Turned ingition key hit starter now nothing

[MrOzz]

Hello all. I have a electrical question. The last night I was leaving a friends house. I turned the ignition key on. Lights came on. Then I hit the starter and everything died. After checking as much of the electircal as I could with a flash light in his driveway I could not find anything wrong. Next thing I know power was restored. I was able to start the bike. On my way home the brake lights stoped working and so did my blinkers. I pull in to my driveway and blinkers work and brake lights also. I got home from work. Went to start the bike. Turned igition key to on. Lights came on per usual. Go to start the bike and then everything dies again. Checked voltage on the batt. Great at a little over 12v. Turn ignition key. Volts drop to nothing. Pulled the battery out of the bike. I am getting a short to ground on the main. but only when I turn the ignition key to on. I tried pulling the fuses. Still short to ground with the key in the on postion. Pull the main fuse no shorts. So where do I start to find this problem? I have checked the wiring in the headlight bucket and all seems fine. Could it be the igniton lock? If so how can I test it?

I hope I have provided enough info.

Thank You all in advance for your help.

Ozz

[CatatonicBug]

The ignition switch can go bad. You might try taking it apart and cleaning/re-connecting all the connections in there. I've never done it, but there are a few threads on here where people talked about the process.

[desert1]

ground to frame

Try checking the ground to the frame next to the battery also check fuse holder connections and fuses for corrosion....Bruce

[3Phase]

Ozz, are you sure it's a short to ground? If you're hooking up a meter to the main wire at the battery and pulling fuses to check for a short to ground it won't work that way. You'll always get a circuit when the ignition switch is on because current flows to the alternator/stator. That circuit is not fused except for the Main 30 amp fuse.

If the whole bike is dying when you turn on the ignition you should check the 30 amp Main fuse and connectors, the ignition switch and the connector to the ignition switch from the wiring harness in the headlight shell. If one or more of those are bad it would kill everything including the ignition, not just the blinkers and brake lights. I don't think you would have been able to ride it home.

Check the 20 amp Signal fuse and connections. The signals, horn, brake lights and a couple of other things share that fuse.


Regards,

Scott

[XJOK2PLAY]

Sorry, disregard please.

[XJOK2PLAY]

Ozz,
I started to ask this a while ago, then reread and retracted...
But I'm gonna ask again anyway...

You say it checks 12 v. @ the battery, then you try to start, and it drops to nothing... is that also at the battery where you're checking?

You may have a dead cell or a broken plate in the battery... they're pretty small and fragile. Sometimes, they can break, and fall against a neighboring cell and short that one...

Might want to have it load tested... JAT

Bob

[MrOzz]

All fuses are good. No corrosion on the fuses or on the front and back of the fuse panel.


The way I tested for short was removing the battery. Putting the positive on my meter to the lead on the red wire off the battery. Also removed the lead of the starter solenoid. Then I took the negitive lead from my meter and went to ground. When I turned the ignition key to on I get the short. Is that wrong? If so what the best way to check short to gorund on the bike?

If the whole bike is dying when you turn on the ignition you should check the 30 amp Main fuse and connectors, the ignition switch and the connector to the ignition switch from the wiring harness in the headlight shell. If one or more of those are bad it would kill everything including the ignition, not just the blinkers and brake lights. I don't think you would have been able to ride it home.

Check the 20 amp Signal fuse and connections. The signals, horn, brake lights and a couple of other things share that fuse.


Regards,

Scott

The 30 Amp Main fuse is good. All the conectors are good. What is the best way to check the ignition switch? When I turn the key which of the 4 pins are to have continuity?

Thanks,
Ozz

[MrOzz]

Ozz,
I started to ask this a while ago, then reread and retracted...
But I'm gonna ask again anyway...

You say it checks 12 v. @ the battery, then you try to start, and it drops to nothing... is that also at the battery where you're checking?

You may have a dead cell or a broken plate in the battery... they're pretty small and fragile. Sometimes, they can break, and fall against a neighboring cell and short that one...

Might want to have it load tested... JAT

Bob

I have 12v at the battery. When I turn the igniton key to on the battery drops to aprox 1v. This is with out hitting the starter button. When I turn the ignition key to off I get the 12v at the battery again.

Does that seem like a broken plate or a dead cell? If so let me know and I will have it load tested.

Thanks,

Ozz

[XJOK2PLAY]

Ozz,

You may be getting a misleading reading... sometimes when you're checking circuits in a continuity test... if there are any bulb filaments, coil windings, etc. in that circuit... it can show continuity to ground. But, it doesn't mean there's a short.

With no blown fuses, it's hard for me to see that there's a short.

As I said previously, if the battery checks good, UNTIL a heavy load (ie: starter) is applied, then falls to -0- volts... it's usually a battery problem... if you're checking before & after at the battery.

Bad connections can act the same way, but shouldn't matter if you check @ the battery... and directly to the posts, not the cables.

[XJOK2PLAY]

I have 12v at the battery. When I turn the igniton key to on the battery drops to aprox 1v. This is with out hitting the starter button. When I turn the ignition key to off I get the 12v at the battery again.

Does that seem like a broken plate or a dead cell? If so let me know and I will have it load tested.

Thanks,

Ozz

It really does to me, Ozz. I'd do a load test.

[MrOzz]

It really does to me, Ozz. I'd do a load test.

So in theory if i take my battery charger, connect it to the battery turn the ignition key to on everything should power up? Just to see if my brake light will come on?

Thanks for the info.

[3Phase]

So in theory if i take my battery charger, connect it to the battery turn the ignition key to on everything should power up? Just to see if my brake light will come on?

Thanks for the info.

Theoretically: yes.

If it blows the Main fuse or smoke starts coming out of [somewhere], turn it off.


Regards,

Scott

[XJOK2PLAY]

Theoretically: yes.

If it blows the Main fuse or smoke starts coming out of [somewhere], turn it off.


Regards,

Scott

As Scott says here... "THEORETICALLY". And I do agree... smoke...BAADDDD!!!

But. remember... if you happened to have a broken plate, weak cell, or a dead short in the battery itself, it may not.

Load testing would be the preferred method to absolutely know one way or another about the batteries condition. As expensive as the rascals are getting these days... I'd wanna know for sure.

[cywelchjr]

In addition, whether the battery is good or not, if you still have the original fuse box in there your just asking for trouble. Best bet is to replace that sucker as fast as you can, with either inline spade fuses or a spade type fuse box, you will NOT regret having done so as these boxes can look like there is nothing wrong and not be working, there is a reason the entire industry switched fuse types, and it wasn't because they were bored.

[DGXSER]

And I do agree... smoke...BAADDDD!!!

Come on, Electricity is all smoke!! Anytime anything electrical ever quit working it is cause someone let the smoke out. Goes right to the generating stations, the smoke out the stacks is the extra smoke not needed in the pipes.