Started my day with a no-start bike. :(

It ran fine Saturday, I parked it rolled it out this morning, and nothing! No lights, no clicks, nada. Because I have a funky ignition switch,I thought maybe I left it on and the battery was dead. Hooked up jumper cables to the Mrs.' car battery and nada. Battery has voltage though. No lights on dash, fusible link is OK, 4th down ign/acc fuse is OK. Tonight when I get home I'll check the ignition switch - I'm assuming I should be able to get voltage at the switch, so if not, any recommendations on the next thing to check? Ign switch connector?

dkruitz,

Sounds like a bad cable connection the the battery...... but you tried jumper cables...? No dash lights with the jumpers either?....

Sounds like another case where I am going to learn something as well...


Odie1.

Dirty kill switch???

ToddC

Load test the battery..
You can do this in the bike by measuring the batt voltage while engaging the starter. Even just turning the bike on could show a bad voltage drop.

But even with a dirty kill switch and the battery jumpered to a good car battery, the panel lights should come on.

I just checked the schematics, there's a 30A fuse I forgot about that's not part of the main fuse panel - will check that next.

dkruitz said:

No lights, no clicks, nada. Because I have a funky ignition switch,

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Depending on what you mean by this it could be the switch itself........good luck......ff

The firST thing to check is the main fuse. Sounds like the culprit to me.



John
via iPhone 6

Just to clarify - is the main fuse the 30A blade fuse to the left of what I'm calling a "fusible link", or is the fusible link the main use?

the_gr8t_waldo said:

have t you considered refurbishing the ign. switch?

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Yes, I have a new barrel and housing and will be putting it all back together this week. (The Previous Owner's repair guy butchered the lock barrel and I have a plain switch with no lock right now.)
I could only do basic trouble-shooting this AM before I jumped in the truck. When I get home tonight, I'll have the voltmeter out checking for voltage at the switch to start with. (Printed the schematics for reference.)

dkruitz said:

Just to clarify - is the main fuse the 30A blade fuse to the left of what I'm calling a "fusible link"....[?]

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Yes. Pull the red 4P connector and the 30A Main Fuse is exposed. Amazingly, the ST in the picture was still running with its connector in that condition! A failure just waiting to happen.

John

ST1100 colo(u)red wiring schematics

edit: the main fuse is clearly shown on page 86 in my ST1100 Owner's Manual.

Thanks John - I've printed and joined and folded them for permanent storage on the bike.

Update: it's fixed! It was the 30amp fuse.

I hadn't noticed that the clock wasn't working either which is one of the signs that fuse was out. I think I accidentally shorted the backside of the ign. switch causing that fuse to blow. Note to self, replace spare fuse asap!

Thanks for the tips and the links fellas!

Something simple... good.

Always disconnect the cable from the battery negative post firST. AMHIKT

John

Ya hoo! glad it's done.

ToddC

John OoSTerhuis said:

The firST thing to check is the main fuse. Sounds like the culprit to me.

Wow, best to check these every time I get that far down ...that got cooked! What would could drive that much amperage or load?


John
via iPhone 6

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".........."

...that got cooked! What would could drive that much amperage or load?

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Moisture - corrosion - resistance - heat...