electrical gremlins have killed the rebel devil...

[ross]

hey there folks.....so far have been having a great riding season....that is until last thursday morning at 5:00 am getting ready to head off to work....geared up, turned the key and.....nothing!!....no lights, no gauge lites, no starter button....no nothing....checked the fuses quickly and all looked good, but yet no power at all....mind you i rode it home the nite before from work with no problems what so ever...now, after reading previous posts i see no mention of the same exact problem so i figured i would ask the XS guru's and see if we can solve the problem i have....i'm no electrical wizard, but can follow wiring diagrams and i think i know what the problem is, but do not know what is right and wrong.
first off, i know i'm gonna hear cr*p about the glass fuses, they have worked all along and even replaced the entire set just to make sure that was not the issue...will be looking in a new fuse block shortly, but not right now...i have gotten it back running but just to check electrical by jumping off the positive side of the battery to certain wires...
in the picture below, the small square box behind the fuse block plate (silver) and above the auxillary fuse block is the starter solinoid..(correct?!)...with the key off...i have 13 volts on the battery and on the wire that goes from battery to the solinoid....i have 0 volts coming from the red/white wire....i also have 13 volts on the main fuse on both sides of the fuse..and 0 volts on the other 3 fuses..now back to jumping off the positive side of the battery....with the key off....i can jump from the battery to main fuse, any of the other fuses and even to the red/white wire and she lights up and starts....remember the key is off....i'm sure the same will work with the key on, but it has me wondering....is the solinoid (original) cooked and that is why she don't light up at all....not sure if this is the problem, but figured i'd give this thread some place to start....

as always, i humbly come before you once again to help me solve another mystery of life.....a question that man alone can not answer.....a quest that was give to me to complete.....but i can only complete my journey with the help of you fine folks, known in these parts as "The XS Collective".....

...(recovering from a daze).....whoa, sorry folks.....see what 2 days of riding a cage to work in perfect riding weather has done to me......for god sakes, i'm stuck with a green dodge mini-van!!!......please any and all help in this matter will help me in my recovery from this sickness.....thanx in advance....ride hard, ride safe....ross

[DGXSER]

On a quest!!

Well Sir Knight, I thinkest thou shouldth begin thy quest at the beginning of thy power circuit. Thy key switch beith the main object of thoust concern.

Ok enough of the middle english already, Power goes form the battery to your ignition / key switch. If the key is not on, the big brown wire to the fuse box gets no power, and that big brown wire, well, the other two small brown wires are just split off of that big brown wire, so they get nothing either.

[bikerphil]

Yep, in the headlight bucket, unplug the 3 wire connector for the ignition switch and jump the red and tan wires. If all your power comes on, then it is time to take the ign. switch apart and clean it. The connector in the bucket is also prone to melting. HTH

[psycoreefer]

+1 on the ignition switch, thats where I'd start. Might try wiggling and jiggling the key around and see if you get momentary contact, that would confirm a bad contact in the ignition switch

[ross]

tomorrow is another day to conquer....

hey there folks...thanx for the advise....do not have a headlight bucket (vetter fairing), but will try the wire jump for the ignition switch.....like i mentioned, it just happened out of the blue and i do not understand what is happening, but will try my best to use your suggestions and will illustrate my battles.....d*mn cageitis!!!!......i'm thinking i should start a therapy group for those of us that are removed from our rides and must resort to cages to get around!!!....well, folks once again i shall try your suggestions and report back tomorrow.....until then, ride hard, ride safe.....ross

[GARTHXS]

+1 on the main switch and connector

[ross]

conquest conquered!!!.....

hey there folks....was a crazy fathers day but all in all very good....steaks on the grill at my bro's house....our dad was there....sister-in-law has moved out....all is good...got back home afterwards and tore into the rebel devil...followed your trusty advice and once again "The XS Collective" has solved another problem that mere mortals could not understand or comprehend.....tore apart the front end for the iginition switch plug....unpluged it and was surprised by the corrosion in there.....cleaned up the contacts, applied some grease and all is very good.....thank you very much for the help and next time we all get together, i buy the first round!!!!....happy father's day to all you mothers!!!!.....ride hard, ride safe....ross

p.s. thank god i don't have to drive the green "death" cage tomorrow!!!!...

[bikerphil]

Glad you got it worked out Ross. I know, taking the cage sucks.

[DGXSER]

Awesome work Ross. I love it when a plan comes together!!

Glad you also had a great dads day. Sounds like your sis-in-law was about as well liked as lima beans! A real "aquired" taste that most are REALLY glad they never aquired.

[psycoreefer]

Hey you could always do like I did, sell the cage then you don't ever have to drive it again! Plus it really motivates you to get the bike fixed, when you know its that or walking to work!

[ross]

the hero rests, drinking his grog......

hey there folks....thanx once again for the quick help and advice.....just a quick follow up here.....

bikerphil.....i don't care where or how i die just that it be quick, make a scene, f*ck up everybodys day, and never...i repeat, never be in that d*mn green mini-van!!!!....

dgxser....yea, more than one plan came together that day....haven't been to my bro's for dinner in about 10 years....just because of the SIL......put it this way, take nancy pelosi, mix in the most vile female you know (times 10!), a probation officer that has 15 years experience, a dozen rotten eggs (just because ya need some scent to find her!), 10 women enjoying "that time of the month", and a black widow spider, and your about 6 steps below where she is.....don't use the "c" word ever, but for her i will make many exceptions!!!

psycoreefer....i guess that would work for awhile, but SWMBO needs something to carry the groceries and plywood home in.....but then there is the exercise angle that carrying a sheet of 3/4 plywood 4 miles gives ya.....then again not up for snow-shoeing 11 miles to work, stand 10 hours on a concrete floor, and 11 miles back in the wintertime......snow and ice on the ground = cage sounds good!....as far as walking to work, last year pushed the rebel devil almost a mile to work, worked a 9-1/2 hour day (got docked for being late!).....does that count?!

once again fellow family members, thank you very much for the advice.....btw, does anyone know what a round for 6,257 members will cost?!....ride hard, ride safe....ross

[thewiz]

This is some funny stuff here ...