Bike dies/won't start. Electrical problem.

[Meme]

My bike started having a miss today, then died on the highway. Then it wouldn't turn over. The lights and turn signals worked, and when I shorted the starter solenoid it would turn over but not run. I finally got some life by rapping on the fusebox and parts close to it under the storage box under the seat.

Since then it has died on me seven more times and done the hesitation thing about a dozen times or more. I have been kicking the frame by the right passenger peg while holding the clutch and starter to get it going quickly.

Does anyone know what may be causing this?

[JWR]

Sure sounds like a loose wire.

Remove the seat and have a look.
Could be a battery cable.

[Meme]

I had already disconnected and reconnected every connector I could find before rapping on the fuse block. I also pulled and reinserted each fuse.
There are three components under the storage box. The fuse box, a module that I think is the igniter assembly, and a removable block that I can't identify yet.

[blaine]

I had already disconnected and reconnected every connector I could find before rapping on the fuse block. I also pulled and reinserted each fuse.
There are three components under the storage box. The fuse box, a module that I think is the igniter assembly, and a removable block that I can't identify yet.
I think the removable block you are talking about is the flasher,side stand relay.Yes,the module is the igniter. :) :cool:

[Meme]

Thanks for clarifying that. I'm guessing the flasher has nothing to do with the problem. So it's either a loose connector in the fusebox, or something's wrong with the igniter.

[greatmaul]

I'm no expert, but could it be the side stand cut off switch? Maybe it's shorting and killing the engine? It just seems like I've heard that problem before.

[Meme]

I was looking at that when it first happened, but the kickstand didn't seem to have any affect. I really think it's something under the seat, mounted to the front of the rear fender, as kicking the frame near there, or rapping on that mount area directly, has pretty immediate response.

The bike died on me about 5 times in less than a mile after work tonight, and cut out half a dozen times or more. It is horribly unsafe to drive. I left it at work 'til I figure it out or can move it home.

[Gz Rider]

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[Meme]

I think the miss is it shorting out or, more likely, opening up for just a moment. It won't even try to turn over when it's not working. If I kick the passenger foot peg it starts turning over and fires up. It dies almost immediately most times now, and I have to do it several times to keep it running, but it is definitely an electrical problem. It got progressively worse in the course of one day, so maybe a loose connection in the fuse box.

What does the igniter do?

[Gz Rider]

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[Meme]

If I take the seat off, the storage box out, and rap on any of the 3 parts that are mounted to the front of the rear fender, it will immediately kick over (with the clutch tied down with a bandanna and the starer button pressed). I think the parts are so close that any vibration reaches all 3 of them. I only kick the frame when it happens and I am riding it (it's quicker).

Here are the parts under the storage box. The first pic is the fuse box and flasher as seen from the top, with part of the igniter visible in the lower right. The second pic is the igniter, taken from the right side of the bike with the side cover off, and not level, as the angle of the chain shows.

http://s17.postimage.org/bmsz7x7cb/2012_01_03_14_24_58_649.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/bmsz7x7cb/)

http://s14.postimage.org/xfhll7j2l/2012_01_03_14_25_21_555.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/xfhll7j2l/)

[Gz Rider]

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[Meme]

The dirt on the fuse box is just dust. I'm in Reno, Nevada and the desert is dusty.

I took things apart yesterday, pulling the fuse box off of the fender and separating the wires so I could get to each one individually. Believe it or not the problem is associated with the flasher relay. The wire running from the ignition fuse to the flasher relay, under the fuse box, seems to be the one causing problems. I'm not sure if the wire is broken at the crimp up in the fuse box or the relay itself is bad, but I'm going to try the relay first. I did try cleaning all the contacts on the relay by scraping them with a knife. I didn't have any contact cleaner with me, so just made due with what I had. I can't tell if it made any difference. It is a pain not having it at home to work on. The bike seems to have the problem much less now, but I didn't ride it very far, and still don't want to try to ride it home yet.

[Meme]

Well, the local Suzuki shop doesn't have the relay in stock, and it's $85, for a part I might not need. This is frustrating to say the least.

[Gz Rider]

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[Meme]

Do your turn signals flash?

Yep. When it works everything works, and when it won't run the turn signals still work. Go figure.

[Gz Rider]

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[mrlmd1]

If the turn signals work, then how can the flasher be the problem? That makes no sense. If you had a short somewhere, you would be blowing a fuse.
Sounds to me like you have a loose battery connection intermittently losing all power to the bike. Did you check and/or clean the connections at the battery terminals?

[Gz Rider]

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[mrlmd1]

I disagree - a short big enough to stop the bike dead would certainly blow a fuse. That's why, being an intermittent problem, it is much more likely to be a loose connection somewhere in the line from battery to the plug. Start at the battery and go through the whole system 'till you find it and you will need the wiring diagram on here to help trace the ignition system. It could even be a dirty or loose connection from the wire at the plug on the other end of the line. Is the plug wire pushed/screwed all the way in to the connector cap on the end, the one that clips on to the plug?
If the turn signals still work when the bike won't turn over, that sort of eliminates a bad battery connection (but you should check it anyway), and limits your looking to the entire path through the ignition system, including all the kill switches, for a loose connection somewhere.

[Gz Rider]

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[Meme]

Well, the problem seems to be fixed, but I didn't have time to take a long ride to be sure.

I pulled the wire that went from the ignition fuse into the bottom of the flasher and soldered it back in place. It's not the best soldering job, 'cause there's not much room to work, but I couldn't get it to stop working after that repair.

I'll take a longer ride tonight and test it more thoroughly.

[mrlmd1]

Glad you got it fixed (so far at least). The problem had to be some intermittent loss of an electrical connection, and if that fixes it, good - even better that it didn't cost you anything except your time to find the problem. Thee must be some common connection there to lead power to the ignition system, but I would have to check the wiring diagram to see how that occurred. But as long as it works, great!
Take a long ride, and have somebody in a truck follow you to bring you back if it quits again (lol), and stop kicking your bike, I'm sure it doesn't like that.

[Meme]

I rode it home tonight. No problems at all. :2tup: When it runs right, I don't have to kick it! :lol:

[Meme]

I ended up having the bike not start twice more, less than a week after the last post. The bike needed the kick again both times to start. It didn't die or hesitate at all, but I ordered a "flasher" relay for it from eBay. Incidentally, this relay is used on several other Suzukis and is called a main relay on those bikes. The one I ordered came off a 2003 SV1000S. I got the relay in record time from SCCS. It was installed 2 days after ordering it. :2tup:

I haven't had the problem since. :rawk: