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Blowing ignition fuse in the rain

6K views 10 replies 4 participants last post by  Harry007x1 
#1 · (Edited)
Happened twice on a ride home today. Once in a traffic back-up, the second time at about 60 mph. The first time I pulled the plugs on the reg/rec on the swingarm, filled them with electrical grease and replaced the fuse. In another 30 miles blew another one. The last one got me home as the rain subsided and things dried up. Total loss of power, just like switching the key off. Any thing else I should check?
 
#3 ·
The regulator/rectifier unit on the left side of the swingarm. It's right next to the tire and gets doused going down the road.
 
#6 ·
Just guessing, since I have not seen it. But if the plug/connector can be removed, you can use a multi-meter to find out. Connect one multimeter lead to a good ground or the battery negative terminal, and use the other multi-meter lead to touch each each exposed terminal on the reg/rec. If one exposed terminal has a very very low ohm reading (e.g. less than 100 ohms) compared to the others (megaohms), that terminal is grounded, and if the/all connector is/are disconnected, the the reg/rec would be grounded thru the frame and not the/a harness/wire. But then again, I am just guessing, since I have not seen the reg/rec yet.
 
#7 ·
Wire 1 of the Black plug should make continuity with the negative lead of the battery-
Service manual page:18.24

Black plug is socket out and grey in from Alternator

Are you blowing fuse 2?

Did you check your ground that is located inboard and slightly behind the oil dip stick? It's covered with a rubber boot.

If you keep blowing fuses you have a few tests to do but first do you have a multimeter handy?

If so then run continuity test from fuse 2 to bike ground and you know you have a short.

At any rate I would check where the wire bundle connects to the headlamp shell and look there for chafe.
 
#8 ·
Blowing fuse #10 on a non-abs bike

That ground wire looks perfect, tight and no sign of corrosion

I do have a meter. I started it, wiggled, shook, bounced, and tapped on every wire and connection I could get my hands on, couldn't get it to blow.

While I was putting a more liberal amount of grease in the reg/rec connectors, I noticed an empty socket which according to the wiring diagrams would be the plug for the purge valve on a Cali bike. It had no cover so I filled the exposed socket with grease while I was down there. Could that have been the possible source for a short?
 
#9 ·
Ok, fuse 10 is indeed the ignition fuse.

It goes right to the Engine Stop Switch and then to the instrument cluster as well as the ABS Module.

My guess would be some short in the kill switch as the ABS light would be on if there were a fault.

It's the green/red wire on the cluster at pin-8

It's connected to the Green wire in the ABS module at pin16

If you were in the rain there could be a short in the kill switch. I would pull it off the handle bar-and inspect it. Look at the throttle cable as well when your in there.

Hope you got it sorted out.
 
#10 ·
Found it. Apparently when they installed the kill switch in the housing, they trapped one of the wires under the mounting screw and it eventually chomped through enough of the insulation to intermittently short out. Permanent fix tomorrow....
 
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