Delay in shutoff switch

VMAX  Forum

Help Support VMAX Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

bikedave99

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2007
Messages
394
Reaction score
4
Location
AR
Ok, I haven't chased this very far yet but figured I would cheat and come to the experts. I recently noticed that when the bike is running and I use the right handlebar kill switch it takes 3-5 seconds before the engine dies. Also, with the key on and the bike not running, if you flip the kill switch to the off position, normally the oil and fuel light come on. Well, when I do this now, it take s like 3 seconds for the light to slowly power on, and when they do finally come on its on like 25%. I opened up cleaned the switch contacts good to no avail. Any theories? I imagine wire chasing is in my future.
 
Switch is off and the running bike finally vibrates the contacts "Open" that shuts off the bike. Dirt and corrosion is our enemy. Pull up any of the control switch rebuild threads but I doubt you need it. It's pretty easy afternoon task and normal long term maintenance item. Remove all old lube and use fresh!
 
Pat, you may have missed it in my first post there but I did gut the switch and get it back to clean bare copper contacts to no avail. It did solve my high/low beam headlight problem (cleaning the headlight switch) but didn't do anything for my kill switch. I'm going to chase the wires back to connectors and check those.
 
That's the main ignition switch connector by the way, starting to melt plasric but not failure yet. Got that fixed but it didn't solve my seitch issue so still digging and cleaning on that one.
 
That's the main ignition switch connector by the way, starting to melt plasric but not failure yet. Got that fixed but it didn't solve my seitch issue so still digging and cleaning on that one.

What else has been wired into the connector? I would follow that wire - whatever it is is sending power back into your ignition circuit (bypassing your emergency stop switch until it runs low on power, like a capacitor)
 
If you want to see if you have the problem sorted out, hook about a 6 amp battery charger to the battery and just turn the key on. Don't start the bike and just let her sit for 5 min. or so then feel around by the ing. switch and the plug in. If things start to warm up, I would say you still have a problem in that area transferring volts/amps to the bike's electrical system. When a plug gets that hot the female connector looses it's Resiliency to actually lock on to the male spade and make good contact.
 
Quite common on older Gen 1's. Most plug connections are available. I like to replace if they're burnt. Di-electric grease is your friend. It's best to clean contact surfaces then apply.
 
Thanks so much for the wisdom friends, I really was not aware of the need for di-electric grease in the plug connectors but can certainly see the benefit now. I spent a couple hours yesterday opening every connector I could find and checking for corrosion and then squishing the grease into the female side. I also opened up the ignition switch and made sure circuit board and contacts were clean. I re-melted the solder puddles just to make sure I didn't have a cold crack. I replaced the plug connector at the ignition as well.

I have admit to some idiocy now....

I had a oil pressure gauge setup in the stock tack location, but I wanted the stock tack back so I replaced the gauge cluster but didn't have the engine case plug to remove the oil pressure line. So, I left the oil pressure line coiled up in the ignition area, and ran a teflon taped bolt into the female end of the oil pressure line to plug it. I thought it was sealed, but apparently it wasn't, so I had some seeping oil which dripped into the main ignition connector and caused the "short" I'm certain. Well, I've rectified that situation and am now cleaning everything up.

Either way, I've been studying the wiring diagram and have some more investigation to go. The V-boost motor cycles very strong when I flip the stop switch back and forth. So, I suspect the issue is upstream of that. Here is my theory right now:

 
You may want to check the diode pack connection, they say it can cause some weird things to happen.
 

Attachments

  • diode.jpg
    diode.jpg
    3.9 KB · Views: 7
You may want to check the diode pack connection, they say it can cause some weird things to happen.

That's a good thought Alorio, I hadn't really considered that but maybe I'm getting some leaks in the diode pack. My Haynes has test sequence for that I'll have to give it a shot.
 
Thanks so much for the wisdom friends, I really was not aware of the need for di-electric grease in the plug connectors but can certainly see the benefit now. I spent a couple hours yesterday opening every connector I could find and checking for corrosion and then squishing the grease into the female side. I also opened up the ignition switch and made sure circuit board and contacts were clean. I re-melted the solder puddles just to make sure I didn't have a cold crack. I replaced the plug connector at the ignition as well.

Good work! :clapping:

Did you also d-grease the fuses? I THINK (time will tell) I just resolved a very illusive elec. issue by doing that. All the 10A ones as well as the 30A one.
 
Good work! :clapping:

Did you also d-grease the fuses? I THINK (time will tell) I just resolved a very illusive elec. issue by doing that. All the 10A ones as well as the 30A one.

Not to hijack the thread but quickly..............

Is that what you think your problem turned out to be Danny??
 
Well, I haven't solved it definitively yet, but all my cleaning out and greasing has netted me a full .5V at idle! Sweet! I'm now getting a pretty solid 13.9-14.2V at idle. I swear it runs better too... I wonder if I was starving my ignition a little bit.
 
Curious....does bike shut off normal when you turn the key off???

Yep, shuts off right away when flipped with the key. Also, oil and fuel level light burn bright and fast for their intended purpose, but only light dimly and slow when I use the kill switch.

Also, the diode pack checked out.
 
Not to hijack the thread but quickly..............

Is that what you think your problem turned out to be Danny??

Need to log some miles Mike but it does appear that was the issue.

Well, I haven't solved it definitively yet, but all my cleaning out and greasing has netted me a full .5V at idle! Sweet! I'm now getting a pretty solid 13.9-14.2V at idle. I swear it runs better too... I wonder if I was starving my ignition a little bit.

Amazing what removing a little, basically invisible, corrosion/oxidation can do isn't it! :punk:
 
Just a thought, and something to try. If you have Hid lighting or any other type of electrical gadgets coming off the + side of wiring, it may contain a capacitor feeding the circuit when the kill switch is turned off. Just a shot in the dark and I may be way out in left field on this thought........
 

Latest posts

Back
Top