parts needed for the 88

[Anton Perdices]

Folks, I need the help of the collective wisdom of the list on this one. A few days ago I tried starting my bike and it had a hard time cranking. I had a look at the battery and the liquid was low. I decided to get a new one, charged it overnight then put it on, started fine and off I went. I got home and the next day I tried starting it again and it wouldn't turn. None of the lights went on. I though I got a bad battery. I plugged my car battery with out starting the car on to the motorcycle battery and all the lights went on and it started fine. I disconnected the car battery and the bike still ran. However when accelerating the lights go dim and the signals don't work. I guess something is wqrong with the charging system. Where should I begin? I know it happened after I left the bike out in the rain and tried starting it while the whole bike was still wet. Could I have shorted something? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

> Gracias y Obrigado, > > Anton Perdices > Information Services > NORTEL NETWORKS > telephone: 954 851-8753 (ESN 228) > fax: 954 851-8499 (ESN 228) > cel: 305-519-8221 > e-mail: perdicea@... > >

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Jim Hyman]

Anton, If there was any work done to your KLR recently, it's possible that the charging problem is related to unplugged or damaged wiring and/or electrical connectors. It's unlikely that heavy rain has caused your problem. You didn't say if you have any electrical accessories that may be drawing your battery down. Keep your new battery fully charged, don't leave it in a discharged state overnight. Batteries don't like to be left in a discharged state, it will lead to shorter service life. Under normal conditions, the headlight brightness will be a bit dimmer at idle ( +/- 1200 rpm) than it will be at 2k rpm or higher. This is a quick & dirty test for your charging system. I assume that the fluid level in your old battery was due to not checking its level once a month. The fluid level must ALWAYS be above the top of the plates in each cell. It sounds like you've ruled out battery problems as the cause, because the new battery didn't fix you problem. Charging problems fall into 4 main areas: battery, alternator, voltage regulator, or wiring & connections. The only problem that you can check out is the wiring & wire connectors. There is a 6-wire connector at the voltage regulator/rectifier [R/R] that is located under the seat. Unplug this connector & inspect for broken wires or corrosion, making sure that it is fully plugged in. It helps to periodically unplug, inspect & spray all electrical connectors with WD-40 to help prevent corrosion. There are 3 YELLOW wires that connect the alternator to the R/R. These wires leave the alternator from a point just in front of the counter shaft sprocket. It's possible that the chain & sprocket have damaged these wires if they weren't routed properly. You'll need to remove the c/s sprocket cover to inspect these wires which are wrapped in a black plastic harness. The YELLOW wires go through the main wiring harness to a multi-wire connector located under the gas tank & behind the coolant recovery tank. Check this connector for corrosion & full contact. The wires then go back to the R/R. The KLR uses a permanent magnet alternator, which differs in operation from the more common excited field alternator that is found in nearly all street cycles, cars & trucks. You'll need the KLR service manual, volt meter & ammeter to fully check out the rest of the charging system. http://www.electrexusa.com has an excellent trouble shooting & fault finding chart to diagnose charging system problems. Check out their "Basics of a Charging System" at http://www.electrexusa.com/charging.htm . Choose a mechanic carefully, most can only diagnose electrical problems by trial & error replacement of electrical components. These components are very pricey. Your bottom line, check for damaged wiring or wire connectors that are loose or corroded. Professor A9 Federal Way, WA. [USA] ps: There are 5 electrical connectors (under the black plastic cover) in front of & below the instrument cluster. These connectors deal with the handlebar switches, ignition switch, and instrumentation. Charging system problems are not related to these connections. +++++++++++++ Anton wrote: Folks, I need the help of the collective wisdom of the list on this one. A few days ago I tried starting my bike and it had a hard time cranking. I had a look at the battery and the liquid was low. I decided to get a new one, charged it overnight then put it on, started fine and off I went. I got home and the next day I tried starting it again and it wouldn't turn. None of the lights went on. I though I got a bad battery. I plugged my car battery with out starting the car on to the motorcycle battery and all the lights went on and it started fine. I disconnected the car battery and the bike still ran. However when accelerating the lights go dim and the signals don't work. I guess something is wqrong with the charging system. Where should I begin? I know it happened after I left the bike out in the rain and tried starting it while the whole bike was still wet. Could I have shorted something? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

