Jack_650 wrote on 06/21/10 at 22:31:58:And: B) find out how/why this happened in the first place.
Then when I took the tank off it cranked over fine.
The third try there was zero from the starter and things started smoking again.
There doesn't seem to be any fraying of the wiring bundle, so I haven't a clue as to what went south on me.
Would a diode going bad be intermittent like that? It's always been my understanding that they either do or don't work.
Somehow you're getting a direct short to a hot lead just north of the diode.
Since you don't get this with the tank is off, start there. What's on the tank? tick, tick, , , , time's up, neutral light. check the leads aren't crossed there. the tank is pretty hard on wiring too.
also, if you got a multimeter, check the voltage from the center wire (if it ain't all burned up of course) to the outside leads (tank and switch on) shouldn't be 12 volts. on the neutral light side some of the volts should be ate up by the light. but it may show full volts if current ain't running. you should be able to short it to ground, that's what the diode did thru the neutral switch. The other side is more complicated, but you should see the same results.
oh I forgot about the diode, no, not intermittent, once they let smoke out they barely hold together.
and yes, it may blow w/out popping a fuse.