Electrical Problems...Please Help!

[MONKEYMIKE]

I have a 79 XS1100 just purchased it.
I have checked the bike for power to headlight, horn etc and when I tone it out everything looks good inc fuses.
However the bike is as dead as a dodo, Do you have any idedas where I should start looking given that I have checked just about everywhere.
thanks

[sixtysix]

I moved your thread, you had it inside another one. On XS 11's there are 2 major electrical problems. The first id the fuse blocks...even if the fuses look good they do not make any more the clips get bad and lose tension and will not make a good contact. Look in the Tips sections for good ideas on how to improve yours. The next one is corroded connectors and dirty connections. checka all the conectors in the headlight bucket since just about everything goes through there. Do you have any power? Will it start?

[John]

When you say you 'toned it out' do you mean you used an audible ohmmeter, or did you check to see if you actually had power to all components? Do you have power to the ignition switch? It's a red wire in a 3 wire connector that has a blue and a brown wire in it. It will be in the headlight bucket. The red wire comes right off the battery cable at the starter solenoid, on the right hand side, then through the main fuse, then on to the ign switch. It's always hot. The brown wire coming from the ign swith powers up the other fuses. Start there. The blue wire powers up tail light and instrument lights when the ign switch is in the on position. Do you have those lights when the switch is in the on position?
Do you have a repair manual? I have a Clymer manual, and it has color wiring diagrams for each model year. I would strongly recommend getting one before attempting any repairs, especially on the electrical system. Don't be afraid to come here with any questions. Somebody here will probably have the answer. There are some very knowledgeable guys here. The only stupid question is the one you don't ask.
Good luck. Let us know what you find.

[MONKEYMIKE]

Hi John,

I have a brand new battery fully charged, i have checked all connections and grounds and found one clip on the fuse panel to the main fuse broken and have corrected that.
As it stands I have no lights, no horn nothing except if I cross a screw driver across the starter solenoid the bike turns over.
The aux main 30amp is good. Should there be anything else directly under this aux fuse that is connected? It looks like two round screw heads with a plus sign on one and a minus on the other.
slowly working my way through the bike and will purchase a anual tomorrow.
ps
I also own a xs750 1978 and to verify bulbs have taken off the 1100 and put them on the 750 and the bulbs light up.
Thanks for your advise and will cntinue to track down the problem.
mike

[MONKEYMIKE]

Thanks Sixty Six,
Sorry for getting in on your thread just getting use to the set up.

MonkeyMike

[Geezer]

Originally posted by MONKEYMIKE
Hi John,

I have a brand new battery fully charged, i have checked all connections and grounds and found one clip on the fuse panel to the main fuse broken and have corrected that.
As it stands I have no lights, no horn nothing except if I cross a screw driver across the starter solenoid the bike turns over.
The aux main 30amp is good. Should there be anything else directly under this aux fuse that is connected? It looks like two round screw heads with a plus sign on one and a minus on the other.
slowly working my way through the bike and will purchase a anual tomorrow.
ps
I also own a xs750 1978 and to verify bulbs have taken off the 1100 and put them on the 750 and the bulbs light up.
Thanks for your advise and will cntinue to track down the problem.
mike

Check and clean all the connections. More often than not it's a loose or dirty connection.

I make terminal release tools out of thin sheet steel as I need one (I usually loose them before I need one again) and pop the terminals out. Give them a slight crimp and work them over with wire toothbrush before putting them back together. A little electrical terminal greese will keep them in good order. This is a lot of busy work but it's worth it.

Geezer

[chevy45412001]

probs

You might want to check the fuses with a test light on both ends of the fuse. I had a intermitent problem with my bike loding all power while i was riding it. I looked at all the fuses,etc. Had me stumped. took a couple of days to actualy chaeck with test light.One of my fuses was broke in the metal part that you could not see.Had power on one side of fuse.Changed the fuse no problem since.

[skids]

Re: probs

Ill bet it has something to do with the key switch. I believe that the red wire to the switch is hot "input", the blue wire is hot output to the runners and the main fuse, the brown wire is the hot output to the fusebox. Turn the key on and you should get 12 volts between the hot side of fuse clips and frame ground.

[MONKEYMIKE]

The XS1100 electrical problem to date.
Still no pwer after checking just about everything including the ignition.
I can get the motor to spin if I cross the starter solenoid with a screw driver, at least that confirms I have power.
I have a new battery fully charged.
I check the main fuse which goes on and off via the key being turned, so I have ignition and have also checked the wires in the headlight.
I have my probe light up at both sides of all fuses and again can shut one side of the main fuse when the key is turned to the off position.
the only thing I see is a damaged aux reserve light box which has been taped up, could this be the answer?.
I am now baffled and not sure what to do next.
all fuses have been replaced wth new.

On a good note at least I can enjoy my 1977 XS750 in the meantime.

Is there any Chicago XS1100 riders that are in thearea to compare electrical with working example.
Bike has 14000 miles and is in standard condition has not been ridden for about two years.

Many thanks for the support so far much appreciated.

[mitch]

Check this

Have you checked the kill switch to see if it is off sometimes we miss the simple things, you also might check it to see if its working it might bev in the on position but not working that has happened before just a thought........ also there is a main fuse in the system down by the battery in its own holder have you checked that .It has a large red wire on both sides of the holder and is located under the seat on an XJ bye the battery HTH .....MITCH

[John]

Hey Mitch. His bike is a 79 model. It doesn't have the main fuse that is separate from the fuse panel, like the 80 and newer XS's and the XJ's. Kill switch is a good idea. How about the 60 degree switch, the Emergency kill switch that is under the tank?

[slicky5150]

Sounds like you might have a couple problems. I agree I would check the kill switch and the emergency cut off. It is an open circuit. Unplug it and see if you have anything. If not look for a short in its two wires.

I dont believe either of these would kill all the lights?
The headlight reserve may also be causing problems. There is a tech tip for bypassing it. But if its been opened up the tip may not work depending on what was done to it. A previous owner tried to bypass mine and screwed the whole circuit up. I ran an independent circuit.

Good luck, hope you get it going soon, Chad.

[Ken Talbot]

John, I'm pretty sure the wiring diagram for a '78 shows the same separate main fuse as is found on the later models. This is pretty easy to miss as it is on the opposite side of the bike from the fuse panel.??

[MONKEYMIKE]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the support so far.
I have checked the kill switch all is good.
You mention an emergency kill switch under the tank, what does it look like?. Maybe this is the problem but dont know what it is?.

As to the aux reserve power unit appears that the casing was broken on top nothing interfered with.
Maybe a dumb question but is there anything on the clutch that I should check and if so would that account for all lights horn, starter etc not to work?.

thanks again,
Mike

[slicky5150]

I think the switch is under the right upper frame tube right above the round rubber thing that holds the tank down in front. Its acout 2 inches square and has a two wire plug, black wires. Its just a mechanical switch. Bike falls, contacts close. I didnt see a seperate fuse in the Clymer diagram.

Chad