Maxim 650 Starting Problems

starting to lose my mind over this
have a 1982 maxim 650
the bike started fine until i changed the bars.. something with the starter button its not doing anything when i push it
I play around with the 2 red/white stripe wires and i hear clicking in the relay
battery died so i charged it with a car bat. charger @ trickle charge .. not sure if that has anything to do with it.. but there is power the signal and horn works

Any tips on what i should check?
thanks in advance

 

do you still have the oem (glass tube fuses) fuse box? the connectors get brittle and crack causing a poor connection. that's where I would start looking.

FU

 

Are the new bars painted? IIRC the ground for the controls are through the bars on that bike

 

I believe it's all hard wired

 

This sounds more like it yeah they are painted..
so the control box makes the ground on the bars?
I'll try that out thank you!

 

no dice..

 

I am talking about the connectors the fuses pop into, not the wiring connectors.

FU

 

If you can believe the Haynes Workshop Manual the XJ650H (1981) uses the bars as a ground for the starter switch. Since you have an 82 (XJ650J), then there should be a separate black wire providing the ground for the starter switch.

The two red/white wires are for the kill switch. It must be functional and providing 12v to the starter cutoff relay or the start button is not going to do anything.

Checking the fuses is a great idea - hopefully hardwired doesn't mean some PO took them out.

The horn, signals are on a different circuit (signal), so they can work and the starter still not engage. The starter circuit is part of the ignition circuit, so that one fuse powers the starter cutoff relay, the starter solenoid coil, and the TCI and Ignition Coils.

 

I'd go for a new battery.....

 

I am pretty sure that this is the problem. I had same problem.

 

My bad it is a 81.. I sanded off the paint it's now raw metal still isn't working. .

It must be the switch that just gave up out of no where?

You don't think the relay could have gone?

 

But it powers up the signal horn circuit...

 

There are no fuses or fuse box

 

Doesn't take much to blow the horn.....

If you have no fuses or fuse box, you're sitting on a time bomb

 

Agreed, ever seen how fast and hot a wiring harness goes up with the amperage a battery puts out? I lost the factory harness in my 65 Scout (no fuses from factory), destroyed many components behind the dash. No way you'd catch me sitting on that with those fuel lines nearby.

 

why would someone rip it out i don't get it.. bike looked stocked..
is it hard to put in a fuse box? what wires would i lead to it?

 

UPDATE
I was screwing around with it.. jumped the solenoid and it started up.. or tried too at least
i was testing the 2 red wires with white stripes in the starter switch and i went to test the blue button wire and she's started working!
But the blue wire had a bit of loose wires coming out from me messing with it that i would touch metal and turn over

so i cut it.. re soldered it.. nothing
Wtf!

Still jumps on solenoid..
took the plastic out where the 2 red wires sit.. cleaned the switch terminals.. nothing

Any ideas??

 

82 had the glass fuse style box under seat. The clips would eventually weaken and the fuses wouldn't make a good contact, which in turn caused issues. If you search on here, there are great threads on upgrading. There will probably be 8 wires somewhere on the right side under the seat that were cut and patched together if the box was removed (4 sets of two patched together).

 

So there should be a blue/white wire as the input to the starter switch, and since you have the 1981 version the current path for the starter solenoid coil is through the starter switch to the handlebars, which would then connect back to frame ground completing the path. You can't just have a connection at the control, the bars must also electrically connect to the frame through the mounting hardware. If you are touching the blue/white wire to ground and the starter is engaging, then the starter switch or path to ground for the switch is defective.

 

Testing starter circuit from the XJ DIY How-To-Instructions:

See step four for testing starter switch

http://www.xjbikes.com/forums/index.php?threads/how-to-test-your-starter-circuit.7828/




And definitely get the fuse box installed, like other members suggested, you are taking a great risk both for your safety and for the bike.

http://www.xjbikes.com/forums/index.php?threads/how-to-install-an-aftermarket-fuse-box.6350/

 

Thanks for that how to thread!!
So you're saying that the whole bar would have to be bare metal for the current to go through mounting hardware??

I don't understand why it momentarily worked though...

 

The only wires I can think of that had fuses are the rear brake light and signal lights... everything else looks stock.. is
What are the main things that have to be fused?

 

MAIN
HEADLIGHT
TURN SIGNALS
IGNITION

 

Just take apart the thing where starter button is. Then take a wire attached it to the negative point of the starter button and other end of the wire straight to the frame (ground point). See what happens

 

It works! Now what haha
I just put the wire to the frame and it turned over..
It must be a ground problem.. I don't understand though

 

He's not saying that the paint has to be removed from the bar totally, just where the switch housing contacts the bars AND where the bars contact the tree at the clamps. You must have electrical continuity from electrical ground (frame) to the switch housing. If you have a multimeter, they usually have a continuity or at least a resistance setting. You want as close to 0 ohms as possible between them.

 

OK.. sorrg this is all new to me.. so I have to check what again for resistance? Where do I put my pos and negative to check?

I think my problem is that I didn't sand down paint at the trees or clamps..
Also the bars I bought don't fit tightly or flat .. It is the right size (7/8)
I hope that won't be an issue for grounding

If all fails can I just run a wire to frame from switch?

 

Put one lead on the frame or battery neg. The other on the bare metal part of the handlebar where the controls clamp on. You should see close to 0 ohms or if you have continuity check, it will beep/light/move the needle (depends on meter).

Yes if you didn't clean up the clamps/bars, I would start there.

You can run a wire if you desire, they did that later year models. Better design then relying on metal to metal contact through a few pieces.

 

Yeah.... Use the later controls

OR

take a look at the connector at the end of the pigtail..... I bet you have an empty socket there. I also bet the the main harness has a ground wire there---- that allows you to wire in the ground, just slide some black heat shrink tubing over the wires after you have your ground wire put into the switch's harness

 

That's what I did. I just have nice wire running from the control unit to the trees.

 

i think part 9 in that diagram is missing on my bike! is that cuz i gots an 82, or is it cuz i'm driving straight to hell?

 

She's a runner! Thanks for the help dudes!! Cleaned up all the ground faces and it worked..
Does anyone know any good threads on fuses?
Could I just add those tubular fuses in between wires?

 

just put it all back together.. put er on prime.. won't start up.. Perfect!!
there is spark..anything i should check out? did something wrong somewhere

 

Damn.. Looks like the electrical part on these bikes are like women on her period and eating magic mushrooms.
Try to check every part that was involved in the latest tests and work you did...

 

If it's got spark, check for fuel! Did the choke lever or cable get messed up with the handlebar swap?

 

Depending on the manufactured date most '82s and later have a ground at the control and in the flashers. The 80, 81 and some 82s don't have this added wiring. The control and flashers are ground through the frame.

Gary H.