Electrical problem

[larkin]

Hi.... I have got a strange elctrical problem that has got me stumped. I was riding home and my lights began to dim, then I lost my speedo and my tach. As I was 50 miles from home I tried to nurse it home but the bike started to back fire and wouldn't go on. when I pulled over it idled ok til I turned it off and it wouldn" start again. But the lights brightned up and I got my speedo back. I had just charged my battery so that had a full charge and the cables are tight and clean, but the bike won't start any help would be appeciated.

larkin

 

[galez]

Check your ground cable from the battery, test the coil per the Service Manual and check the power in to the coil. What are your symptoms? I have a '97 883-1200 that I chased electrical gremlins through last year. My bike would intermittently cut out and stumble, too quickly to be a fuel problem, and eventulally died completely. If I had to do it again, I would just replace the entire wiring harness. IIRC, my problem was a combination of bad battery cables and chafed wiring in the helmet and the harness.

Galez

 

[larkin]

The battery cables are tight. I have power at only one of the terminals of the coil. That's as far as I got.

 

[catherin]

the rectifier looks like a mini amplifier like for car audio has little cooling fins on it the wires should lead to the fuse control panel with the key in the on position check for power just before it hits the fuse panel. im gonna read my book a little on trouble shooting electrical. also i was told to check the power from the stator it should be located undr the bike frame closest to the rear tire {may be covered in oil hiding under there} mine was and take a ohm meter and set it to continuity check see if there is a broken circut there . if thats the case it may be within the stator. that does not sound good as far as the coil though have someone turn the igniton and check the leads going to the coil not to the plug wires and do the ole process of elimination check" i will read up a lil more and tell u word for word what they say to check for.

 

[danny]

Start with the rectifier regulator up front under triple tree. test for output power going from the rectifier to the cicut breakers fuses or see if the power out of the coil is there, is it on cylinder or two that aint firing?

Danny

 

[prunella]

larkin,

The manual has a good section of troubleshooting this problem. It would be hard to list all the steps.

Best thing to do is look at the stupid and cheap things first. Bad connections, check all powers and grounds to all parts. Ignition switch, breakers, coil, ignition module etc.

Check the round connection between the sensor/pickup and the module. Should be under the bike or just behind the starter.

If that checks out start measuring resistance of the coil and ignition module, wires.

Prunella