silence tonight and tomorrow

[John Hill]

I can't use the start button. I checked everything I can think of - side stand switch, neutral sensor, clutch switch, cdi.... Right now, all I can say is that the black yellow wire coming out of the cdi that goes to the starter relay, doesn't get power. This means that some input to the cdi is incorrect. I get power through most of the system and the switch relay clicks. Anybody seen this before? Thanks

[John Biccum]

Yes I *have *seen this. It caused me to be stranded 300 miles from home, the first time in 50K miles that the KLR let me down. The problem was the internal contacts on the kill switch. The switch is not sealed. Water intrusion can short the switch to ground so even if the switch is in the run position the bike thinks the switch is in the off position. Cycle the switch vigorously and blow compressed air into the switch near where the plastic bezel meets the switch knob. Better might be some electrical contact cleaner if you have any handy. If you look closely you might see steam escaping from this area when you press the starter button. I used a tiny drinking straw and blew air from my mouth to get mine dried out...I was a long way from compressed air hose when my bike failed. John Hill wrote:

> > I can't use the start button. I checked everything I can think of - > side stand switch, neutral sensor, clutch switch, cdi.... Right now, > all I can say is that the black yellow wire coming out of the cdi that > goes to the starter relay, doesn't get power. This means that some > input to the cdi is incorrect. I get power through most of the system > and the switch relay clicks. Anybody seen this before? Thanks > >

[Bogdan Swider]

Sounds like good advise from John B. Do be careful when you cycle the switch, however. It can fall off. There are tiny ball bearings in there that are easy to lose. Bogdan

On 10/6/08 9:13 AM, "John Biccum" wrote: > > > > Yes I *have *seen this. It caused me to be stranded 300 miles from > home, the first time in 50K miles that the KLR let me down. The problem > was the internal contacts on the kill switch. The switch is not > sealed. Water intrusion can short the switch to ground so even if the > switch is in the run position the bike thinks the switch is in the off > position. > > Cycle the switch vigorously and blow compressed air into the switch > near where the plastic bezel meets the switch knob. Better might be > some electrical contact cleaner if you have any handy. If you look > closely you might see steam escaping from this area when you press the > starter button. I used a tiny drinking straw and blew air from my mouth > to get mine dried out...I was a long way from compressed air hose when > my bike failed. > > John Hill wrote: >> > >> > I can't use the start button. I checked everything I can think of - >> > side stand switch, neutral sensor, clutch switch, cdi.... Right now, >> > all I can say is that the black yellow wire coming out of the cdi that >> > goes to the starter relay, doesn't get power. This means that some >> > input to the cdi is incorrect. I get power through most of the system >> > and the switch relay clicks. Anybody seen this before? Thanks >> > >> > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[John Hill]

What I don't get about the stop switch is that the wiring diagram shows it inline (serial) to the start switch and when I press the start switch, the starter circuit relay flips. This indicates to me that the kill switch is okay, but I will check it out. As a noob poster here, my intial try at adding info didn't work so let me try here, hopefully it will attach to the thread. I have run a wire from the yellow black cdi wire (not from the cdi) to the back of the bike where I can stick the wire in my charging pigtail for 12v and start the bike. This shows that the starter relay and starter work fine and it gets me down the road but very inconvenient on trails. A side occurence is that when the yellow/black wire is unplugged from the cdi, the neutral light is always on. Yes, I have used my little rear "start switch", standing beside the bike when the bike was still in gear.

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Bogdan Swider wrote: > > Sounds like good advise from John B. Do be careful when you cycle the > switch, however. It can fall off. There are tiny ball bearings in there that > are easy to lose. > > Bogdan > > > On 10/6/08 9:13 AM, "John Biccum" wrote: > > > > > > > > > Yes I *have *seen this. It caused me to be stranded 300 miles from > > home, the first time in 50K miles that the KLR let me down. The problem > > was the internal contacts on the kill switch. The switch is not > > sealed. Water intrusion can short the switch to ground so even if the > > switch is in the run position the bike thinks the switch is in the off > > position. > > > > Cycle the switch vigorously and blow compressed air into the switch > > near where the plastic bezel meets the switch knob. Better might be > > some electrical contact cleaner if you have any handy. If you look > > closely you might see steam escaping from this area when you press the > > starter button. I used a tiny drinking straw and blew air from my mouth > > to get mine dried out...I was a long way from compressed air hose when > > my bike failed. > > > > John Hill wrote: > >> > > >> > I can't use the start button. I checked everything I can think of - > >> > side stand switch, neutral sensor, clutch switch, cdi.... Right now, > >> > all I can say is that the black yellow wire coming out of the cdi that > >> > goes to the starter relay, doesn't get power. This means that some > >> > input to the cdi is incorrect. I get power through most of the system > >> > and the switch relay clicks. Anybody seen this before? Thanks > >> > > >> > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >

[jean luc ascencio]

