Electrical Ghost - won't power up/ start

[bgross]

As the title indicates, when I turn the key to 'on', nothing happens.

Zilch.

Now the weirdness: when I turn the key back to off, the 'diagnostic' flopping of the speedo & tach happens - and a bit of the fuel pump hum for a second. No dash lights, nada.

I can amuse myself by doing this several times (repeatable).

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Background: bike was running fine before being parked (on battery tender) for a couple months.(life happens, and other bikes wanted to be ridden.)

Then I removed the Battery tender for a week.

When I attempted to start bike, above gremlin appeared. Datel indicated 13.xx V.

Replaced Battery tender and gave it a couple days.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

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My first thought was a bad battery (Accam's Razor?). Removed it, tested = 13.1.

Reinstalled battery, sans extra Farkle wiring.

Lather, rinse repeat.

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Anyone have any suggestions? Other than the Ghost of BeemerDons punishing me for riding for riding the Blackbird more than Miss Lucy Liu?

Any help/suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[Ignacio]

Memory fragment here since you say '03 and watching BigChiefStinkyPants haul his '03 home in a U-haul a decade ago. Memory serves '03 and ignition switch are more commonly an issue, but not recall level. Something about being able shake/twist/cycle the switch to confirm intermittent connection, something about red/brown wires to bypass temporarily, and something about tight harness/sketchy solder joints that are maybe better in later model bikes and/or not-quite-so-tight harnesses.

Try searching on +brown +ignition +switch and variations.

 

[PJ4863]

My guess is it's a bad ignition switch. Try turning the key off and on like 75 times. If it starts working normally again, replace the switch. There's 2 part numbers, you want the cheaper of the two. It's like 35$ or so if I remember correctly.

Also, what year bike?

 

[Fred W]

Yeah, I was thinking ignition switch too. Id check there first.

PS- I think he is maintaining one of the superior first Gens still.

 

[Geezer]

It does sound like a bad ignition switch, but the first thing I would check is the battery terminals. Make sure they are clean and the connections are tight. Since you reinstalled the battery, this is probably OK, but worth checking. Next, I would check the ground from the battery to everywhere it goes. An '03 is old enough that there can be corrosion in just about any connection.

 

[bgross]

Thanks, gents!

I'll spend some time investigating the ignition switch and the ground connections.

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

 

[FJRay]

One more vote for the switch. Mine started acting up on the way to WFO in Park City. Yours could be my fault cause I parked next to yours in Park City and spent a day with Don.

I took the original switch apart and cleaned all the contacts and built my own relay ser up. That was befor our friend Brodie started making the nice ones. Iwould like one of those for the 04 I just got.

 

[blassoff]

May be the switch, maybe not. I had similar issues with my 04. Thought surely the switch, replaced it with a new gen 2 recall switch.

Worked perfectly for a couple of weeks, then intermittent failures again until it stopped working most of the time. Went back into the wiring, lifted the tank and started disconnecting, cleaning, and greasing all connectors. Jiggling wires in the neighborhood of the switch turned up a failure point. I still haven't definitively located the problem, but I'm closing in on it, and in the meantime I'm cleaning all of the connections. AND, she's working all the time right now. I turn the switch, she lights up. Press the started switch and she roars to life.

Maybe the switch, but I'd suggest a thorough check/cleaning of the wiring and connectors. That's what has worked for me. Hell, it can't hurt.

Good luck, Baz

 

[Canadian FJR]

With the ignition on, wiggle the wires going into the bottom. If you get power, chances are the red wire is loose. These can be repaired.

The other issue is the plastic in there melts and wont allow a good connection on the connector points. Both happened to my 03 on different occasions. Neither is terribly hard to repair.

Good luck,

Canadian FJR

 

[bgross]

Based upon all of your suggestions, what I've done so far:

1) played with the key/ignition. I didn't count, but it might have approached the suggestion of 75 times.

No joy.

2) with key in 'on' position wiggled the wired coming out of the bottom of the ignition.

Hope dimming.

3) with key 'on' wiggled the battery cables (especially the ground side) as far as I could reach.

Gloom.

4) googled (eBay, etc.) sources for ignition switch. Couldn't find anything in the $35 range. Lots in the +/-$200 area.

Creeping despair.

5) awoke and had coffee while watching YouTube. Learned the "remove triple tree" and "use drill press & 3 bits to remove ignition from triple tree mount" news.

Called my sponsor.

6) watched video about disconnection of ignition at connector (under gas tank) and using a jumper wire.

A small glimmer of dawn!

Since our son is flying in from Seattlish on Wednesday and we've been planning a ride to Julian for pie, I'm gonna take a temporary shortcut (if it works) before he arrives.

