My dead ZL900

[christoph928]

Now that I finally figured out how to do this... Here's my problem, and I would almost rather rebuild an engine than chase down an electrical gremlin, but I got a big one. I ran the bike for about 20 minutes a couple weeks ago...
(running great but did get a little hot when I shut it down). After an hour or so tried to start her up again and got nothing... Not a click. Went and got my fuse panel, starter solenoid, Ignition box, and battery from my (running) GPz and replaced everything. Still nothing. Crossed the poles on the solenoid with a screwdriver and it started right up. Put it in the garage and ordered a wiring harness from ebay. Got it (great shape) and spent an afternoon rewiring the whole bike. Crossed my fingers and hit the button. Nothing. Thinking maybe starter button even though I went through and cleaned it up, so I drove up to McKinney and got one from TX Tornado's parts bike (thanks again bro). Still nothing. My starter lockout (clutch) is disabled by crossed black and yellow wires and the side switch is too. I did notice that the side switch on the ZL has only 2 wires but my GPz had 3 (strange) but I looked at the wiring diagram and it looks like all you have to do is cross the 2 wires and it is bypassed (right?) I didn't touch that or the clutch switch wires anyway. Any ideas..? Anyone..? I need help...

[kawboy]

Did you try shorting the solenoid again?

On the 1000 (don't know about 900), the wires to the sidestand switch go to a 2-wire connector near the battery box. I removed mine to that point and shorted the connector at the harness.

[zlMark]

Is the GPZ box different enough to cause it not to start I wonder?

Do you have a 12v test light?

[zlMark]

I just checked and the pin-out on the gpz is the same. time to start probing and jumpering. check the black/yellow ground

[zlMark]

From COG:



On the starter issue:
After reading the posts and dusting off the Chalk Dust Book (from way back when) which by the way is more unbelievably helpful than I remember, I found the problem to be the clutch switch (although I have yet to clean it).

Some how the clutch switch [yes even in neutral] can prevent the bike from starting.



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<TABLE style="TABLE-LAYOUT: fixed" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=5 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="85%" height="100%">if it was the common safety switch issue, pulling in the clutch would have worked. Unless both the clutch switch and the side stand switch failed at the same time (unlikely), I would guess you either have a starter button contact problem, starter solenoid problem, or starter relay problem in the junction box

Start with the simple stuff. Try bypassing the starter button. If that doesn't work, try bypassing the primary side of the solenoid. One of these bypasses will lead you to the problem.

You've already verified that the ignition circuit is working, considering it started, so that pretty much removes the question of the side stand switch and secondary clutch switch

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[christoph928]

Clutch (starter lockout) switch has been bypassed by crossing the black and the yellow wires leading to the switch, which is no longer there (same as the GPz) and it was like that when I bought it and it started just fine. The side stand switch on the GPz had 3 wires , all I had to do was cross the right 2 and it started. On the ZL however, there is only two wires. Again, they were crossed when I bought it and it started. The fuse box on the GPz and the one on the ZL are identical, but I did switch them back again after it didn't start with the new harness. Still nothing. The starter button I got from John didn't fix the problem either. How do I bypass the starter button, therefore "hot-wiring" it without crossing the poles on the starter solenoid?

[Stormy]

I had a similar experience with my zl1k a little while ago and found it was the clutch lever lockout switch, combined with the side-stand lockout switch, they were actually doing their job, never happened before, but in one of my routine "lube everything" days, I just did, I sprayed inside both switches with a silicon based, "WD-40" type spray and the next time I went to start it, it didn't.

I tried almost everything you did, checked the battery, power to the starter switch, run / off, "emergency cutout" switch, checked the wiring loom, starter solenoid and relays, fuses, everything came up trumps, I tried it again, this time I sat on the bike, side-stand up, bike in neutral, hit the starter, nothing, it started like this a thousand times before, what gives??? and then I pulled in the clutch lever and hit the starter again, bingo, started up perfectly.

