Left with no options?

Well I can get no juice from the bike when the key is on nothing no lights wont turn over or attempt it no clicks or sounds absolutely nothing.. So I'm going to bring the battery to autozone to check if its good I've been charging it and the charger would say fully charged? All the fusses look good but only two original fuse locations others are bypassed but like I said all fusses look good? Then I'm going to lean to the wiring specifically the ignition it will be the first one I will follow for continuity then so on.. This will be my first experience doing this kind of stuff but I really want to learn how this stuff works but I am not a fast learner so any suggestions or insight will be greatly appreciated. I have a repair manual but it expects you to know where everything is and what it is so the book sometimes is real jibirish to me so do think I am doomed or is there light at the end of the tunnel....????

 

I assume you're trying to use the Haynes?

PM me with an email address and I'll send you the cable routing and component locations from the factory book.

 

Get a digital multi-meter. Troubleshooting electrical issue without one will be frustrating to say the least.

Also, approach electrical issues systematically. First, you'd determine that you have sufficent voltage from the battery. Then check the voltage drop across the ignition. Check the voltage drop across the fuses, etc. until you find the culprit.

Of you need help locating different components, or understanding their function, ask those specific questions. Except for certain "black boxes," the electrical system on these bikes is pretty basic.

Most electrical problems on a 30 y/o XJs relate to corroded connections, so you'll spend most of you time looking for those.

 

Most common problem on these bikes, if original, is the fuse box. If you still have a fuse box with glass fuses, it's probably worthwhile to replace it with one that takes ATO (blade style) fuses. This may fix your problem, but, even if it doesn't, it's something that should be done.

Jumpering a wire from the battery + to the main fuse would, IIRC, bypass the ignition switch for most functions. The other thing to check is the ground wire running from the battery - to the engine.

Lately we've had a couple of people that had problems after painting or powdercoating their handlebars, since some features rely on ground from the bars themselves.

 

Power goes from the battery (+) to a lug on the starter relay then through the main fuse to the ignition switch. The ignition switch activates two circuits when turned on:

1) Tail lamp
2) Everything else (the headlamp will not come on until the motorcycle is started though).

Assuming EVERYTHING is really dead (and your tail lamp hasn't got it's own problem) you've got it narrowed down quite a bit. Check in this order:

1) Battery good (get that digital volt meter)
2) Power at the starter relay lug (remember that volt meter?)
3) Power at the main fuse
4) power after the main fuse
5) power at the ignition switch.

I bet you've either got a bad/no ground or a problem at the main fuse. Any takers?

 

I think the ground connected to the battery looks good or is there another ground on the box? If I want to change my fuse box to the new style will I have choices on what to buy or where to get lost on that one.. I'm sure the wire are all crossed up on this bike because the headlight would come on when you put the key on so I dont know what these people have done to this poor bike.. I will start friday night working on the bike I'm hoping for the best but worried..;(

 

You really can't tell electrical connection conditions by appearance. You need a meter. The suggestions above are valid and the only way to find your problem is a step by step approach. You need a meter. Check the voltages as described. Look for voltage drops across switches and connections if they don't solve your problem.

Chacal has fuseboxes for the bike or you can use the "search" feature for other options. There was a recent post on a glass tube repair that would keep the original appearance.

 

I was just searching the site and found several posts you had made. In your earlier post about the oil light, you mentioned a crackling sound under the seat. I'm assuming that the bike hasn't run since then. It sure sounds like an issue at the fusebox. Try removing the fuses and I bet that the clips come out with the main fuse or at least there is no tension to make a good connection. It is possible that a lose or dirty connection at the battery terminal could also make this kind of noise.

 

Here's a good start ...

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=32203.html

 

I don't think autozone will be able to hook this battery up to their tester. I it will probably explode. They can test it on a multimeter for you. You should probably get one yourself. (There are inexpensive ones). If this problem is more than the battery, you are going to need it anyway. If it is charged and the reading is less than 12 volts, the battery is probably shot. (Make sure the fluid levels are at the correct height before charging).

Also, you may want to hook this up to your car battery for a few minutes (with the car off) then turn on your bike. If the lights come on while connected to your car battery, the battery probably is a problem. If not, there is an electrical issue and I would start at the fuse box as suggested.

 

Loads of options remain.

Hi all, I'm new to the forum. Have been lurking for a while and figure this is as good a place as any to jump in.

Now, there are many people who know more about these machines than I do. The suggestions to check the fuse box is likely a great place to start. A cheap multimeter and you can do some rudimentary checks on your battery. What was the condition of your ignition switch?