A) lift tank and see if a jumper wire will work. If so, buy a switch and wire it (hidden from prying eyes) so that we can eat pie on Thursday. While I'm under there I'll check, clean and lube as many connectors as I can find.

B) if (A) works, I'll rationalize procrastination of the actual repair for a while.

C) if (A) doesn't work I'll move on to other chores in preparation for son's visit. And decide if we'll skip e pie and eat cake instead.

Since most of his riding has been dirt bikes and a KLR on the street, I hesitate having him ride RoXxanne. Don't imagine that he'll actually have a problem (other than his neck after 180 miles), but what if he falls in love and wants a Blackbird? His wife will beat us both!

Off to walk the dogs and head for the garage.

Film at eleven.

 

[FJRay]

After I made my home brew relay set up I still carried jumper wires under the seat as a CYA get home. Good luck with the pie run.

 

[Geezer]

Have you tried cleaning the ignition switch contacts? You might be able to do that by flushing some alcohol or contact cleaner down the key hole. If you do that then you may need to put a few drops of light oil on the key and push it in to lubricate the lock cylinder.

 

[bgross]

Okay, let's review..

The original issue was: insert key, turn 'on', nothing happens - no dash lights, no nada; turn 'off', speedo/tach needles do the 'flop'.

Now:

Raised the tank, moved shrouds, etc.

Followed ignition wires from beneath the key/switch down to the coupler.

Pulled the coupler apart.

Used multimeter to check continuity back up to switch.

With key 'off', tester shows 'open' - as expected.

Turn key 'on, tester beeps. Clearly the switch is working.

Now the strange part:

Using a jumper wire on the other end of the connector, I bridge the contacts (closing the circuit?) and expect to see the dash light up.

Nope.

Nothing.

And when I remove the jumper wire... The speedo & tach needles 'flop', just like in the beginning.

So, since it seems NOT to be the battery nor the switch, and I can't 'jump' start it, it must be a bad/dirty connection somewhere else, right?

Damn. I want pie.

Suggestions?

I figure a continuity check between the battery '+' terminal and the frame?

Enquiring minds.

 

[RossKean]

Have you checked the battery under load or monitored the voltage WHILE the ignition switch is turned on? An unloaded battery could read 13+ volts while unloaded but drop to near nothing once a load is applied. You mentioned that the Datel read 13.1 with your initial attempts but it wasn't clear (to me) if this is while the start attempt was being made. You also said you removed the battery and tested it - under any load?

 

[bgross]

Have you checked the battery under load or monitored the voltage WHILE the ignition switch is turned on? An unloaded battery could read 13+ volts while unloaded but drop to near nothing once a load is applied. You mentioned that the Datel read 13.1 with your initial attempts but it wasn't clear (to me) if this is while the start attempt was being made. You also said you removed the battery and tested it - under any load?

Well, crap.

I mean THANKS.

When this saga began - and I suspected that it was the battery - I removed it and took it to the local IBS. The kid tested it and said it was good (12.xV), just needed a charge. So I brought it home and hooked it up to my Exide charger (not the Battery Tender).

When the charger indicated it was fully charged, I reinstalled it and tested it with my multi-meter = 13.xx. But not under load. = /

So I tried that a bit ago. No load = 12.9 (it's had a rough day); key on = LEDs had a race for the basement - I think my cussing distracted my when the numbers were in low single digits.

Well, crap.

I mean...well, I haven't had Lucille this stripped down in forever. Some cleaner contacts and (so far) no broken plastic nor smoke released.

I guess the next step is a new battery and back to square one.

Grrr.

I mean THANKS!

 

[RossKean]

Deal with the simple stuff first! Hope it works OK once you swap in a new battery.

 

[wetwolf]

Well, crap.

I mean...well, I haven't had Lucille this stripped down in forever. Some cleaner contacts and (so far) no broken plastic nor smoke released.

I guess the next step is a new battery and back to square one.

Grrr.

I mean THANKS!

Heh heh, mines on the rack right now . I started taking off tupperware last nite and thought to myself, yup, gettin the girl nekked 1 piece of plastic at a time!

Da Wolf

 

[bgross]

Just got back from the local IBS.

I 'splained to the guy what was wrong - and my various efforts at troubleshooting, including starting with the battery.

He brought out the tester, clamped it on and noted that the voltage was, indeed, showing a rough day. Applied the load and... Down the numbers went - just as they had when I followed RossKean's advise.

'Dead cell'. The magic words that (almost) made the frustration of the past day worthwhile.

Ordered a new Yuasa (like I should have last time) which will be in on Thursday.

Hope to post joy by Friday.

No pie this week.

Thanks again for all of your helpful advise. I've learned lots of stuff that I won't be forgetting anytime soon.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Hope the [new] battery fixes you up Bret...that'll teach you to ignore Lucille again!

--G