a long electrical story with any advice sought

[Crofty 119]

Tex thanks for taking the time to answer, I did just look at the 30a main fuse but now that I understand a bit more I will have a go at using the multimeter to see if there is power going to ignition. I will find the ignition switch connector and give that a try first. btw I have electrical switch contact cleaner so I guess that would be the best to spray into the connectors rather than wd40 ?.  

[Crofty 119]

thanks again Chris, I now have the plan for going forward with this. I might just mention that I have a Shad seat on the bike and the pillion is not a great fit, when I am refuelling turning the key to release the pillion seat is sometimes stiff, doesn't do the key any good. So I have kind of been expecting trouble,the spare key is not a great fit as it is slightly twisted.One of the to do things I am going to address when I get the electrics (and the coolant problem/and the valve clearances/and the new chain fitted lol ) sorted.   

[Callisidrin 447]

You can test the fuse out on the meter too without turning on the power.

Sorry don't know what type of meter you have, but if it's an old needle scale analog one, set the dial to resistance (an Omega symbol for Ohms or a sort of upside-down U), if you touch the probes together, you get the needle to go fully over to the right. The shows continuity, if you put the probes on either side of the fuse, if you get the same reading (needle to the right) the fuse is ok. If you get nothing, then it's open circuit meaning the fuse has gone, you can test lightbulbs etc the same way.

On a digital meter you need the same setting, this time the digital reading will say O.L (overload) for open circuit or give a reading of usually 00.1 to show continuity. If yours has a Diode symbol with a sort of wifi symbol next to it (radiation circle segments) it has a beeper for continuity set it to that. Then if you touch the probes together the meter will beep at you. Any of the above will do what you need. It's also a good way to trace wires or check their continuity making sure they haven't broken or that you have a bad connection, just remember to disconnect them from the circuit first, or you may get a false reading.

 

RE the key, as others have mentioned on here in the past, you can use an uncoded blank key providing you keep the damaged Coded key near to the ignition barrel. That way the HISS system knows that there is a true coded key near and will allow the bike to start.

As for tight fitting seat locks, may be god to put pressure on the rear seat where the lock loops are before turning the key to release the seat, that way you don't rely totally on the turning of the key to release the pressure on the lock, as your physical pressure helps the lock to move more freely.

[Crofty 119]

Hi Chris, been struggling with the continuity This is the multimeter I have, it has a diode symbol but not a wifi symbol beside it. so not sure which one to set it too, or if it even has one. But for now I have the grasp of setting it to 20v dc for testing the line to the ignition,so I will leave it at that for now. 

[Callisidrin 447]

I don't think that particular meter has a continuity bleep test, if it did it wail have the bleep symbol i mentioned next to the diode.

You can still test continuity visually using the Ohms scale to measure resistance.

(It's a long time since I used a meter where you set the range manually, so I can't remember what the display says when the reading is out of range, for resistance I think it's '1M' for the range being set too low, but I'm not 100% on this.)

 

Firstly and most important, Make sure the Power is off and ideally, unless you know what you are doing, you should disconnect the battery for testing continuity on the bike. If not you could end up passing voltages through the meter and making a circuit live which could kill the meter and or the electronics on the bike if you get the connection wrong. If you're not testing continuity on a connected loom or have removed the item to be tested then ignore the above.

Obviously if your testing voltages then you have have the battery connected

 

Put the meter on the 20K Ohms setting for now as you are not really going to measure actual resistance, you only need to see that you are getting a reading. 

Without touching the probes together, what the display shows now is a reading with no continuity (a broken circuit / cable / dead fuse / bust lamp etc).

If you now touch the probes together you should get a reading of about 0 Ohms (a dead short as it's called) this is what you'll see if you test a fuse and it's good. Obviously some items like lightbulbs, cables even fuses will have some resistance, so you may not always get a reading of 0 ohms, just as long as you get a reading of some resistance.

Just remember a reading the same as you get without touching the probes to anything is an open circuit, bad.

A reading showing some resistance has continuity, good. This is what you want.

Try it first on a fuse you know to be good and see what reading you get, if you want to see the resistance and the display shows something odd, try changing the range until you get a proper numerical value appear. 

 

[Crofty 119]

 think I have enough to check the whether power is getting to the ignition and to test the fuses, thanks for a  great introduction  to the multi meter.

[Tex 36,816]

I just googled your multimeter and it does have a continuity buzzer. Turn the switch 3 clicks to the left (20k ohms) and touch the probes together - you should get a reading on the screen and hear a 'beep'.

 

So, for example, to test a fuse put one probe on each side of the fuse and listen for the beep. It's easy, really it is. And a fun way to spend a Sunday..

