Ignition troubles?

[zoom45]

I still have the intermittent problem of the bike cutting off whenever it decides to. It quit or stumbled on the way to work 3 times this morning but then it ran perfect on a short ride at lunch and all the way home today. This past weekend I tore the whole bike apart, installed my extra fuse box, flushed the fuel tank and lines, went through the ignitions switch and checked every other switch for proper operation and cleaned and double checked every electrical connection and wire I could find. The only thing left I can think of is maybe a bad coil or igniter. Is there a way to troubleshoot the igniter? (Those things are over $300 for a new one). Problem is, it may check fine unless it acts up when I test it unless it may have a weird ohm reading that could be a problem. If that's not the trouble I give up. Any ideas?
Zoom45

[duneseven]

Youre chasing ghost. The odds a part will fail while testing is slim and none . they fail in a rain storm 10 miles from home. sorry!

[Idaho]

This sounds vaguely familiar. I think there was another member here this last year who had similar symptoms and eventually found a warn wire harness that was grounding out an exposed wire. Don't remember who it was or where the wire was. Hopefully someone with clearer mental faculties than myself can provide some assistance.

[ringadingh]

Originally Posted by Idaho (High Plains Drifter)

This sounds vaguely familiar. I think there was another member here this last year who had similar symptoms and eventually found a warn wire harness that was grounding out an exposed wire. Don't remember who it was or where the wire was. Hopefully someone with clearer mental faculties than myself can provide some assistance.

I think that was a wiring harness that rubbed through on the valve cover of the rear cylinder. If you havn't checked this well, its a problem thats happened more than once on some bikes. It may be worth taking a good look at since it has the exact symptoms that you originally describe.

[Idaho]

Originally Posted by Ringadingh

I think that was a wiring harness that rubbed through on the valve cover of the rear cylinder. If you havn't checked this well, its a problem thats happened more than once on some bikes. It may be worth taking a good look at since it has the exact symptoms that you originally describe.

That's it!! See I knew someone would remember.

[macmac]

I agree.... When you check that harness you first release the nylock by it's tab, no need to cut it.

Then pull the harness up and inspect it very closely.

The other 2 ways i use are hook up a volt meter so you can monitor items one by one. And the same thing pulling on harnesses and item wiring with the engine running and the bike parked.

It might be a broken connector inside a crimp. Basicly that wire is broken and hidden at the break. Not to easy to find, but if you look hard enough with a ice pick light, which is fastest, you will find what the problem is.

A dealer tech will spend all kinds of time and probably never find the problem. I would have a bad time finding the problem myself in a limited time.

maybe the parked method would aloow me to find the propblem and then if not I would need to ride the bike as much as you do.

I wouldn't go on a parts buying spree at all, that just is expensive and causes more problems.


I have bought brand new spark plugs that were junk out of the box and ECU's the same way.

[zoom45]

I got it tonight and took everthing off I could and still be able to crank it up. I had a super bright spot light where I could see every wire clearly. I closly inspected all the wires and let it run while I tugged, bumped, and moved every wire and connection I could find. It never stumbled or cut off. Seemed to run perfect. This is a head scratcher. I guess I can just ride and be prepared to pull over if it does it again.

[Idaho]

How did you run the bike with the gas tank off?

If you have not pulled the gas tank you need to.

[ringadingh]

You could probably prop the tank up a little with something enough to get at the wiring. Im assuming thats what he did.

[macmac]

I figure he did what Ring said too.

About now I would be at rigging up a voltmeter with long leads and shielded clips, and install the clips but i don't know where first. One place would be at the start relay main feed to the rest of the bike.

To my thinking this has gotta be a loose, or broken feed wire somewhere. That is 'IF' it isn't the harness...

[zoom45]

Yes I propped up the tank. First I took it off and checked the wiring closely the ran it with it propped up. The wires and the hoses to everything are long enough. I couldn't find anything wrong. I drove it home from work yesterday, back to work this morning and back home today and it ran perfect. No problems at all. I give up on troubleshooting. I'm going to drive it till I'm too old to ride anymore. It will either quit or keep going. LOL. Maybe funny magic fixed it.

[macmac]

Well I hope you looked that harness over hard.... Like re-leased it from the nylocks and looked at the area between the harness and the frame for signs of chaffing.

If you wiggled it only, maybe you pulled a chaffed wore to a slightly different place, where for now it won't make contact to the frame and dead short out.

It might be you hit on the problem and fixed for all I know. Sometimes that happens with a loose connection. Just by pulling a connector off and putting it backon is the fix. it isn't a great fix, since you don't know one way or the other, and that leaves you wondering....

I hate that myself.