Electrical Issues! Need Help!

[ZukiGS500E]

Ok so i have a 92 gs500e i have two electrical issues that are kind of important. First of all, the low beam on my headlight wont work, the filament is not burnt out, and the high beam does come on. Second of all, my electric start button works sometimes, and wont work. It will start right up no problem, ill ride it, get home and pull into my garage, and it will shut off on its own before i can even put it in neutral. Then when i try to start it again, the electric start button does nothing, no attemp to turn over no sounds, NOTHING. Any suggestions to what it might be?

[Big Rich]

Well, your low beam problem sounds like the wire is disconnected between the socket and the ignition. Get a multimeter and a wiring diagram. And a beer or two.

Need a little more info about the bike dying though. What do you do to get it to start again - let the bike sit for a while, charge the battery, just fiddle with the wires, etc?

[Kerry]

Hmmm ... an 18-year-old bike?  I would suspect connections and contacts.

I recently took apart the switch / choke lever assembly on the left handlebar of my '99 for the first time.  It wasn't too bad, but I had to be careful to remember how everything came out, so I could put it all back the same way.  What did I find in there?  Mostly little spider-webby things.  I wonder if you would find something that's preventing a good contact in the low beam side of the headlight switch?

If you'd rather not tackle the disassembly until you know it's necessary, take Big Rich's advice and follow things through with a multimeter.  Still, that might require pulling the headlight out of its bucket so you can get to some of the connections you'll want/ need to test.

BTW, how do you know that the low beam filament is OK?  You might want to run wires from the filament connections straight to the battery terminals, just to make sure....

= = = = = = = = = = = = = =

You say the bike dies when you pull into your garage.  Does it do the same thing at stop signs & red lights?  If not, you should have the air in your garage tested for oxygen content.  (Just kidding - I think!)

I'm going to suspect the switch again ... the starter switch this time.  Or the battery connections, the ground wire connection, or the starter relay (or its connections).

Like Big Rich, I'm wondering what usually transpires in between the time it won't start and the next time that it will. 

[adidasguy]

When in the garage, what do you do just before it dies? Are you putting down the side stand? There are a lot of safety interlocks. Side stand down: stops unless in neutral. Won't start? Clutch switch with clutch in ALWAYS and you must be in neutral OR side stand and center stand must be up.

When did the problem start? Did something happen that could have damaged a switch or wire?

Quite possibly you are having wiring problems as suggested. Corroded contacts or safety interlock switches are going bad. Nothing beats a VOM (volt-ohm meter or aka milti-meter -- what you call it depending on your background.)

IF and ONLY IF you are SURE you are in neutral, you can test by shorting out safety switches (as a last resort) as it is dangerous to start your bike in gear. You can support your bike so the rear wheel is off the ground to test all of the switches BUT the meter will test just as well.

Wiring diagrams are readily available. If you do not have a Haynes or Clymer manual - get one. Lots of info and trouble shooting info in both.

[mister]

Sounds like you pull into the garage, put the side stand down which stops the bike. Then when you go to start, nothing. Nothing cause side stand is still down.

Yes? No?

Michael

[ZukiGS500E]

no i pull in the garage, clutch in with both feet on the ground, and before i get the chance to put in neutral it shuts off, and i dont put the kickstand down, ill definately look into a multimeter, i think i know someone who has one and ill just start testing everything. it happened at the gas station before, but started right up thank god. it has been getting worse and my only solution to starting it, is letting it set, and after a day or 2 it will start up no problem. All my lights and indicators work turn signals, horn, ect ect.

[the mole]

no i pull in the garage, clutch in with both feet on the ground, and before i get the chance to put in neutral it shuts off, and i dont put the kickstand down,  

When you say 'it shuts off' do you mean just the engine stops like you've hit the kill switch, or everything turns off like you've turned the key off?

I'm suspecting the sidestand relay at the moment, you could try bypassing it and see what happens. To do that, take the orange/blue wire off the relay and connect it to the orange wire. If you do that you'll have to remember to have it in neutral when you start it. If that solves your problem you need a new relay (or just leave it bypassed).

[ZukiGS500E]

well i took it out for a ride yesterday, and had no problems, didnt shut off, i switched bikes with my dad, i rode his 98 gsxr 600, and when we switched again, i pulled it into the garage and it sat their idling no problem, and when it does shut off, its like hitting the kill switch all my lights and everything else works

[The Buddha]

Hmmm ... an 18-year-old bike?  I would suspect connections and contacts.
<snip>

Kerry - how are you.
Cool.
buddha.