1 New Electrical Demon Puzzle Wed Mar 08, 2023 7:26 pm
jjefferies
Life time member
Narrative: I'm heading over to S.F. to buy a couple of swords, get up on the freeway ramp in Oakland and notice I don't have turn signals. Quick check and find I don't have a headlight (the high beam indicator doesn't come on). Red light bulb check also isn't showing any issues but later find no brake lights either. Rather than take a chance on being stranded, I turn and run for home. As I'm heading home I monitor the electrical voltage which at 4K RPM I'm seeing 12.5 volts but not the usual 13.+. Get the bike in the back yard and on center stand. I turn off the key and the engine continues to run. I flip the kill switch over it continues to run. I pop the side cover and remove the fuses. Something is still going on like it was dieseling. I put it in 1st gear ease out on the clutch and the rear wheel is jerkily moving. i slowly hit the rear brake and the wheel stops. I let out on the brake and the noise and wheel restart. At this point I can't tell if the engine is dieseling or if the starter motor is continuing to turn, i.e. false starting. I step on the rear brake and hold it. Engine stops. After some moments I let up on the brake and no continuation of noise or running.
Now the fun part. I replace all the fuses in their holders. Clock has been running all this time but with fuses out it finally quit too. I turn on the key switch and the kill switch. Bike starts normally and runs. Headlight, turn signals all working. I turn off the key. Engine stops as normal. I restart the engine multiple times. Everything is apparently normal. Yech!! And BTW, I had turned off the heated hand grips before taking off the 1st time. But I try them multiple times. No issue though I don't leave them on long enough to get them hot. Now I know I've got a real demon in the electrical system. Realizing that having a real demon in there I figure the engine is just waiting to die in the most inconvenient spot and or time possible. As it is just past one I head over to the local In-N-Out burger joint and have lunch.
Now for the weird aside part. In-N-Out buggers my burger and the prettiest female mendicant I've seen in many a year hits me up for her and her brothers. I smell/rells a Demon trick and refuse to get involved. Finally get the burger right and call my buddy, Greg. He suggests it's either the load shed relay or the starter relay. So I ride home, check what I can and am looking at the circuit diagram trying to discern what might failing might give me these indications (other than the buggered burger or the mendicant). Any thoughts from the assembled masters of K75 electrics before I start swapping out parts?
Clues: issue/problem started 1) on running bike with turn signals, brake, headlight failing to energize/work 2.)Key switch and kill switch both did not stop the engine/starter (I could not tell if it was the engine dieseling or a continuing starter that kept the engine turning over) 3.) After forced stop the engine restarts correctly 4.) electrical voltage seems to lower than normal for a running engine. (I have a small digital voltmeter that gives a continuing readout of voltage).
Suggestions appreciated.
JJefferies
edit: The turn signals and other lights were working when I started my ride. I do remember the turn signals needing to be canceled. Can't really say about the headlights though the red bad brake light signal had gone off per usual after both brakes were applied.
Model: 1990 K75C
Now the fun part. I replace all the fuses in their holders. Clock has been running all this time but with fuses out it finally quit too. I turn on the key switch and the kill switch. Bike starts normally and runs. Headlight, turn signals all working. I turn off the key. Engine stops as normal. I restart the engine multiple times. Everything is apparently normal. Yech!! And BTW, I had turned off the heated hand grips before taking off the 1st time. But I try them multiple times. No issue though I don't leave them on long enough to get them hot. Now I know I've got a real demon in the electrical system. Realizing that having a real demon in there I figure the engine is just waiting to die in the most inconvenient spot and or time possible. As it is just past one I head over to the local In-N-Out burger joint and have lunch.
Now for the weird aside part. In-N-Out buggers my burger and the prettiest female mendicant I've seen in many a year hits me up for her and her brothers. I smell/rells a Demon trick and refuse to get involved. Finally get the burger right and call my buddy, Greg. He suggests it's either the load shed relay or the starter relay. So I ride home, check what I can and am looking at the circuit diagram trying to discern what might failing might give me these indications (other than the buggered burger or the mendicant). Any thoughts from the assembled masters of K75 electrics before I start swapping out parts?
Clues: issue/problem started 1) on running bike with turn signals, brake, headlight failing to energize/work 2.)Key switch and kill switch both did not stop the engine/starter (I could not tell if it was the engine dieseling or a continuing starter that kept the engine turning over) 3.) After forced stop the engine restarts correctly 4.) electrical voltage seems to lower than normal for a running engine. (I have a small digital voltmeter that gives a continuing readout of voltage).
Suggestions appreciated.
JJefferies
edit: The turn signals and other lights were working when I started my ride. I do remember the turn signals needing to be canceled. Can't really say about the headlights though the red bad brake light signal had gone off per usual after both brakes were applied.
Model: 1990 K75C
Last edited by jjefferies on Wed Mar 08, 2023 8:19 pm; edited 2 times in total