy

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Re: electrical trouble
Reply #8 - 03/11/07 at 00:30:51

I see the word "short" used during discussions where electricity is involved. More often it's not a short, but an open that is the problem. Shorts are most often accompanied by telltale signs of electrons using a short cut to ground instead of running dutifully through the load they were intended to run thru.The tell tale signs are, blown fuses, smoke, the smell of burning insulation, stuff like that.

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barry68v10

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Re: electrical trouble
Reply #9 - 03/11/07 at 03:21:53

Hiker, my guess is, when the tail light got broken, some skin got ground off a couple wires leaving an open or short-circuit, or the force of impact caused two wires that were already frayed to contact a ground or each other. Get yourself a wire diagram in the Tech section and a circuit tester and start testing circuits to find the "bad" circuit. Unfortunately, electrical problems seem to be the most baffling and hardest to find. You might try rewiring your whole bike and simplify the thing like a few in this forum are currently tackling. I'd like to do the same to mine. I hate the mess of spagetthi wires and circuits running everywhere for such a simple machine.

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smokin_blue

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Re: electrical trouble
Reply #10 - 03/11/07 at 05:04:07

Hiker wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03:

I have an 07 S40 with 1200 miles . Heres my problem. I noticed that with the key in the run position, front lights all worked, no flashers or blinkers though. No rear lights at all, except brake lights. With the key in the accessory position all thel lights work, headlight, tail ight, front and rear blinkers and flashers. What could this problem be?

Time out for some details....In the accessory position?? do you mean park..or (help me someone) are they now calling park accessory on the new bikes?

secon question you do have a headlight on in park (accessory) position?

Last question...did it ever work right when you've owned it or did you buy it this way?

Lastly...This is an '07...aren't you still under factory warranty ?

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thumperclone

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Re: electrical trouble
Reply #11 - 03/11/07 at 07:14:15

fault(also ground fault,or arc fault)= wire going to ground (in vehicles usually before the load)
short=wire is open,no complete circuit..
not knowing your bikes history its hard to trouble shoot your problem..but from what others are saying a light broke and was fixed..if it was the head light be aware that the housing is used as a "junction box" for front lighting circuits..the flasher relay operates when key is in park ..i do have a diagram if needed..

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Savage_Greg

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Re: electrical trouble
Reply #12 - 03/11/07 at 07:58:45

justin_o_guy wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03:

I see the word "short" used during discussions where electricity is involved. More often it's not a short, but an open that is the problem. Shorts are most often accompanied by telltale signs of electrons using a short cut to ground instead of running dutifully through the load they were intended to run thru.The tell tale signs are, blown fuses, smoke, the smell of burning insulation, stuff like that.

You are right, but in some cases, you can have a short on a ground wire where the current still goes through the intended load. It won't blow a fuse, but will cause some unexpected special effects.

Tongue

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Savage_Greg

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Re: electrical trouble
Reply #13 - 03/11/07 at 08:03:08

thumperclone wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:03:

fault(also ground fault,or arc fault)= wire going to ground (in vehicles usually before the load)
short=wire is open,no complete circuit..
not knowing your bikes history its hard to trouble shoot your problem..but from what others are saying a light broke and was fixed..if it was the head light be aware that the housing is used as a "junction box" for front lighting circuits..the flasher relay operates when key is in park ..i do have a diagram if needed..

This is why it's good to keep one subject in one thread.

Hiker's broken light is a turn signal that got busted when his house went by...

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Max_Morley

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Re: electrical trouble
Reply #14 - 03/11/07 at 09:11:56

When the light elements in a dual filament bulb make contact with each other feedback can occur and often explains strange electrical problems. The same idea was expressed about the chaffed wires. Also a missing ground will allow the voltage to seek another path to through another bulb. That is how GM made the front turn signal work on 88-92 or PUs,SUVs with the 88 body style. You know the ones that toggle from front to side when the lights are off. I'd start with the broken turn signal first. another remote possibiity would be the contacts in the key switch are broken somehow. Maybe from the short to another cicuit or short to ground from the light being hit by the house ! Max

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