Strange Electrical Problem

Chikara

Chikara

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For years and years, my method of raising the kickstand on all of my bikes was to put my foot in front of it and raise it as I take off. With that damned safety switch on the ZL900 kickstand, I have embarrassed myself more than once by having the engine die while taking off. It happened again yesterday but the bike ended up without power; there were no lights, no indicators; no horn, but there was a strange sound coming from the bike.

It sounded kind of like an overheating engine does, with steam escaping the radiator but, after tracking it down, I figured out that it was coming from the fuse box. Inside the fuse box, there are three little canister relays labeled Lights, Start, and Main. When the key in the ignition is turned to on, the relay labeled Main vibrates and buzzes. I tried replacing it with each of the other canisters but the noise stayed in the same place, meaning it stayed with the socket and didn't follow the canister.

I tried kicking the kickstand up and down, hoping it might just be that the safety switch had stuck, but it didn't help.

Does anyone have an idea what could cause the bike to have no power and for the Main Relay to continuously buzz?
 
"Does anyone have an idea what could cause the bike to have no power and for the Main Relay to continuously buzz?"

Bad ground somewhere or low charge in battery.
 
Lift the seat up and check that battery..Use a volt meter to see what the voltage is at the battery terminals..Check the connections of the battery connections for tightness and that they are clean..Check grounds at all points. It's a start..
 
Ditto, same issue I had last year. Battery had 12 volts but very little current. Not enough to completely close the relay so it will sit there and chatter/buzz.
 
Thanks for the suggestions, guys, but prior to posting here, I did some searches and found the same issue for bikes and for cars and the first thing always suggested is the battery, but I have checked my battery at 12.8 v (didn't check the amps) but I also hooked up a Black & Decker Start-It jump starter. Even with that hooked up, I have no lights and no indicators (high beam, neutral, etc). When I turn the key to On, still no lights or indicators, but the Main rely buzzes, and the intensity of the buzzing changes depending on whether the kill switch is set to on or not.

Also, I started the bike in the morning and it was fine. I drove 45 minutes to work. Started the bike to go to lunch and started it to return to work. After work I started it and went to Jiu Jitsu. Left Jiu Jitsu and drove home. I didn't have a single issue any time during all of that. When I got home, I killed the engine to take off my luggage and drop it in the garage so I could go for a pleasure ride on the country roads and it started just fine, but I tried to take off with kickstand down and that killed the engine. It was at that point that the issue started, so I'm really not leaning towards the battery.

I have removed the kickstand switch, pulled off the little rubber boot and cleaned it, and I pushed the button in 20 -30 times just to see if I could break anything loose that might be stuck. That didn't help. I just don't know enough about the electrical system to know what else to check.
 
Just throwing out ideas - have you checked the switch up at the clutch? I doubt that will help but worth a shot. The headlight does not come on if you bump the starter button? You have no power at all? Maybe wiggle the ignition key? Just ideas to try. Later.
 
:hello: My battery has 13.85 volts. When I hit the starter it drops to 12.45. Above 2000 RPM it has 14.4 volts. You may have a cell on the way out or a intermittent/weak ground.
 
I think you guys may have hit it. The 12.8v on my battery--in conjunction with the strange way it suddenly happened with the kickstand and all--had me thinking it had to be something else, but Gosupes mentioned that, in his case, he had the correct voltage but very little current. Because I had only checked the voltage, I went out and checked the amps on the battery and got about 1.2. I didn't know what it was supposed to be so I went out and bought a battery and--even though it needs to be charged, it came to me with 12.8v and about 10.4 amps.

I've got to let it charge, but I'll report back with the results.
 
Chikara said:
amps on the battery and got about 1.2 . . .

it came to me with 12.8v and about 10.4 amps.
Click to expand...

How are you checking current?

Easy way to check battery with a voltmeter -
Connect leads - with key off, fully charged will be about 12.8
Turn key on - voltage should slowly drop, but stay above 12.
Press starter button - voltage will drop, but shouldn't drop drastically. RJ said his stayed around 12, but 9-10 will probably start the engine. Any lower, and/or bike doesn't start, battery is bad or needs charging.

Good luck.
 
No, I just checked it straight off the battery without turning the key or trying to start it. Staring it wouldn't have worked anyway because I was getting nothing but that buzzing sound, and then when I push the starter button, nothing.

On the old battery, though, I used the set the meter to volts and measured 12.8. Then I changed the switch and the cable to amps and measured. 1.4 or so.

On the new battery (prior to charging it, so it was only partially charged) I did the same thing.
I got 12.8 volts again, but then I switched to amps and got just over 10.

In any case, with the new battery, the bike starts right up now because I bought a battery, but I will keep you battery testing steps in mind because, had the battery not fixed it, it would have been an expensive test.

Thanks for all of your help.
 
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