No Cranky

[conquest87tsi]

Alright, I am reassembling the '79 F and just put the headlight and associated wiring together and installed the battery to check electrical. Everything seems to be working fine with exception of the starter button. I push the button and nothing. I have 10.5v at the ignition fuse, starter solenoid, and ballast resistor. I know this may not be enough to run it, but I am not worried about that right now. Just using the test battery and want her to crank.

Could this be a problem with the "off" switch? Emergency switch? Ignition switch?
The only other problem I have noticed is that sometimes when I turn the key, the tail light doesn't turn on, but if I wiggle it slightly it turns on and stays on. Key is very worn, I figured that was why. Did also noticed that the "on/off" right handle bar switch it very hard to turn. Has a noteable click when turned. Nothing like the other xs's I have owned. I haven't taken it apart yet to check it out.

The bike started and ran with all switches mentioned. I have a spare "on/off"right switch, howevet it is from a '81 I'll have to do some splicing if I want to install it. Kind of wanted some words of wisdom before I warm up the soldering iron.

[CaptonZap]

Alright, I am reassembling the '79 F and just put the headlight and associated wiring together and installed the battery to check electrical. Everything seems to be working fine with exception of the starter button. I push the button and nothing. I have 10.5v at the ignition fuse, starter solenoid, and ballast resistor. I know this may not be enough to run it, but I am not worried about that right now. Just using the test battery and want her to crank.

Could this be a problem with the "off" switch? Emergency switch? Ignition switch?
The only other problem I have noticed is that sometimes when I turn the key, the tail light doesn't turn on, but if I wiggle it slightly it turns on and stays on. Key is very worn, I figured that was why. Did also noticed that the "on/off" right handle bar switch it very hard to turn. Has a noteable click when turned. Nothing like the other xs's I have owned. I haven't taken it apart yet to check it out.

The bike started and ran with all switches mentioned. I have a spare "on/off"right switch, howevet it is from a '81 I'll have to do some splicing if I want to install it. Kind of wanted some words of wisdom before I warm up the soldering iron.

Find the plug that has the wires that go to the solenoid, and unplug it. Turn on the key, and check the voltage at the r/w wire from the harness. If there is voltage there, turn off the key, put the VOM in ohms, put one lead in the blu/w wire from the harness, and the other on a good ground. Then push the start button. You should read continuity. If you don't, check the start switch for a good ground to the bars, clean contacts, etc.
Turn the key back on, plug the plug back in, stick a safety pin through the blu/w wire, jumper the blue/w wire to ground, and the solenoid should click, and the starter should make some noise.
I would dis-assemble the right hand stop switch, clean and lube it and put it back together. If they get hard to turn, some ham hand will force it, break the plastic innards, and then you are screwed. Unless you can persuade Hbonser to divulge his secret method to rebuild the inner plastic part.
Any way, when you take it apart, there is a small spring and ball bearing that will try to fly out and get lost, so be careful.
Clean all the goook off of the parts, put some light grease on the contacts and ball, (Vaseline, if you have nothing better) put it back together, and check the operation. When it is in the run position, there should be NO continuity through the contacts. On either of the off positions, you SHOULD have continuity.
Good luck, and don't lose any parts!

CZ

[conquest87tsi]

Hey CZ,
Well, before I read your post I took apart the switch. Removed the pins from the plug. Took apart the '81switch switch. Noticed it was like new, plus the red indicator sliver isn't broke. Removed those pins from the plug. Snapped off my weather pack pin removal tool. Swore a couple times. Put the '81battery wires in the '79 plug. I noticed that the '81 switch has a ground wire. So before trying to start it I grounded it on a valve cover bolt. I got one crank out of it and the ignition unit just clicks now. Did I short something? Or is this a sign of not enough juice?

Thank you for your tips. I have power at the harness, but only blue/white continuity when I ground that wire to the frame. I have new powder coating bars. Never had trouble with the SF. Wonder if the ground is a special thing.

[petejw]

sounds like not enuff juice,

if u want to bypass the starter switch
have the ignition on and grab a screwdriver
and jump the 2 studs on the solenoid, if it turns over
then ur switch is the problem.

sounds like u got it worked out tho with grounding the earth wire.

[conquest87tsi]

Ok, I soldered a ring terminal on the switch ground wire. Used the coil mounting bolt as a ground. Again I got a couple cranks out of it then the ignition unit just clicks. This is an old battery that came in my SF. I have a new AGM to go in it. Just don't want to mask a problem with the new battery. I have 12.06v at the battery now. Goes down to 11.6v when I hit the button(no turn over/just click). Will try the AGM.

[CaptonZap]

Thank you for your tips. I have power at the harness, but only blue/white continuity when I ground that wire to the frame. I have new powder coating bars. Never had trouble with the SF. Wonder if the ground is a special thing.

The blu/w wire is what completes the circuit through the solnoid coil, which starts the starter. You should only have contiunuity through the blu/w wire to ground when you push the start button.
If you look at the housing for the start button, with it off the bars, you will see a metal tab that bears on the bars when the housing is bolted onto the bars. That is the end of the blu/w wire when the button is pushed, so it has to bear against an electrical ground to work. Powder coated bars aren't working. If the black wire is connected to ground, it should cure your problem.
And a click is indicative of a low battery. There is enough juice to pull the solenoid closed, (the click,) but not enough to turn the starter. A fresh battery or jumper cables will answer that question.

Anyway, you're gaining on it.

CZ

[DGXSER]

The older models grounded through the handle bars, the 81 and I believe the 80 models have a separate ground from the starter button to the bike grounding system. SO you have the switch wired in right, and now you need a good battery.

[conquest87tsi]

Thanks again for the tips. So the switch ground remedied that. Then I still only got a few intermittent cranks then just a click at the solenoid(sorry, for some reason I thought I heard it from the ignition unit) even with a fully charged battery. I got it to crank for a while and noticed a spark from the starter cable at the starter. I took the started cover off, pulled the starter and DUH!! I had recently painted the front of the starter, which of cover included the mounting points to the engine. Dumb @$$ moment. Cleaned the pai.t off and good to go.

Now I need a new electronic flasher unit(LED turn signals). Damn chinese crap! Blinks so fast you can barely see them blink. I grounded it from where the emergency kick pedal mounted. Guess I'll over pay at the parts store tomarro. Teach me to try and save money by buying chinese crap on ebay. I'll never learn.

[petejw]

also a good reason to have ur neg cable
from the battery grounded to a bolt on the starter motor as well as the frame.
glad u got it sorted.

[motoman]

The older models grounded through the handle bars, the 81 and I believe the 80 models have a separate ground from the starter button to the bike grounding system. SO you have the switch wired in right, and now you need a good battery.

Actually 81 models grounded through switch assembly to bars, not other way around. Putting the fully adjustable Heli-Bars on my Venturer several years ago, and them being powder coated, I found this out. This goes for 80 and 81 model right switch assemblies.