Electrical gremlins

[MindWebs]

i jumped on the bike tonight to ride to work.

i turned on the fuel, turned on the key, hit the start button.... and nothing.

i checked the battery charge(good), the kill switch(set to run), Checked neutral (green light was lit)

i can short out the starter relay with my pliers and spin the bike over(turns over correctly) and starts and runs
but as soon as i pull my pliers off the starter relay, the engine dies.

any idea's?

PS, i have been riding this bike for the last 3 weeks with no problems.
i parked it for 10 hours and was trying to leave for work again and it no go.

Webs

[XSokieSPECIAL]

Sounds a lot like a bad ignition swich to me. Is there power to the coils with just the ignition switch turned on?

[bikerphil]

After checking the fuses, take a look at the ignition key switch connector in the headlight bucket. Definitely a weak point in the electrical system. HTH

[MindWebs]

ok, i will check, any other thoughts while i'm in there?

i looked at the 4 fuses in the "main" fuse box and all "looked" good.
i know i need to test them but non where burnt from frying and the centers where intact.

i will check the headlight connection when i get home in the morning.

i will also check to see if coils have power with the key on.

i SUCK at electrical, so please let me know of any other ideas and how to check them.

if it were mechanical.. i'd probibly find it.. but as i said, i suck at electrical.

Thank you!!!

[tw1980]

It's ok to suck at electrical we have to learn every thing we know.Most people don't learn electrical because it's hard and it's not worth the trouble unless it's somehow relates to your profession.Looking at the diagram for an SF,I'm guessing you have a bad plug going to/ or a bad handlebar switch.I think you've been around long enough to know the drill.IE clean connections,dialectic grease etc... Good luck and keep us posted.

Terry

[tarzan]

A friend bought an XS last summer that had a problem like that.
We went to look at it and the PO said it wont start.We had to jump the solenoid
and it would run,but take the tweezers(thats all we had to jump it with) away from the solenoid and it would die.My friend rode it home with the tweezers wedged in it.
It turned out that it had one of the white wires from the stator melted to the exhaust.You couldn't see it form the top.It also had fried the rect/reg.
I fixed the short and replaced the rect/reg and it runs great.BTW if the reg is fried your headlight and tach wont work.

[MindWebs]

Good idea's!! Thank YOU!!!

hmm... yup sounds the same...

but when "Jumped" and running the headlight works,
i have a mechanical tach..

I will check any wiring low on the engine, it's worth checking!!!

Thanks ALL!!

I will go through all these recomendations when i get home in the morning.

I'll keep you posted.

Webs

[skids]

Wasn't there some thread a while back about the ballast resistor (78 through 80) being shorted out when that happens?

[petejw]

Was going to suggest the ballast resistor also,
join the 2 wires that connect to it, (red/white from memory)
its found under the
tank on the left side of the frame.

[MindWebs]

Found it

Hmm, i didn't check the resistor, (don't know where it is)

But, I did find the culprit!!

Yep should have gotten to dealing with it before known problem arrose

Fuse box. ignition fuse, the barrel clamps for the fuse where not tight.
i tryed to tighten them a bit and "snap" went the clip.

i installed an inline sealed barrel fuse holder i had around to patch it for now,
but i WILL be getting a new ATC sealed box to install before the weekend.

i also dieelectictric'ed all the headlight bucket connections and tightened the ignition swith female connectors(to prevent that problem)

Thank you ALL!!!!

Webs

[dragxs11]

If you have an Ohm meter you can trace the start circuit from the solinoid back. We just had a bike with a bad connection in the start switch...had to take it apart and clean the oxide off the contacts. Could be anything from the switch, to a connector, to the solinoid, to the starter. If you hear the solinoid click when you hit the button, your good on the switch end, and it's either the solinoid or the starter. If not, the other way around.
You need a Haynes manual with an electrical print!!
P.S. You have to disconnect the solinoid from the start button or your meter will read a short across the solinoid coil. There should be a connector next to the solinoid and another under the tank.