I had just bought my bike, had a great 5.5hr ride the next day up to my parents place. The next morning things started fine, I went to say bye to my father and then when I went to hit the road for a long ride...nothing. No clicks, lights, anything. The ignition switch had a dead-spot on it which I knew of when I bought it; I had to jiggle the key a little, sometimes. So I spent an afternoon in the mall parking lot rebuilding the switch (which was pretty corroded and proved a relatively easy task), the kill switch, and started in on it with a multimeter and no idea of the wiring diagram. As best as I could figure everything checked out, including the fuses and battery. I was about to give up and store it with my parents, take a bus back home and wait for the manuals and diagrams and such. By a stroke of luck, from the right angle I caught something that looked off. One of the ground wires (as best as I can figure) had become disconnected, on my bike there seem to be two frame bolt type just under the oil-rad. There had evidently been a 'quick/temp fix' wired in and not redone. So, I reconnected the fix (ground) the way it had worked to get me there so I could ride it home (about 950km away). Now, I'm waiting on a damn postal strike to get my grubby paws on a set of the cd's so I can rewire it properly.

A little long winded, but I guess I just meant to add checking the grounds to the list.

 

tradmedic where are you located??? It would be advisable to list it in case one of us live nearby and can give you a hand.

 

Thunder Bay, Ontario. Suppose I should put it in the signature.

Cheers

 

Well I got the bike to start and run but I dont know what I did to make work. All I did was make sure all connections were secure and then it started right up. But once again no tach and no turn signals. I have juice at the fuse box but nothing on the instrument lights tach and turn signals. I removed the tank and a plug with two ground and a red with whit stripe andthe fourth wire of the plug was blue with white stripe was not connected I could not find anything it went to?? what is this plug I can not figure it out thanks for any help..

 

Do you have juice on both sides of each fuse? You can identify that mystery plug by the wire colours going into it. Have a look at the wire colours on the plugs in the wiring diagram (not the circuit diagram) that is in the very back of the factory manual.

Your issue with the turn signals and tach sounds more like corroded criimped terminal ends, these impose a high resistance when current flows. They often appear as burned or discoloured plastic housings. But first things first, you need to know you are looking at the right plug, so follow the diagram as you work. Bound to be a crook connection somewhere.

Multiple failures often result from a failed common earth, you can check that by jumpering a temporary connection from a known good earth like the negative side of the battery and the device itself, if it works you know the earth was the cause.

 

I decided to get rid of the turn signals they were aftermarket and taking to much wattage more than 27watts I think thats why so many problems just going to replace with ones with lower watts, Down to just brown wires on the front signals to start fresh along with the back turn signals also.. Now with the tach that is not working the multimeter says it has has power at the tach on the only wire connected to it other than the ground and bulbs and the wire is a red or orange cant tell what color it is, the tach is completely electronic, yet my bike has the spot on the engine for the cable looks like there was one there at one time . So what should I do now i'm lost break it and buy one off ebay.. The outer shroud on the tach and instrument panel speedometer is harder than heck to get off any hints on taking it off.

 

I checked my wiring diagram, the power circuit for the tacho and the flasher relay come from the same fuse, if yours is the same start there and check each element of the circuit.

Again, do you have a diagram and digital tester? How did you measure the 27 watts?

The tach should have three wires, an earth which you can check for resistance to ground, a 12 volt power supply, which you can check with your multimeter, and a signal wire that comes from one of the ignition coils. It is easy to identify this one, look at the plugs at the ignition coils, one has an extra tail coming from it. Disconnect it at the coil and the tach and check for continuity. If you have these three and still no tach, try another tach and see if it comes good before you start pulling the tach apart.

Again, do you have the right diagram? Please post some pics. Don't start cutting into the harness. You have only one of three things, a loss of power (no power at the tach or no earth at the tach), a loss of signal from the ignition coil (broken wire, poor connection) or an unserviceable tach. Eliminate the first two first.

 

yes I have a diagram and a digital tester.. The diagram I do not understand how to follow stuff the right and I think it is the wrong one it is in the haynes manual in the back but the wires do not all seem right? How do you check for continuity it the setting on the tester just dont know how to use it? also resistance?? Thanks...

 

Acquire a Yamaha FACTORY Manual for your Bike. There are several options at your disposal.
One well-known Pirate ignored the Copyright held by Yamaha and supplies ALL the Workshop Manuals on a Set of Compact Discs.

The Factory Book has Illustrated Wiring Diagram ==> Sub-sections.

