Triumphrat

Soccermasta · 09-03-2006, 11:27 AM

What would cause the starter or ignition to not fire at all? Turn key on, flip kill switch to run, place gear in neutral (no light now), press the starter button and nothing happens.

I have checked all the fuses in the fuse box and all check out ok. Tried to follow the wiring harness to see if there are any inline fuses anywhere, but no luck. I did find two block type fuses on the left side of the bike, but have no clue how to tell if they are blown.

All this started after replacing my bulbs in the instrument cluster with LED's. Tried putting the regular bulbs back but no change.

Any thoughts?

badrufus · 09-03-2006, 12:54 PM

I don't know what the led modification might have done, but if you've been using your kill switch regularly, you might want to look inside and check for a loose or broken connection. Despite the fact that dealers frequently use these as on/off switches, they are not designed to withstand daily use--the ignition switch is. If that's not the culprit, check your battery voltage, check the starter switch for good contact, check the ignition switch at the connector in the headlight with an ohmmeter, do the same with the sidestand switch under the LH sidepanel, same with the clutch and neutral switches. If nothing shows up, it may be the starter.

Panthermark · 09-03-2006, 01:01 PM

Another one I have read about is a faulty side stand switch. The bike thinks the side stand is down, and won't turn over. But the lack of neutral light sounds troublesome.

badrufus · 09-03-2006, 01:02 PM

I just reread the thread on your problems with the bike bogging down and the resulting questions about fuel contamination etc. Given the history you provided in that thread, and the fact that you just worked on the bike, I'm guessing that there is a good chance that your battery is in a temporary or permanent bad state. All that boggy riding, excessive idling, then working on the lights--my money would be on a flat battery or something not correctly reconnected after your work session.

Soccermasta · 09-03-2006, 01:07 PM

I am pretty sure the cutting out problem was fuel and petcock related.

How do you determine if the battery is flat? The headlamp is as bright as it was before all the problems.

I am a computer specialist, not a mechanic, so still learning.

If I use the Ohm meter, what am I looking for?

Hopefully my shop manual will arrive early next week to help me on some of this.

Soccermasta · 09-03-2006, 05:59 PM

OK I am thinking it is the kick stand switch now after a few of the suggestions I got.

I was trying to test the ignition button while the bike was parked.

Got on the bike, put kickstand up, pulled in clutch and it fires right up. So somehow I have jacked that up by trying to replace all the bulbs with new LED lights. Maybe the kickstand relay has gone bad???

Panthermark · 09-03-2006, 06:20 PM

Yup, that was my guess. Do a search among the threads. This is not the first time that side stand switch has cause a problem. Feel the relay with your hand, maybe the relay is not coming all of the way out.

357Bob · 09-03-2006, 10:30 PM

Sounds like a short in the wheelbase.
Living South of the Red River would case that too.
(Local Joke)

Soccermasta · 09-03-2006, 10:48 PM

Quote:

On 2006-09-03 20:30, 357Bob wrote:
Sounds like a short in the wheelbase.
Living South of the Red River would case that too.
(Local Joke)

Fill me in please!

357Bob · 09-03-2006, 11:09 PM

Sorry. I guess I was going too fast. There used to be a guy where I work (Chevrolet Service Dept) that always said "It is a short in the wheel base" Sort of a play on words about electrical problems.
But as I am in OKC Okla. & you in FW I also made a joke about being South of the Red River. Sorry. Plus I spelled "cause" "case".
I rode my Bonnie to Gainesville last weekend. Nice ride but hot. I have a cousin that lives in NE Ft. Worth. I am down there 3-4 times a year. Rode the train down there once. That was fun too. The Heartland Flyer.
On the ohm meter you will be looking for the meter to read .5 ohms or less. It you touch the leads of the ohm meter together it should read Zero or no ohms. With the leads not touching it will read very high megohms or OL which means out of limits. Some ohm meters read "ouch".
If a switch is turned "on" it should read low or zero or .5 ohms or less. If the switch is bad or turned off it will read OL or very high resistance. A switch that is "on" is a closed circuit. A switch that is "off" is called an open circuit.
Now I done it. I just made it confusing. Everytime I do this a thread stops.