Fuse trouble

[fredintoon]

This is what is there. I didnt see the fuse

Hi Adam,
well, I don't see it either but it aught to be there. A back rubber holder with a single 30A glass tube fuse in it. That's the main fuse and if it's not working nothing can work. The holder has a slot that slides over a tab on the frame tube. If the dreaded PO has been at that fuseholder too, Look for two red wires, one comes straight from the battery and has a red cloth sleeve over it, the other is a plain red wire that goes into the wiring harness and goes to the ignition switch. You should be able to find those two wires and see what they have been connected to.

[bikerphil]

You wont find an external fuse under the left side cover on a '79. The '80 and up changed to that set-up. The '79 Special has it's own wiring diagram, specific to that bike.

[Axel]

maybe not

Are we sure that the 79 has the main fuse outside the box ?
I just went through this with another thread .

http://www.xs11.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20310

[Axel]

remote main fuse

I find my Clymer manual for XS1100 is in error on this point . It has a similiar diagram for all years that shows no main fuse.
I have a nice color diagram from here somewhere that shows it on the 80.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Adam,

The 79 doesn't have a separately located MAIN FUSE, it's the one with the 2 red wires going to the main key switch, and it should be 30 amp. The other one with the red/white and brown wires is probably the ignition and should be only 10 amp, The turn signal is the 20 amp, and the tail lights is a 10 amp. There are only 4 fuse circuits on the early models. The 80-81's added the extra MAIN FUSE in a separate holder under the seat/left side cover, and is tapped right off the main battery cable. Like Fred said, that glass fuse is just the AUX terminal fuse junction, also 10 amps.

Intermittent running can be many problems. The emergency kill switch on the handlebar can be corroded, the TIP OVER switch under the gas tank can be going bad, it can be bypassed just by unplugging it, labeled UP on it's side somewhere!? Having to hit the collection of fuses/plugs to get it to work can't necessarily determine that the problem is actually there, could be just vibrations from that action moving wires elsewhere on the harness.
Your fuse connections/fix is actually one of the cheap ways of fixing the glass fuse holder problems, and is shown as an option in the tech tips!? I don't really think your fuse connections are the problem NOW that you've eliminated the glass holders/fuses themselves, keep searching for other problems with connections, etc.!
T.C.

[XSPastor]

According to the good book Clymers, the main fuse in the SF is located in the fusebox. It's the one with two red wires.

[Axel]

colored wiring diagram

http://members.cox.net/topcatgr/files/79sfwire02.jpg

[adam79]

You're right. it's not there. It's supposed to be hanging on that bracket sticking up there next to the battery. Hmmmm... Perhaps the PO did something to re-wire it and located it somewhere nearby that area. I would just start digging around in there to try to locate something that looks like a fuse.

That piece that hangs in that spot, it is a block with wires going into it, and filled with some kind of foam. I thought it was a maybe a t/s resistor? I was holding it out of the way so I could take the picture

[Axel]

Xs1100sf

No remote main fuse on your model . That is a different part on the 79Xs1100SF

[adam79]

The 79 doesn't have a separately located MAIN FUSE, it's the one with the 2 red wires going to the main key switch, and it should be 30 amp. The other one with the red/white and brown wires is probably the ignition and should be only 10 amp

ok, I noticed that when I turn the key to on, that all the lights come on, but if I pull that main fuse out, (the one with the 2 red wires) EVERYTHING shuts off. But when the bike is experiancing the starting and running problems, everything (electrical) still works. I followed the diagram, and the path of these 2 circuits lead to the main switch, the rectifier w/regulator, terminal assembley, the positive battery cable, handle bar switch right, and the generator. Which of these can I safely rule out of the problem?

The first thing I am going to do is take apart the (righthand) handle bar switch. If it was as corroded as the left hand housing was (the one that gave me the blinker problems), than maybe thats my problem.

[Axel]

More

If it hasnt been mentioned - A lot of us rework (take apart and clean and apply di-electric grease) to every connector on the bike to kind of pre-empt these kinds of electrical problems .
For you -I would start with the connectors in the Ignition circuit (red/white wire) and maybe verify all the connectors in the circuit from the main (key) switch to the ignition fuse (tan wire) first .
If you had a multi-meter with an audlble tone you could attach leads on eithe end of the curcuit and wiggle and bend wires until you located a problem . With a normal multi-meter you have to use you eyes on the meter using the resistance(ohms) scale (less fun) as you go along the wiring harness .
Usually its a corroded conector that just needs to be cleaned . If you have time -do yourself a favour and clean them all . Its a good way to get to know your bike .

I am not a mechanic - just some stuff I had to do .

[adam79]

what is the extent of the clean? Just unplug connectors and spray them with electrical connection cleaner?

[bikerphil]

Unplug and spray with contact cleaner. Plug in and unplug connectors a couple times. Spray again. Apply a good amount of di-electric grease. Plug 'em back in. For extensive corrosion, you might have to scrape, file, or sand the crud off.

[Axel]

dremel

I use a small brass wire wheel brush on my dremel tool and it cleans em like new . I go in and around the pins . I have removed the connectors from the plug to clean the female ends .I havent used spray cleaner for this as I found a bit of material had to be removed .
After cleaning slather a good amount of di-electic grease inside and plug back together . I like to see a bit squeeze out to make sure I have coated every metal surface that could corrode . I then spread some in the back of the plug where the wires go in as thats where wires break sometimes when twisting the harness .

[adam79]

Ok, I'll have to go get some grease. I took the right handle bar housing apart and put a new button in, and cleaned everything. I put it back together, and.. nothing. I loosened the screws a bit and slapped the housing, and, vroom. started right up. I noticed the 2 red striped wires going into the 'run' switch were a little kinked and smashed where they are held in place by that little metal bracket. Could this be my problem?