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Electrical short doin my fecken head in

725 Views 6 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  TLJimmy, 
TLJimmy
Hi everyone - I'm still keeping it sticky side down, though after a winter of hard riding I've set tomorrow aside for a full service, but cant really do anything until i fix this elec-tricky short. I turn the ignition on and everything cycles and she starts sweet-as, then promptly blows the fuse that controls the dash, indicators, tail and brake light. I've been over the old girl with a fine-tooth comb looking for anything obvious, and blown half-a-dozen fuses testing different things. The brake lights and indicators work ok with the ignition on, but start her up and bam, all gone. I've been riding for a coupla months with no rev, speedo or indicators; but she's now due for an MOT, and the TB's need syncing (which i need temp and rpm for) cos shes started to run a bit rough, n jerks off closed throttle.

Has anyone got any ideas; if i look at more than a coupla wires together at one time this haze decends and I start drooling out one side of my mouth - bit like Homer Simpson and beer:)
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Brainless
My wild guess is that the fuse blowing isn't directly because of the motor running, but rather vibration. From what I understand she'll stay on without the motor running.

Have you tried to move the wires around while it's in the ON position but motor out? I would try that to see if there is an area of the harness will make it blow.

More common areas of shorts have been near the steering column, so that's where I would start moving things around.
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The Ring-In
replace the fuse with a couple of wires and an indicator bulb.

the bulb will glow brightly when the short is occuring without damaging anything.

keep checking till you can make the bulb glow and not glow and you have the source
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TLJimmy
Cheers Stu, as usual great idea. I'll also go out and wiggle the steering as suggested and see what comes of it. I found the reason the bike was running like shite as well - the rubber water seal on the front spark-plug had popped out, allowing the cap to wiggle itself half-off, probably making intermitant contact as vibes rise...:?

I was getting a bit desperate last night, and being a bush-man (read rough bugger) I put a 30 amp fuse in, and started it to see which wire got warm:dowhat. I was quick, didn't melt anything, but tracked it down to a grey wire with silver paint dotted on it. one end disappears into the dash, I think, and the other ends at a black plug, which has half as many wires at twice the diameter emerging from the other. Although none of these are grey and silve they do go into the switches on the throttle. As the starter and kill switch work, it would seem its the brake light switch, as this is the only other electricky gadget on this side. can someone who knows more about silver paint on grey wires confirm this please.

I did the wiggle wiggle with no change.
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Six5
TLJimmy said:
....
started it to see which wire got warm:dowhat. I was quick, didn't melt anything, but tracked it down to a grey wire with silver paint dotted on it. one end disappears into the dash, I think, and the other ends at a black plug, ...... they do go into the switches on the throttle. As the starter and kill switch work, it would seem its the brake light switch, .....can someone who knows more about silver paint on grey wires confirm this please.

......
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Jimmy, that's some good ol' back woods troubleshooting. :)

The Grey wire is part of the lighting circuit. It comes from the Black gang connector on the RH switch pod, but it does not go up to the switches (unless you have the Euro spec model that has the OFF switch for the headlights). The US spec model just has a loop of wire (Orange/Blue) at the black connector.

The current path at that connector is as such:
The Orange/Green wire comes from the Signal fuse (#4) to the Black connector > to Orange/Blue loop (or light switch) > back out to the Grey wire.

The Grey wire then "Y"s - one side feeds the instrument lights. The other side goes to the ignition switch through the Large White Gang connector.

The ign switch connects the Grey wire to the Brown wire to power the tail light and front parking light (if equipped).

Since you actually felt the Grey wire getting warm, the chances are good that the short is 'down stream' from there.

I would highly suspect the Brown wire in the tail light area, since wires can get pinched in the trunk sometimes. Check the vulnerable locations first. Use Stu's fuse-light method so you won't have to worry about burning anything.

Consult the wiring diagram on page 8-14 in the manual.

Let us know where you find the problem.
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TLJimmy
Thanx a million for your replys - really appreciate the help. It's gonna be a slow process - I'm pretty sick at the moment and only have energy for short burst of activity, and the shit they give me has hugging the toilet bowl, but will keep you posted:cheers
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TLJimmy
Originally Posted by Six5........Since you actually felt the Grey wire getting warm, the chances are good that the short is 'down stream' from there.

I would highly suspect the Brown wire in the tail light area, since wires can get pinched in the trunk sometimes. Check the vulnerable locations first.......
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:banana:banana:bananaI gotit sorted!!! I dunno what to say; this has had me scratching my head and looken for a noose for probly 4 months now, and you hit it bang on.

The frame for the pack rack I havent used for 6 years (a backpac and tank bag does me fine) had rubbed on the brown tail light wire, making it short. **** me, I shoulda posted this months ago. What a :jack I am. I was loath to take it into the shop, cos shorts can take forever to trace, and I'm down $55 000 on income this year due to not working.

Again, YOU ARE THE MAN:hail. Feel I should buy you a beer.

Gonna sell that pack-rack too - even comes with a bag.
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