The Electrical Section contains EACH Component and the Values you need to have when troubleshooting.

 

Rick is right, you need the factory manual and the supplement if any required for your particular model if you are ever going to make sense of the electrics.

For example my XJ is an XJ900N, the original factory manual was printed for the XJ900RK, which is close but electrically there's enough differences to drive you bananas. The supplement for the N model has the right diagram at the back. There's a couple of posts here about online pdf manuals which you can use to get you going. I found mine by doing a couple of google searches and ended up here ...

http://www.4shared.com/dir/DVtAfjvr/onl%20ine.html

They are of variable quality and are mostly scanned originals, and some of those are pretty shabby. Up to you how you go about getting it but you won't get far without.

I agree with your sentiments about copyright Rick but when I went to the Yamaha shop to buy a hard copy printed FACTORY manual over the counter they just laughed and said they didn't even have one out the back I could have a look at, let alone be able to source one for me to purchase.

We do what we can to get the job done and if they won't source it for me because they stopped printing them I'm not going to feel guilty about getting one off the net. No worse really than buying aftermarket spares when you can't get the originals anymore, IMHO.

 

Depends on your meter. Many meters have a continuity check mode that will beep when low resistance is detected.

Some meters are auto-ranging, and some require you to set the range you want to measure.

For example, if a meter is non-auto-ranging, and you want to read low resistances, you may set it to something like the 200 Ohm range. Electrical conntions (wires, closed switches, closed relays, connections, etc) on the bike should read quite a bit less than 1 Ohm on this range. If you're trying to read really low resistances, you should first touch the two probes to each other to verify what the resistance is of the probe wires themselves; then you can subtract that from any reading youtake to get a better idea of actual low resistance values.

 

Smokey did your turn signals and tach ever work?

 

you messed with your fuses, and got it partially to work? I''d replace the entire fuse box + go from there. That fuse box is a HUGE weak spot on these bikes.

Like it was stated before. Approach these things systematically, mess with 1 thing at a time. it doesn't work - play with your fuse box - it works, play with your fuse box - it doesn't work.... good chance you found your problem... (or at least something else to add on the list of parts to replaceme)

 

Yes the tach always worked properly and one day after the bike sitting in the hot sun for 3 hours baking it just stopped working the turn signals worked when i got the bike but would not flash then all of a sudden one day they worked properly and a couple days later back to just staying on and not flashing. I looked at my bikes tach some more today and found that the orange wire which i thought was my power 12 volt wire because it read 11.2 volts with the key on had continuity connected to the coil. The black which I think is my earth has 0.03 resistance and the brown wire has 0.14 resistance with the key on.. I thought the brown would have been my hot wire?? The only other wires to the tach is a blue which goes to the bulb which is burnt out by the way but has been like that since i had the bike.. Does everything sound right here for the tach to be working properly? Or is it unserviceable and time to hunt for a new one on ebay? It does have 40 thousand miles Thanks for any help

 

Yes and I do plan to change out the fuse box to the blade style.. Where a good place to look for that kind of stuff auto-zone lowes? Just a simple box for six fuses nothing fancy?

 

Try this first ...

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... tml#280941

Then come back with some more questions, we'll get it sorted, it's only an electrical fault.

 

Brown wire should have 12volts or battery Voltage. The brown wire circuit starts at the ignition switch. Feeds the brush on the alternator , then the regulator, then supplies voltage for the head light fuse, signal fuse and ignition fuse. Since everything else is working start at the signal fuse and pull it out turn on the key one side should read 12V or battery voltage the other side should be O Volts. If you have 12V on the one side put the fuse in now the other side should have 12V. From there the circuit feeds the turn signal cancelling unit the rear brake light switch, front break light switch, then up to the tach, oil level light, neutral light, horns and the flasher relay. not necsasaraly in that order thats from the wire schematic so what on the list does work?

 

I have oil level light high beam light and also the rear brake light comes on as soon as I turn the key to the on position and does not actually work with the brakes just stays on. Thats about it nothing else works.. I dont know where to start but trying to make progress thanks for all the help ...

 

ok are you sure its the brake light that comes on with the key because the tail light also comes on with the key so its hard to tell its in the same bulb. Did you check the signal fuse the one with the brown wire? And I looked at the schematic again the oil light is not on that circuit sorry

 

No I'm not sure. I will check the signal fuse the one with the brown wire? I'm confused with what the signal fuse brown wire is that the one from the tach to the ignition not sure what and where to look for?

 

Under seat there is a fuse block should be 4 fuses in it