Electrical woes

[excess.11]

Ok that explains the unwritten detail.
Whenever you want to test for spark.....make it a rule to remove all plugs and test with their corresponding lead.
I always test lead and corresponding plug together.....to be sure ....to be sure 
One time.....there was this guy who used second hand unknown if working electrical parts to try and diagnose a fault i was attempting to help him find.
Thats one i m gonna tell the grandkids.

[XSIIE]

Yep,

I checked each lead with a spark plug and each lead had spark

I left the original spark plugs in the head.

So the lead was good the plug was not.

[excess.11]

I m confused....you reported you HAD spark 

[XSIIE]

All wired correctly.

Fuel is full.

Vac hose connected correctly.

Remembered when this happened on my car 30 years ago, where it ran beautifully and then for no apparent reason just stopped working.  Changed the spark plus and it ran again.

So a technical question for the boffins.

Why would the plugs just stop sparking??

Anyways 3131 is now mobile.

Eddy

[excess.11]

Stop/cutout and tipover swithes working and wired correctly?
Coils wiring not reversed?
Gotta ask the obvious............cos it s reared IT S UGLY HEAD BEFORE....................is there plenty of fuel in the tank?
Is the vac hose connected to the correct spigot on the carby?

[XSIIE]

green wire connected.

ballast resistor connected

motor turns over with a strong crank

spark at each plug

fuel in carbs

[excess.11]

Did you connect the green wire on the starter solenoid to the red/yellow?
Ballast resistor connected ...or bridged out ?
Whatever the case may be ?
Does the starter motor crank over ?

[XSIIE]

Yep,

The fault presisted and then vanished and then reappeared.

Replaced the only thing I hadn't which was the loom.  Now the cursed thing won't start.  has spark has fuel just no go.

Plan "C" is looking good all of a sudden again.

Alladins Cave in Canberra is an excellent source for XS1100 stuff.

[AussiXS11G]

cheap crap hey - that is odd as I thought we had disconnected the indicators and the fault persisted.....
 

[XSIIE]

Sound advice. Check ALL and each connection at the globe

Replaced the wiring harness with a pristine one I found in Canberra for $75  (In fact i bought two in top condition just in case I melted one like the original.   There are a few more there if others need a loom.

went to sleep last night thinking about the wiring diagram and fixed it in my dreams.  woke up and disconnected the blue wires feeding the front indicators.  problem fixed.

It seems that the indicators I bought on ebay had both wires And an earth connection through the body of the indicator.  The front indicators only need one power wire, the Brown to work.

Huge THANKS  to all who helped me nut this one out.

Plan "C" will no longer need to be enacted.  (Bugger, I DO like blowing stuff up )

Eddy

[XSIIE]

Didn't quite go to that extent,

Did however take each individual component and checked them for functionality.  All parts were either brand new (Speedo, Tacho, rear lights, head light, regulator) or from a working bike (indicators, reserve lighting ass'y, handlebar controls, main switch, emergency stop switch ass'y, flasher cancelling unit, they all came up functioning correctly.

I can only assume (dangerous) that the fault is a minute breag on either of the wires which opens up when subjected to a bend or the pressure applied when clamped down or taped hard .

The fault was found in the front 450mm of the RHS loom going to the headlight bucket.

Letting it sit for a day or two to getsome more motivation.

Keep you posted.

eddy

[excess.11]

During the testing and cutting of the wiring loom  i assume ALL globes were removed and NO switches were activated and tests were done point to point between switch......connector.......globe holder internal contacts. When ALL globes were removed was there a thorough visual inspection of the  internals of the  holders ?
Did you carry out a Live test..... with All globes removed.....then installing them one at a time to test individual globe performance as well as help break down to what part of the bike the wiring /globe/switch/component fault is in?
It is very common for a failing globe to cause a dead short or a lampholder to have issues.
You may want to try removing ALL globes.....use a known working globe....either a NEW one or a known trouble free globe from one of your collection.........go around and activate the light you are testing one at a time removing it as you go one at a time.....this includes instrument globes.Dont mix any single contact and double contact filament indicator globes around if using from another bike.

[XSIIE]

Xtian chased the wires and found a dead short in the Blue wire which originates from the ignition switch and feeds the tail light. Some of the problems we had:

No tail light at all and no power to the tail light blue wire.

No parking light in the head light and no power going to the park lamp.

When switching on the parking lights the fuse blew.

No problems with the lights switched off at the handle bar control however when the lights were switched on the fuse blew.

Still no instrument lights.

We opened up the loom and checked the wires for continuity.

Blue wire had a dead short, as did the brown wire.

to get a direction on the short we cut the blue wire midway and the short was in the front part of the loom.  we isolated the LHS from the RHS and the short was in the RHS.  This was the same for the Brown Wire.

We undid the wire retaining bracket on the triple clam and the short vanished.  we cut the plastic from the loom on the RHs and there was no visible indication of the location of the short.

At this point the tail light worked and the fuse did not blow when the main switch was placed in parking light mode.

Everything worked as it should.

I put everything back together, put vulcanising tape on the loom, and the problem re appeared.

every electrical component has been replaced by a known good one, including speedo and Tacho.  Regulator rectifier, reserve lighting unit, flasher can, everything.

based on this it must be the loom

Maybe

decided that electrical stuff would be a great workshop for Wellington this year.


I'll keep you posted

Eddy
 

 

[excess.11]

Trying to decypher what can actually see.....and what was found/done when exposing the individual cables. Are there black overheated points i can see on the wiring....or is that repaired cabling? Also if you haven t tracked down the fault.... i m concerned you may melt cabling in the  new loom as well if you can t prove where the fault lies.
Whats the plan guys ?

[XSIIE]

A Huge Thanks to Xtian and Bryan for taking  the time to drop around and have a look at 3131.  It was great to catch up again. 
Put the spaghetti junction back together and the fault re-appeared.

Am going to plan "B".

Currently hunting for another loom from anywhere I can.

Will take a day trip down to Canberra, hook up with Lou and then fossick in the Aladins Cave that is "Joes Motorcycle Wreckers in Fyshwick.

Have found one in Adelaide but waiting for photos to confirm compatibility. (I may get a spare out of all this)

3131 is not yet ready for plan "C" which involves large amounts of commercial grade stuff that goes bang and a match from a safe distance.

Eddy