> Gracias y Obrigado, > > Anton Perdices > Information Services > NORTEL NETWORKS > telephone: 954 851-8753 (ESN 228) > fax: 954 851-8499 (ESN 228) > cel: 305-519-8221 > e-mail: perdicea@...

[kayak_shack]

Hey everybody! I HATE electrics!! I put new bliners and a headlight and tail light modulator on the KLR a whiel back and have been having nohting but trouble ever since. THere is probably a bad/loose connection somewhere but I haven't been able to find it because everytime I try to fix it the bloody thigns works!! Here are the symptoms: -last week the bike randomly wouldn't start, jiggle the bike, wait a few seconds or kick the plastic cover on the left side (some relays or somethign under it) and it would go again. SO I removed each of the electrical thingees under there, cleaned the contacts and reinstalled. Nothing. Jiggles wires all over and looked for bad connectiosn - no luck. THen later it jsut worked!! -this past week the headlight doesn't work, I turn the bike on and the high beam indicator seems 1/2 on but there is no headlight on, high beam switch does nothign also. After checking the bulb (it works in my CRV) and replacing it it still didn't work. I started taling parts off to get at some more electrical bits and then the thing worked again. Oh yeah, a couple of times the tail light (both brake and tail filaments) woudl stay on all the time when the bike was turned on! Repeat each of the above scenarios several times over the past 2 weeks. ANy ideas what/where to check? battery connections are good, headlight bulb is good, starter button is good, connections to the starter seem good, battery is good. HELP!!! -JOsh

[gmay131313]

Hi Josh...I also hate automotive/motorcycle electrical....their design sometimes amazes me...mostly because I have too many years to think about in the electrical world. From what you're describing I'm pretty sure that you have a poor ground. I would guess one end of the main cable on the negative side of the battery because of what you describe (the combination of not starting and what you are seeing happen with the lights). I really haven't looked at a wiring diagram yet so I can't tell you where the best place to look at first is, other then the cable mentioned above but I would suggest checking all the grounds, especially the main one from the battery to the frame, not just for tight bolts but condition ring connectors and wire ends themselves. Since you're not blowing fuses you have an intermittant open circuit. Intermittant problems are the worst to troubleshoot but if you go at it in a logical way they can be found. If for example the bike won't start leave the ignition on gently remove the sidecover that you were previously hitting to "fix' your problem, with luck it still won't start, if so have someone hold the starter button in and carefully move one wire at a time until the starter turns. This should find the problem pretty quickly if not on the first try . It's about time for me to look at a wiring so if you don't find the problem I can try to point you in the right direction although there is tons of experience on this list that can probably tell you exactly where the places are where you are most likely to find the problem. Have a great evening... Greg --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "kayak_shack" wrote:

> > Hey everybody! > > I HATE electrics!! I put new bliners and a headlight and tail light > modulator on the KLR a whiel back and have been having nohting but > trouble ever since. > > THere is probably a bad/loose connection somewhere but I haven't

been

> able to find it because everytime I try to fix it the bloody thigns > works!! > > Here are the symptoms: > -last week the bike randomly wouldn't start, jiggle the bike, wait a > few seconds or kick the plastic cover on the left side (some relays

or

> somethign under it) and it would go again. SO I removed each of the > electrical thingees under there, cleaned the contacts and

reinstalled.

> Nothing. Jiggles wires all over and looked for bad connectiosn -

no

> luck. THen later it jsut worked!! > > -this past week the headlight doesn't work, I turn the bike on and

the

> high beam indicator seems 1/2 on but there is no headlight on, high > beam switch does nothign also. After checking the bulb (it works in > my CRV) and replacing it it still didn't work. I started taling

parts

> off to get at some more electrical bits and then the thing worked

again.

