Ok,
I had an interesting problem start this weekend with my 900RR. I went to go start it yesterday and nothing happened. None of the dash lights came on or anything. I checked the battery and it was good at 13.5 volts. I threw it on the charger just to be on the safe side. Still nothing. So I pulled the fuse panel and checked my fuses, they are all fine. So I start pulling on wires and tugging things, then all of a sudden, dash lights lit up and everything came on. Bike would fire right up. So I checked it earlier today and everything was fine. I get home tonight and it's dead again. The dash wouldn't power up. So I pull the seat again and tug on a few wires and shake some stuff around. Then the dash powers up again. So it's obvious I have a short somewhere. Any ideas what to look at. I don't want to spend hours troubleshooting. Any thing in particular I should look at?

 

First rule of thumb - when shaking wires(unless this is a harness), do so one at a time until you find the wire creating the problem (since you dont want to perform continuity checks to find the short). Check to ensure your connectors (in the area you are shaking) are all securely seated (disconnect and reconnect). Check your grounds (green wires) for security and lack of corrosion. After you perform these checks you will have performed the 'quick assess' and only be left with cracking open the Service Manual and chasing wires.

 

Sounds like continuity prob and not short (fuses OK pretty much rules out short). If you have the manual, what wire supplies both dash and starter? Most likely a ground problem like Baldman suggested. Good luck -- electrical gremlins are such a pain.

 

Pssst...a loss of continuity = a short.

 

A text book "short" blows fuses or melts wires or makes pretty sparks. Why? Because the current is going directly to ground instead of being used. Hence the term short circuit -- instead of following the intended path, the current follows what's convenient (least restrictive) and heads on home to ground which causes amp spikes and does mean nasty things. Lack of continuity is what your wall switch does to the light bulb to turn it off. Psssst -- you don't think you have a short every time ya turn off a light do ya?

 

Per the textbook HERE:

Short Circuit -- A fault in an electric circuit or apparatus due usually to imperfect insulation, such that the current follows a by-path and inflicts damage or is wasted.

Your example is that of a 'switched circuit', not a loss of continuity. Exactly what is your background in anyway? Not that I am always right, but FYI - I have 10 years of Aeronautical Electrical Engineering behind me. I dont have a problem discussing topics or answering questions, but please dont get into a pissing contest with me over something so trivial, and what some may construe as 'personal opinion'.

...back to our regular scheduled programming/on-topic conversation.

 

**** away dude but I work with this stuff in "actual" factory conditions everyday. Your definition of short states the current inflicts damage or is wasted. NeonspeedRT seems to have no damage, just a lack of power to where he needs it. So by your own definition it ain't a short. So call it what ya will but it appears that something is loose. The real issue isn't who can **** the farthest but in making sure NeonspeedRT doesn't get stranded. Agreed?

 

I worked with it in 'actual' conditions for 7 years, before stepping further up the food chain (that is not always a good thing, but was in this instance)...since your message laid the perception that I only have book knowledge and not 'hands on' experience. My apologies if you were not meaning to imply that.

That is not my definition, it is the websites definition. To waste current would be the release of said current/power without any visible sign = POSSIBLY what Neon's problem COULD BE. Since damage is a visible indicator and Neon has yet to tear into this...we do not know that damage is not present. Remember, this is all a guessing game without having more specific details and/or troubleshooting. I dont think either of us is right or wrong, just that we have different viewpoints and ways of expressing our electrical knowledge/troubleshooting skills.

Yes, something is obviously loose if he is shaking it and getting an intermittant condition. I had a condition similar to this about 3months ago. The intermittant dash lights extinguishing and coming on when I shoke the headlight harness turned out to be a grounding pin that was shorting inside the connector. The connector was partically melting inside (no outter visible signs of damage) and the pin was blackened. I replaced the 22ga ground wire with a 16ga (since it grounded ALL of the instruments and systems) and resolved the problem.

Research the problem a little further Neon and get back to us with the details you discover.

 

Electrical troubleshooting is the worst. I was just mainly asking to see if there was any certain area, connecion, or sensor I should look into. I did high end car audio installs for about 10+ years for major audio companies, so I can handle that part. It's just a pain in the *** and time consuming. The wierd part is it hasn't happened again since the other day. I'm gonna kick myself in the head if it was this simple, but I sprayed some cleaner and then silicone spray on the battery terminals and it's been fine since then. I put a new battery in her about 2 months ago and the terminals looked fine, but maybe not. I'll pull them off this weekend and take a look at them. Hopefully it's something simple like that.