electrical problem turn signal, dash, fuel pump

[Mad-V-Maxr]

A week ago bike started to run out of fuel after 10 mile ride. Turn signals and horn button killing dash panel power. I took left hand switch apart cleaned contacts and greased. Checked for shorts and good connector connections EJC on all of them. pulled flasher relay looks good. put it all back together everything worked like it should. Rode it about another 10 mile and same crap tach, temp gauge, neutral light, turn signals, horn and fuel pump quit. I have good power at battery 13-14 volts. I took it apart again pulled relay off for flashers put back together rode home no problem didnt use turn this time signals. Does the fuel pump and turn signals work off the same relay? I cant find any shorts bad fuses anywhere and use of turn signals brings this problem on. I have a shop manual, but wiring diagrams puzzle me. Fuel pump seems ok clicks a few times at cold start up dont know if it might be getting hot and dieing. Thinking about getting another relay and seeing if that dont take care of it. Any ideas or help would be appreciated. I red pumacorps post kinda similar.

 

[maleko89]

I would get a test light and/or Volt meter and start with the brown wire coming from the key switch. That brown wire goes to the signal fuse and then from there to the dash lights, neutral, horn, tach, temp gauge and turn signal relay. Fuel pump is separate so are you sure there's a problem there? It could be the R/W wire. Although, the rpm signal wire (gray) runs to the tach, Vboost and the fuel pump.

 

[Mad-V-Maxr]

Man, that was fast maleko I will chase wires for problems starting at ignition switch with ohm meter. I'm almost positive that the fuel pump is shutting down, Ive been riding too long to not know what that feels like!

 

[jfeagins]

I thought about the ground wire(s) cluster on the right side frame right next to the battery. If there's a problem there, really weird electrical combo shiite might happen.

I left one of the (three?) wires out one time I'd been working on the bigger battery mod, and the bike would die when I applied the brakes while the gas light illuminated slightly. I think applying a turn signal also did weird stuff when that ground wire was left out.

 

[Mad-V-Maxr]

Thanks guys I got some free time tonite I'll look very closely at those areas. Will update as soon as I figure out whats going on.

 

[Mad-V-Maxr]

I'm baffled checked harness from battery back tail light turn signals. Took wrap off of red wire voltage reg. to battery splice that i had fixed 2 years ago, it all checked out fine. still same problem neutral light , tach, temp gauges die after hitting turn signal. Pulled ign. key switch apart, np there pulled flasher relay off same thing. I went over just about everything I could think of then pulled headlight fuse problem went away. Restarted bike turn signals work lights in dash light when starter button is pushed gauges all work ran bike with turnsignals on and flashing, canceled a dozen times fan kicked on twice everything seems fine. Took headlight apart all wires look good, but the HL socket is slghtly melted. I put one of those silver star lights in when I first got the bike. I run with high beams on in the daylight to help get noticed maybe a little earlier by the cagers out there. I wonder if that has something to do with my problem? Everthing seems alright now I dont get it.

 

[Rhoy Carter]

I think the early vmax signal and fuel pump relay are in the same one too

 

[Mad-V-Maxr]

I buttoned everything back up on the bike and took it for a ride last night. Run pretty good no problems, thanks for the tips guys. I hope it stays that way.

 

[naughtyG]

It's more than likely that something was making a short somewhere in or near the headlight.

By disturbing it you stopped it, if it was just conductive dirt you'll be ok. If it was damaged wires, it could come back.

If it ever does, I would unwrap / inspect the length of harness that moves every time you turn the bars left and right, between the headlight and the ignition key area. That's the most prone to damage, because of constant movement.

Hopefully it won't come back and you're golden!

 

[Mad-V-Maxr]

Back again :bang head: I'm gonna check wires at steering head and maybe hot wire the fuel pump to keep it running. I can ride without idiot lights and gauges. In the 4 yrs that I have owned it, I tell you I have worked on this bike more than I have rode it. Love it but I'm starting to get more than a little discouraged with it! Might be time for something else. I'm not a world class mechanic but I can usually keep things in running order. Rebuild just about anything Work too hard everyday and then have to put up with this BS every summer it seems like, maybe I pissed off the vmax gods or who is ever running the show. Thanks for the input guys!