> > Oh yeah, a couple of times the tail light (both brake and tail > filaments) woudl stay on all the time when the bike was turned on! > > Repeat each of the above scenarios several times over the past 2

weeks.

> > ANy ideas what/where to check? > > battery connections are good, headlight bulb is good, starter button > is good, connections to the starter seem good, battery is good. > > HELP!!! > > -JOsh >

[usa1911a1]

When crazy stuff like that happens with electrical devices, I start looking for all my ground connections. I suggest you use Clymers to find you ground connections and clean them all. Capt. Bob in Durham, CT. USA "Old Geezer Club Member 61" http://www.essexsteamtrain.com/ http://seniorbiker.blogspot.com 2006 A6F KLR Green Tires: Mefo 99 Explorers Country roads (20% dirt), dual tracks. NY State and Northern New England

----- Original Message ----- From: kayak_shack To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2007 4:25 PM Subject: [DSN_KLR650] electrical woes Hey everybody! I HATE electrics!! I put new bliners and a headlight and tail light modulator on the KLR a whiel back and have been having nohting but trouble ever since. THere is probably a bad/loose connection somewhere but I haven't been able to find it because everytime I try to fix it the bloody thigns works!! Here are the symptoms: -last week the bike randomly wouldn't start, jiggle the bike, wait a few seconds or kick the plastic cover on the left side (some relays or somethign under it) and it would go again. SO I removed each of the electrical thingees under there, cleaned the contacts and reinstalled. Nothing. Jiggles wires all over and looked for bad connectiosn - no luck. THen later it jsut worked!! -this past week the headlight doesn't work, I turn the bike on and the high beam indicator seems 1/2 on but there is no headlight on, high beam switch does nothign also. After checking the bulb (it works in my CRV) and replacing it it still didn't work. I started taling parts off to get at some more electrical bits and then the thing worked again. Oh yeah, a couple of times the tail light (both brake and tail filaments) woudl stay on all the time when the bike was turned on! Repeat each of the above scenarios several times over the past 2 weeks. ANy ideas what/where to check? battery connections are good, headlight bulb is good, starter button is good, connections to the starter seem good, battery is good. HELP!!! -JOsh [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[bradster62]

My buddy's 2005 KLR losts it's spark a couple of months ago while he was on a spring ride. We isolated a fault in clutch interlock which we bypassed. The sidestand interlock is ok. Despite this, there is still no spark. We checked the coil primary and secondary - they seem within spec. We swapped his coil with the coil from my working KLR and his coil operates fine in my machine. Spark plug checks out ok. At this point, where do we look? Does the coil run off a constant 12vdc feed or this this regulated by the CDI? Any suggestions for additional tests before we take this to the dealer? Regards, Bradster

[Tumu Rock]

Did you swap your spark plug into his bike or vice versa just to make sure his spark plug IS ok? Gap clearance? da Vermonster --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "bradster62" wrote:

> > My buddy's 2005 KLR losts it's spark a couple of months ago while

he

> was on a spring ride. We isolated a fault in clutch interlock which

we

> bypassed. The sidestand interlock is ok. Despite this, there is

still

> no spark. We checked the coil primary and secondary - they seem

within

> spec. We swapped his coil with the coil from my working KLR and his > coil operates fine in my machine. Spark plug checks out ok. > > At this point, where do we look? Does the coil run off a constant

12vdc

> feed or this this regulated by the CDI? Any suggestions for

additional

> tests before we take this to the dealer? > > Regards, > Bradster >

[andrefisherusa]

I traded a 65 chevy truck for an 88 KLR 650 and got it out on the road for 75 miles and runs pretty good. Vibrates alot. hear are the parts i need to put it in over the road order.let me know. i can paypal you. fork seals clutch cable one rear turn singal choke piece above thumb lever rear brake pads thanks