[Crofty 119]

Got started this morning doing the checks, checked the main fuse, fine. continued down the line to the ignition switch and disconnected the connection below the ignition switch to get a reading, no reading on looking further the female part of the connection was so corroded it turned to dust when I gave it a good poke, ah that's not so good. I disconnected the battery and stripped the connection fitting a new 6.3mm connector that I had in the garage. connected the battery back up turned the ignition switch and eureka it works. I have to say a big thank you to everyone who has helped me troubleshoot this, with out instructions from Chris and Simon particularly on how to use the multimeter I would have been trailering the bike to an auto electrician. I realise now what might have happened. In my long coolant story I mentioned coolant spraying out of the water pump hose connection over the engine, this connector is above it and very close. I was thousands of miles away but continued filling the radiator when it lost fluid to get me home, this took about 10 days to get home so a throrough drenching during that time , I plan to check all the connectors before I box the bike back up. so once again many thanks for all the help and suggestions help     

[Andy m 23,427]

I like a happy ending, well played Sir.

 

Proves the mantra "Its ALWAYS the connectors" too.

 

Andy

[Callisidrin 447]

Well Done Steve, a well deserved pint is needed now, you've earned it.

Corroded connectors can be a real pain and as you found out not always easy to find if you're not sure what you're looking for or how to do it.

Glad you got it sorted without having to resort to trailering it to a garage.

Job well done

[djsb 491]

If you really want to make sure those contacts stay good put some Deoxit or Stabilant 22 on them as well

http://www.intendedacceleration.com/html/tip_14.html

I might even try this myself.

[Tex 36,816]

Good result all round! Happy endings R us!

[Crofty 119]

Thanks for all the comments, David this deoxit, do you break the connection, spray it and then push it back together. Bit in the dark about it and it is quite expensive so just wondering what it does exactly ?

[djsb 491]

I think the deoxit is a cleaner and the Stabilant 22 is a lubricant (NOT silicone and silicone is NOT recomended) so you just spray the deoxit on (sparingly of course). I've never actually used them though. I might get some ordered at work and try the stuff on my ailing old computer(intermittent start up) just to try it out. Not strictly needed as the new contact you fitted should be fine.

[Tex 36,816]

I'm going to be honest here, boys. I have always (well, for the last 27 years or so) used Contect 'Duck Oil' for cleaning and protecting electrical connections. Issued by the AA to their patrolmen, for exactly that purpose, it's cheap and it works.

[Crofty 119]

Like the sound of Duck oil, used in one or two other applications and found it excellent. so do you spray it inside the connector or over the outside when its connected or both ?

Edited November 20, 2016 by Crofty
spelling

[Rocker66 34,351]

Glad that it's all sorted now

[RussB644 379]

This is what makes this forum special....the help and advice shared around to help other people out, been away from the forum for a while, catching up on things today and was willing you to get this sorted as I was reading the posts made to help you along. Nice one everybody with all the advice  

[Tex 36,816]

41 minutes ago, Crofty said:

Like the sound of Duck oil, used in one or two other applications and found it excellent. so do you spray it inside the connector or over the outside when its connected or both ?

 

Both. I also use it anywhere moisture could cause problems, stop light switches, that sort of thing. This time of year I spray it all over the place (except brake discs, obviously!). 

[Crofty 119]

Thanks Simon, will get some ordered, Russ I have had help on this forum a few times and as you say its great sharing the knowledge. 

[kayz1 2,928]

Weldone that man

Lyn.

[nelmo 563]

9 hours ago, Andy m said:

I like a happy ending, well played Sir.

 

Proves the mantra "Its ALWAYS the connectors" too.

 

Andy

 

Not always - below is a pic from my V-Strom which started having weird things happening to the dash; dials not working one second,  then flashing all the way round; my speedo bouncing all over the place -  just weird. Spent ages checking fuses and connectors and then finally took the front fairing apart and found the main dash loom had been rubbing against the front chassis subframe,  had rubbed through the protective sheath and exposed a few of the wires. They were then shorting against the metal of the frame every now and then:

 

https://goo.gl/photos/Yb7TWLq5zHFDFR2e7

 

In the bikes defence,  it had done almost 70k miles at the time.... 

 

[Reckless 945]

Many years ago I had a GPz1100, I had parked up after a day's playing outside my garage, I didn't go to put it away until after dark when I noticed several idiot lights lit on the dash, no key inserted, anyway to cut a long story short, verdigris had built a bridge across the back of the pc board that the fuse box was mounted on, I cleaned it all off and smeared contact grease across the back of the board, so again not always connectors, quite oftern though. The GPz was killed in action a few months later, RIP

[kharli 100]

Thankyou crofty, i just had same problem 200 miles from home ..good battery good fuses dead everything ...was that same connector . Without you there would be no saying what i might of took apart..and worse a garage bill and inconvenience of breakdown cover . THANKYOU>

[Golflad 459]

Well done you guys. This forum is AWSOME!!