1981 xj650 Maxim electrical issues.

So my battery looks good and was supposedly new. ( i just bought the bike a month or so ago) was running pretty well took for long ride and the headlight quit working then i kept blowing the fuse for the dash lights/turn signals. But now the battery wont take a charge. the bike will jump start or when attached to power but wont stay running. Any Ideas?

 

Check the water level in the battery, refill with distilled water if need be. Charge the battery up and take a volt reading to see where your at. Fire the bike up and check the voltage at 2000 rpms and report back.
We will talk about the fuse issue when you get back to us.

MN

 

There's a lot going on there, it sounds like. Kind of hard to narrow it down. If the battery ever goes completely dead it won't usually hold a charge, regardless of how new it is.

Have you checked the alternator? If the brushes--well, the outside brush most likely, are worn down it won't charge the battery. Pull the cover off the alternator and look at the two copper circles and the copper "brushes" that touch them. These are really just blocks of copper. I bet the one that runs around the outside track is worn past the wear indicator, (since it has farther to travel, you'll understand when you look at it) I know mine was when my battery started acting up.

Here's the brushes circled in red inside the alternator:


2011-12-23 18.37.01 by epochal image, on Flickr

And here is the part removed and the short brush and long brush circled(they should be the same length, the outside one always wears faster)

2011-12-24 15.53.20 by epochal image, on Flickr

And it sounds like you have a wiring issue, based on the blown fuse. Which reminds me, the signals and dash lights aren't on the same fuse, at least on my bike. Instruments are on the headlight circuit, turn signals have their own fuse. MAIN, HEAD, SIGNAL, and, IGNITION are the four circuits on the bike. If wired correctly(that's a big IF).

 

ok so i checked the battery fluid level it was right between low and high so about perfect. My battery did die totally a few weeks ago cuz i left the key on but i jump started it and it was doing fine. I'll be checking the alternator tonight or tommorow and go from there. I'm not very good with electrical but i got looking and you were right on the fuses. the one for the signals blew and then the headlight started working temporarily then i replaced the fuse and now the turn signals and indicator lights work but not the dash lights or the headlight

 

I had that problem before, intermittent failure of headlight and dash lights. I never really figured out the cause, but I re-wired my whole fuse box, (again) disconnected and cleaned all connections in headlight bucket (again) then I did the relay mod to get brighter headlights, and haven't had a problem since.

 

ok. i just ordered a replacement wiring harness with a fuse box cuz my fuzes are just sitting in the open and i was planning on rewiring everything once i get that. What is the relay mod?

 

It's a common mod in hot rod and motorcycle circles. Especially on these bikes if you have the "Atari" computer instrument panel, I'm not sure what your bike has, but mine has a computer that sends power to the lights with crummy little wires. The relay mod bypasses all that to send maximum power to the lights.

I can never find the thread with the how-to, I have some random posts about it, Polock has done it and posted a bunch of stuff, and answered a bunch of my questions but I don't see a walk-through, here's the general idea from another site:

http://www.ebbo.org/headlamp_relays.php

You use the original wiring to turn the relays on, then the relay sends current to the lights straight from the battery. One thing to keep in mind if you do this, you will get a HEAD warning(if you have the computer monitor system) and you have to pull the high beam indicator or you will get both filaments lighting up at the same time. Unless you do my workaround for the high beam indicator.

http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=38079.html

But I wouldn't worry about any of this until you get basic stuff straightened out, this is just to keep in mind when you decide your headlight is too dim and yellow, as I did. And it's kind of ambitious if you don't like electrical. Also, I have a Sylvania Silverstar headlamp, which is better than stock, and really what you want to get the full advantage of the mod.

 

ok cool good to know. definately something ill look into if i keep this bike. i'm loving it when it runs but i'm new to bikes all together so this is all new to me trying to fix it. So i just pulled the alternator and checked those copper blocks. there was very slight difference if any on mine they actually looked pretty good. Do you guys think i should get my battery checked? I was trying to trickle charge it yesterday but my clamps weren't even arcing to the battery

 

actually nevermind i guess you already said i should. i'm taking it in tonight to get it charged and tested then guess i'll go from there

 

ok i got my battery fully charged and test it at 12.6 or so volts at 2000 rpm. the bike was running good with that in now too except my turn signals are still freaking out but my relay was going out on those so i think that's all that was. My headlight came on too but only the dim. I couldn't test bright yet because i'm missing the switch for it.