Just after Ive been saying how reliable my 32k mile bike is a gremlin has struck. I turned on ign and everything is dead, no dash, idiot lights headlight. Tried it 3/4 times then it worked. Started motor, then switched it off to see if gremlin was gone but it was dead every 3/4 times. Once its on its ok, I rode it home 20 mile and didnt miss a beat. So I tried it again at home and still got gremlin. Every 3/4 times it is dead with key in on position. When I turn the key and nothing works there is a flash of idiot lights and pump primes for milli sec. Confidence in this bike is going fast. Anyone out there got any ideas. Cheers, Keith
Tried the spare key. That seems to work ok but cant be sure. I'll fit a new pump relay as well, but I would like to know for sure that Ive got the gremlin. @chrisw would faulty relay cause dead dash? Cheers Keith.
Have you relocated your relay to the top of your battery box? Not only is it out of the heat and crud more there, it's much easier to get at and swap as well. Win/win
Yep done that Or. Thanks Spare key seems to have sorted it but I suspect the relay could well be the problem and will fit new one anyway.
The fuel pump relay will not affect the dash, idiot lights nor headlight. It's failure will stop the fuel pump, coils and injection but nothing else. The ignition switch makes a connection from the battery (red/black wire) to the 20A and 7.5A fuses via a brown/black wire. The 20A fuse is for the ancillaries - horn, stoplight, pass lamp, the 7.5A fuse is "Key On". When it is live it turns on the dash and ECU and provides 12V to the engine stop switch which must be closed to enable the ECU. Your problem could be the ignition switch or it could simply be oxidation of the blades of the 7.5A fuse giving an intermittent connection. You could try another fuse.
I had the problem of intermittent fuse contact with my SS. I was stupid enough to to try and improve the contact by twisting the blades to create more pressure. All this did was reduce the contact area, making the problem worse. The cure was to use nice, flat blades and increase the contact pressure at the fusebox end. Point is, it might be worth checking that your fuse blades are nice and flat, as well as clean.
It's often the highest rated fuse that is the first to highlight a fuseholder problem, same on some Italian cars. As Derek said, a careful inspection of the fuse and particularly the fuse holder 'jaws'/contacts can look darker/discoloured and show early signs of overheating even. EDIT just occurred to me Keith, if it's a total/blanket cut-out of all power then even battery connections could be to blame.
Imhe, battery contacts will often allow the dash etc to come on but when you load them with the starter motor solenoid, you hear the solenoid click and then lose everything
Ok thanks guys. I'll pull all the fuses and check and clean them and fit a new pump relay. Its been fine for 30 switch ons so might have fixed itself....... I'll also give the ign switch a squirt of contact cleaner and keep my fingers crossed. Cheers.
But with the emphasis on "often " I remember sitting in a friend of a friend's broken down Granada in south London on a hot sunny day around 20 years ago. I didn't know him that well, and it was a slightly 'speak when you're spoken to' atmosphere. Everything had gone dead including the ignition lights on turning the ignition key And they had tried jumpstarting, fuses plus repeatedly turning ignition on and off. Had a hunch and tried turning the radio on. It crackled a little and worked at a low-volume on occasion for a short while before cutting out. Was told to stop fiddling as it was nothing to do with that but ignoring this, I went straight under the Bonnet when they weren't there and loosened and moved both battery terminals (one was hot making me even more confident). It's solved the problem and I wish I'd taken a photo of the sheepish expression that the owner had on learning this.
