Electrical Issue

[kawabob1]

Hi all, if someone can come to my rescue I will have your first born child for you. I suck with electrical issues. The old '85 deserves better. I charged the battery and put it back in the bike, fired it up and off I go for a short ride. The following day I go to start it and I hear an electrical pop / short kinda sound. When I checked the terminals the positive side had come loose and I am thinking it arched and shorted something out. When I turn the key I get no lights on the dash, no headlight no nothin. I just went and put the key in it as I was going to see if anything work and the dash lights came back on. For shits and giggles I hit the starter button I again hear a sound like arching so enough of that....plus no power to anything again. I checked the 3 fuses in the fairing panel and I they check out ok with my meter, used the ohm setting and it was .5 for all 3. I would have expected 0 but again I suck at even the basics. If someone can get me pointed in the right direction I would be in your debt...forever.

Bob

[FJ1100mjk]

Take the battery out, and take it to an auto parts store that can load test it. And see if it's bad. It won't take long to eliminate that from the equation, one way, or the other.

[red]

Hi all, if someone can come to my rescue I will have your first born child for you. I suck with electrical issues. The old '85 deserves better. I charged the battery and put it back in the bike, fired it up and off I go for a short ride. The following day I go to start it and I hear an electrical pop / short kinda sound. When I checked the terminals the positive side had come loose and I am thinking it arched and shorted something out. When I turn the key I get no lights on the dash, no headlight no nothin. I just went and put the key in it as I was going to see if anything work and the dash lights came back on. For shits and giggles I hit the starter button I again hear a sound like arching so enough of that....plus no power to anything again. I checked the 3 fuses in the fairing panel and I they check out ok with my meter, used the ohm setting and it was .5 for all 3. I would have expected 0 but again I suck at even the basics. If someone can get me pointed in the right direction I would be in your debt...forever.
Bob

Bob,

Sounds like a battery terminal is not connected properly.  Take each terminal apart, clean everything with a wire toothbrush, and re-assemble.  If you have substituted odd parts for the right nuts and bolts at the battery cables, then you will probably need the correct hardware; that's a cheap fix.  A loose or poor connection can do just what you described there.  Make sure that nothing can touch the battery terminals or the connections there.  Keep the seat off the bike when you test things after the fix, and watch the battery connections.  The key or the starter should not be causing any fireworks at the battery.

P.S. You can have the kid, I'm too old for that.    

Cheers,
Red

[kawabob1]

Hi Red, I pulled most of the connections under the seat, cleaned them with contact cleaner and dried them with air. I put the terminals back on. I had lights and power to everything but when I touched the started button quickly the negative terminal sparked. I re tightened it but got the same results?

[red]

Hi Red, I pulled most of the connections under the seat, cleaned them with contact cleaner and dried them with air. I put the terminals back on. I had lights and power to everything but when I touched the started button quickly the negative terminal sparked. I re tightened it but got the same results?

Kawabob1,

That's bogus.  Even if the starter were shorted (which is possible anyway), the negative terminal should not spark like that.  Check the cable end, where it bolts to the negative terminal.  If dirt or corrosion is the problem, contact cleaner will not do the job.  They make small wire brushes of various types, the best of which looks like a toothbrush with wire bristles.  Automotive stores and home improvement stores should have them, but any fine-wire brush will do the job.  Clean things to shiny bare metal, and make a solid connection there with new battery bolts.  The metal end of a negative cable should be soldered (if not crimped) to the cable.  If the bad connection is there, either get a new negative cable, or get the cable end soldered to the cable properly.  An "ace" soldering tech can even do the job with silver solder, which is very strong and very low resistance.  If the connection from the metal end to the cable was crimped, and now is no good, soldering will fix that.  LA-CO soldering flux (black can with red lid) is the best flux to use for soldering almost anything, and it is not acid flux (so it is safe for electrical work).  Soldering is a special skill, 80% worth of getting things right and ready, and 20% in doing the soldering after everything is ready.  Let me know if you need help there.

Cheers,
Red

[kawabob1]

OK I will try cleaning as suggested and will then solder, I am a welder fabricator so I can do that. Is it possible that the other end of the Neg cable is bad? I assume it would be grounded to the frame? Thanks Red!

[movenon]

OK I will try cleaning as suggested and will then solder, I am a welder fabricator so I can do that. Is it possible that the other end of the Neg cable is bad? I assume it would be grounded to the frame? Thanks Red!

I think the main ground wire go's to the back of the engine block. 
George

[kawabob1]

Thanks Red!! The "clean it until it shines" did the trick. When I peeled back some of the insulation to get ready to solder I noticed that the wire is discolored. I am assuming it is the original and I think its time to replace it. I appreciate all  who gave suggestions, have a great day!!