Hi John I had the same problem on my A1 , the starter just quit working,I took it apart and found a lot of rust on the brushes end of it,cleaned all out ,specially the brushes housings and put it back together (I noticed the gasket on that end of the starter was really beat up , letting water in ) .It fixed the problem right away and the starter has more power now. J-L

--- On Mon, 10/6/08, John Hill wrote: From: John Hill Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Electric starting problem To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Date: Monday, October 6, 2008, 6:58 AM I can't use the start button. I checked everything I can think of - side stand switch, neutral sensor, clutch switch, cdi.... Right now, all I can say is that the black yellow wire coming out of the cdi that goes to the starter relay, doesn't get power. This means that some input to the cdi is incorrect. I get power through most of the system and the switch relay clicks. Anybody seen this before? Thanks [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[dooden]

Ya what he said, check that first. Mine acted like that once, but just cycled it back and forth and the bike fired right up. ( dirty switch I guessed, never happen since ) Nice trick to play on somebody, just bump the kill switch, not many think to look at it, since most of us never use it. (Not as funny as a few drops of oil under co-workers new HD's however.) Dooden A15 Green Ape

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, John Biccum wrote: > > Yes I *have *seen this. It caused me to be stranded 300 miles from > home, the first time in 50K miles that the KLR let me down. The problem > was the internal contacts on the kill switch. The switch is not > sealed. Water intrusion can short the switch to ground so even if the > switch is in the run position the bike thinks the switch is in the off > position. > > Cycle the switch vigorously and blow compressed air into the switch > near where the plastic bezel meets the switch knob. Better might be > some electrical contact cleaner if you have any handy. If you look > closely you might see steam escaping from this area when you press the > starter button. I used a tiny drinking straw and blew air from my mouth > to get mine dried out...I was a long way from compressed air hose when > my bike failed. > > > John Hill wrote: > > > > I can't use the start button. I checked everything I can think of - > > side stand switch, neutral sensor, clutch switch, cdi.... Right now, > > all I can say is that the black yellow wire coming out of the cdi that > > goes to the starter relay, doesn't get power. This means that some > > input to the cdi is incorrect. I get power through most of the system > > and the switch relay clicks. Anybody seen this before? Thanks > > > > >

[planetequipment]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "John Hill" wrote:

> > I can't use the start button. I checked everything I can think of - > side stand switch, neutral sensor, clutch switch, cdi.... Right now, > all I can say is that the black yellow wire coming out of the cdi that > goes to the starter relay, doesn't get power. This means that some > input to the cdi is incorrect. I get power through most of the system > and the switch relay clicks. Anybody seen this before? Thanks >

Hi John: I'm having a bit of trouble understanding your diagnosis/setup. You mention no power at the black/yellow wire at the cd unit and in a subsequent post mention a charger hooked up to the black/yellow wire. The black/yellow wire is a common return path to ground for all the circuits on the bike. You won't see a voltage reading on the yellow/black wire on the cd unit. Putting a charger on the ground wire (yellow/black) also confuses me. But maybe that's just because I confuse too easily. Ron

[Ed Dobson]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "boulder_adv_rider" wrote:

> > Listers - In respect to the sudden passing of our brother Cary Aspy, > I will not be posting to the board tonight or all day tomorrow. > Losing one of our own weighs heavy on our heads and hearts. I am > going to take the time to reflect on this tragedy and how precious > life and friendships are. My flag flies at half mast and head hangs > low. > > Respectfully, > > Brian

Thanks. ED

[John Hill]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "planetequipment" wrote:

> > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "John Hill" wrote: > > > > I can't use the start button. I checked everything I can think

of -

> > side stand switch, neutral sensor, clutch switch, cdi.... Right

now,

> > all I can say is that the black yellow wire coming out of the cdi

that

> > goes to the starter relay, doesn't get power. This means that

some

> > input to the cdi is incorrect. I get power through most of the

system

> > and the switch relay clicks. Anybody seen this before? Thanks > > > > Hi John: > > I'm having a bit of trouble understanding your diagnosis/setup. You > mention no power at the black/yellow wire at the cd unit and in a > subsequent post mention a charger hooked up to the black/yellow

wire.

> > The black/yellow wire is a common return path to ground for all the > circuits on the bike. > > You won't see a voltage reading on the yellow/black wire on the cd

unit.

> > Putting a charger on the ground wire (yellow/black) also confuses

me.

> But maybe that's just because I confuse too easily. > > Ron >

I could be wrong on things and that is why I am asking but here is what I think I know. The B/Y wire (added sometime in the 90s) comes off of the cdi unit. The cdi is supposed to feed 12v to it for starting. That wire goes directly to the Starter relay. I unplugged the B/Y wire from the cdi and all I am doing is feeding 12v directly to the black/yellow wire which directly triggers the relay and that works. So, with all the other inputs to the cdi, I don't know what is keeping the cdi from supplying power. I appreciate everyones help! I have to fix this.