Ever since, I occasionally have to pull the clutch lever in to start it, even in neutral sometimes. I think the contacts inside get a little gummed up and it needs a bit of a workout to remove it, just enough to let it start, but if your switches or wiring are shorted out by twitching them together, maybe the twitched joint is stuffed, I'd suggest, either cutting the joint off, then re-joining them again this time soldering them together, then heat-shrink tube over the joint, if you can find and buy the original switches, and re-join them maybe that would work, they come up on eBay often or get them direct from a dealer, as they are still available (used on many kawasaki model bikes).

The switches are usually just a momentary, double pole, single throw (DPST, two wire connectors) switch, joining together one wire in a circuit, similar to a interior light door switch. Join the two wires together and it's bypassed and permanently connected / on.

A momentary, triple pole, single throw switch (TPST, 3 wires) just means it's a bridging, momentary switch. This type of switch usually bridges or can share power between two circuits, or to activate two objects within the same circuit (usually used when you don't have much space), one possible use is to de-activate a lockout switch (when connected to negative / earth) and to supply negative power to a relay, at the same time, but there are many variations and configurations that may use that type of switch.

That's the best I can suggest without actually being there and touching the bike...

Mick.

[zlMark]

Just like the above quote for COG right stormy?

But, wouldn't we be talking about the nuetral switch sticking making you pull the cluttch in?

[SandstoneSmitty]

Christoph928,

Welcome to the best darn forum for ZL information there is!!! We Dallas ZL Riders need to get together and rally. My daily ride is from Denton County to downtown via I-35 at 7am and 5pm.

I have had the same problem that you are speaking of. The cause is the saftey switch on the gear shifter. Clean that puppy up...

[texas-ss-tornado]

If you need to replace the switch, you're welcome to the one on my parts bike! I agree, us Dallas ZL guys need to get together and ride!!!! I've got a few Honda V65 friends and we ride all the time, next time we organize something I will post it here! How many guys do we have anyway? Chris, Smitty and myself that I know of off the top of my head have ZL's around here, who am I missing???

[zlMark]

Texas ElimiNatians:


KEMart0427
54Lariat
Hil2041
oldschool
TSST
abluecollarwoman
christoph928
Dethengine
gingernut
gregw
hyde25
kawboy
litemania
longcrapper
mstan99999
pa
rbeechner
runswithscissors (careful, chances are he rides with em too! :rotf:)
sandstonesmitty
steveiepearson
tex
Man,, you guys got it goin on!

[texas-ss-tornado]

Texas ElimiNatians:


KEMart0427
54Lariat
Hil2041
oldschool
TSST
abluecollarwoman
christoph928
Dethengine
gingernut
gregw
hyde25
kawboy
litemania
longcrapper
mstan99999
pa
rbeechner
runswithscissors (careful, chances are he rides with em too! :rotf:)
sandstonesmitty
steveiepearson
tex
Man,, you guys got it goin on!

Hey, can you narrow this down to NORTH Texas? :)

[zlMark]

nope,,sorry,,you can browse through them and seee if you recognize the cities.

memberslist/search members/advanced search (http://www.zl-oa.com/forums/memberlist.php?do=search)/state field type in texas, also re-do with just tx

[Stormy]

Just like the above quote for COG right stormy?

Yeah, you're right mark, sorry about the long winded posts...


But, wouldn't we be talking about the nuetral switch sticking making you pull the cluttch in?

When it happened to me, I knew the bike was in neutral, as I have to reverse the bike into the position where it's parked in my shed.

It was just one of those things that happened, the point is to learn from these experiences, so they don't happen again.

Mick.

[christoph928]

Safety switch on the shifter... hmm. I was unaware there was such a thing. I'll get right on it. Thanks a bunch.

[furchin]

You know most of the problems we incur with these older bikes are simple to solve. The bastard in the whole scenerio is figuring out which problem we are dealing with. Once figured out it is usually simple and we end up saying something like, ****, that was easy.:rotf: