AberdeenBikers

My 2001 GPZ500S is blowing starter solenoid 30 amp fuses left right and centre.

It started today in the pissing rain on the way to work and everything died bike stopped completely.

Then again on the way home once I'd fiddled about with the wiring to check for breakages.

It's blown 3 times for unknown reasons, once in the wet slowing for a junction, once in the dry gently accelerating up a slip road and once while cruising at 60mph. It's happened even with no lights, brakes, indicators or anything on.

Anyone got any ideas... I've made sure everything is connected as well as possible and given a thorough WD40'ing over everything.

Anyone got any ideas? I'm riding around with 3 packs of 30amp fuses under the seat now!

If it is blowing fuses when out in both wet & dry could be wiring loom (bare wires) at some point contacting frame & earthing down , other problem could be starter motor problem i.e ingress of water.

Could it be the starter motor even if it's happening whilst dry? Do I have to just trace the wires leading from the starter solenoid and find where it is touching the frame?

Won't be the starter motor if it's blowing when the engine is running. The wire from the solenoid to the starter motor is only "live" when you press the starter button (unless the solenoid is stuck 'in')
Bear in mind that this fuse could also power other things on your bike. Good luck. Intermittent faults are a swine to find and are usually found either by sheer luck or a complete systematic search of the related parts. Do you have a wiring diagram?

Sorry this doesn't sound too helpful but it's difficult to diagnose over the interweb.

KK

I had a quick look at the busa's wiring diagram. The 30A fuse on the starter circuit is wired between the positive side of the battery and the ignition switch.

Totally different bike I know, but might be a similar setup. If the 30A fuse is the only one blowing then the fault could be around the ignition switch rather than the starter itself - especially since you describe the whole bike dying without lights and when the starter is not in use.

Might be worth having a look at the wiring to the ignition area or possibly even the switch itself. Any incorrectly routed wires could easily be damaged by the movement of the bars or nipped by the tank/fairing etc.

Good luck

Thanks for the advice guys. I've got a haynes with a wiring diagram which should help me a bit. Might try finding a cheap auto spark who'll probably find it in 5 minutes.

There's 3 wire from/to my starter solenoid. 1 to the battery, 1 to the engine (I assume the starter motor) and 1 which goes under the tank and links to all the other bloody wires.

Probably going to take off the tank and trace the ones that go up there as it's when you fiddle with these that it works again - for a while...

grantwils wrote: as when you fiddle with it that it works again - for a while...

Not knowing the particular type of solenoid but I would have thought there should be 4 (four) wires at the solenoid. There is usually a wire from the battery to the solenoid, a wire from the solenoid to the starter motor (both heavy duty cables.) and then there is usually a wire that comes (eventually, possibly through relays) from the start button and then an earth (ground) wire.
On both my Kwaks there is a plug and socket arrangement at the solenoind.

KK

The wire to the engine (starter motor i think) and battery are heavy duty jobies. There are a selection of wires that come out the top and go up under the fuel tank which I assume are start button and ignition (key) switch.

Common sense dictates that one of these will be frayed due to the moving of handle bars etc. Not sure if this gremlin has much common sense though.

Could easily be water in something - even if it's dry out, if something got a good soaking it could still have moisture in it.

Have you tried switching if off then back on again?

Big Kneed Al (master of the emergency stop & "stand up" comedian) ( Super Nanny ) wrote:Have you tried switching if off then back on again?

With the amount of time I've spend rolling around on my arse chaffing my knuckles trying to find out what's wrong with the electrics my sense of humour is wearing thin old man.

I eventually ripped out all the wiring and found it straight away! The bit I thought was OK and hadn't looked at was the problem.

All the wires run under the fuel tank and when I removed the fuel tank mounting bracket (the only bit I hadn't removed before) I spotted a bit of melted/corroded/bare wire where the bracket had been rubbing against the wire.

I've re-insulated the wires and bound them all back together - even managed to get it all connected up again without any problems.

It's running fine now and I've done 20 miles on it since putting it back together with no problems.

I'm pretty sure that's it sorted now but still have 15 fuses under the seat in case it happens again. Next time I'm in the rain I'll be a bit worried - just in case the fault I've found is completely unrelated to the symptoms I had.

Looks like I'll be going to BSB on the bike now which I'm really pleased about.

Now I'm off in to Glasgow to see the BSB teams that are there with the bikes doing parade laps of George Square as PR for the Scottish Round this weekend.

grantwils wrote:I eventually ripped out all the wiring and found it straight away! The bit I thought was OK and hadn't looked at was the problem.

All the wires run under the fuel tank and when I removed the fuel tank mounting bracket (the only bit I hadn't removed before) I spotted a bit of melted/corroded/bare wire where the bracket had been rubbing against the wire.

I've re-insulated the wires and bound them all back together - even managed to get it all connected up again without any problems.

I'm pretty sure that's it sorted now but still have 15 fuses under the seat in case it happens again. Next time I'm in the rain I'll be a bit worried - just in case the fault I've found is completely unrelated to the symptoms I had.

Looks like I'll be going to BSB on the bike now which I'm really pleased about.

Now I'm off in to Glasgow to see the BSB teams that are there with the bikes doing parade laps of George Square as PR for the Scottish Round this weekend.

Well done that man, bit of a chew to get to the problem but hey that's half of the fun enjoy the weekend fancied that one meself but offshore the joys!