 

[spursmech]

unk:Hey Mad-V, I share your disappointment when the bike doesn't run correctly. Boy, but when it does it's hard to get the grin off my face. Better times are coming and I think you'll have this under control soon. Good Luck, I'll say a prayer to the Vmax god for you, Spurs

 

[naughtyG]

Just so you don't feel too on your own, I had a serious electrical gremlin too - I could NOT turn my Max off(!!) Only way to cut power was to pull the main fuse off, and if I did that while it was running, it would still carry on running (although crapily).

I went through so much trying to find the fault, but was utterly unable to. Luckily, I had a spare wiring harness from a same year bike I'd bought for spares, and replacing the harness (which was a lot less difficult than I'd thought) cured my problem.

I'm feeling that maybe that could be your solution too - ask around maybe someone here has a harness they would be willing to part with, otherwise there are a bunch of them on fleaBay usually.

Good luck!

 

[Mad-V-Maxr]

Well I just figured one thing out for sure, today I took bike for short trip to friends house came back let bike sit for few hours and went out and pulled signal fuse. Thought maybe I could ride it that way but bike dont have any brake lights so that wont work lol. I slipped fuse back in with ignition on and fuel pump cycles up! so for sure the flasher relay runs the pump. I'm gonna get a replacement relay off of ebay and see if that aint the whole problem. I'm betting it is.

 

[maleko89]

Flasher relay doesn't run the pump. They run the flashers only.

The ignition fuse runs the fuel pump in normal mode. Once low fuel and light comes on, need to switche the RES switch to complete circuit with fuel sender.

Signal fuse does brake switches/lights, dash lights, horn, temp guage, tach.

 

[pumacorp]

I feel your pain bro..I just got stuck in brooklyn...Bike just shut off,,then starts i can go 3 feet when i get on it shuts right off...She will idle,,but when i go forward she shuts down,,everything all light everything..Im thinking ignition switch might be the problem...That relay for the blinkers is just for the blinkers..the fuel relay is right next to the flasher relay ...

Im pulling my hair out now...If i have 2 I might change the who piece of $hit harness..

Oh yeah Behind the ignition switch you will find a control unit with 2 plugs going
into the side of the unit.One of the plugs is loose or has corrosion it will shut down as well so try that..I forgot an just remembered as I was posting so tomorrow I will
do that and post if that fixes the problem..

Of course check all your grounds and clean them..

 

[Mad-V-Maxr]

Maleko you were right about it not being the flasher relay causing my problem. I should have listened to you, earlier i picked up a used one cheap and same thing happened on my way home from work. Problem always comes about when its hot out like 80s and up, when any signal is used even brake lights. This time I could get it running again by switching it over to reserve...but the dash gauges all were reading half their values or less. And motor didnt pull right before in the morning on my way to work, Kinda like a miss-fire at around 4k. checked reserve switch good, checked fuel pump ground on the pump and harness good. I checked the fuel sender resitance its out of spec. It's suppose to be .9 +- .2 and its 1.5k do you guys think this could be causing the bikes problems? I also checked the diodes out and they are all in spec except for the R element spec is 8.2 and its 9.5 The service manual says to replace do you think thats what I should do next because I'm getting pretty disturbed and really not thinking clearly an this whole mess is a level or two above my ability. I friggin hate electronic stuff. Almost forgot checked all the grounds that I could locate to.

 

[Mad-V-Maxr]

Thanks to everyone that gave me advice, I got it figured out I'm almost positive this time. It was the fuse block signal wire connector in the fuse block lol. Really had me stumped, but tonite I was going though the harness with the bike running popping signal fuse in and out and pushed the wires up into block it goes away magically !!! I think wire was getting hot and vibration was loosening it up when I was riding it. It got to a point where the bike didnt even have to get up to temp and it would start killing my signals and gauges. :eusa_dance: So I'm pretty sure I'm up and running again thanks guys.