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Greetings all, I'm definitely only an amateur bike mechanic, but am learning all the time, and enjoy reading the posts on this forum. Now I'm stumped with my own airhead.
My R75/6 developed an intermittent starter problem after a battery tender failed and boiled the battery over. Unfortunately, I didn't notice it and it sat and boiled for over a month.
I replaced the battery, and also checked the starter as suggested on other posts and forums. I also check the stater button-- all checked OK.
The starter relay connectors looked really corroded with the blue green battery junk. I'm assuming this was from the battery meltdown issue.
I took the eight wires off, marking them with tape labels to get them back on correctly, and cleaned all the corrosion off of both the connectors and posts on the relay.
After cleaning I put the relay on, plugged in the wires, and put the tank back on. Turned the key and... nothing. Totally dead. No "dash" light, no horn, no electronics at all.
After getting really depressed, I managed to refrain from dragging into the yard and setting it on fire. Now a week later, I've checked the continuity from the connectors on the realy up a few inches to where they dissappear into the harness with a needle point probe through the insulation. I thought maybe the wires were corroded inside the insulation and I broke one when cleaning the terminials. I also used the meter to check that the relay was properly grounded to the bike-- not sure if it even needs to be, but I couldn't think of anything else.
The only thing I can think of is that I dropped the relay about two feet when cleaning it. I'm not sure what they are like inside or if this could have damaged it.
I did notice from lookinig on the wiring diagram that a hot wire comes from the battery to the relay via a red wire. Another red wire takes the positive to the terminal block in the headlight bucket. From that terminal, another short red lead goes to the key switch.
However, there is no power out of the relay to the terminal and key switch-- the power goes in to the relay from the battery, but the red wire coming out is dead-- even with the key on.
Does this mean the relay is shot? Could I have killed it by dropping it two feet?
Thanks in advance for any advice. This one is driving me nuts. I was hoping to take this bike to Vintage Motorcycle Days in July-- bummer if I can't get it going.
My R75/6 developed an intermittent starter problem after a battery tender failed and boiled the battery over. Unfortunately, I didn't notice it and it sat and boiled for over a month.
I replaced the battery, and also checked the starter as suggested on other posts and forums. I also check the stater button-- all checked OK.
The starter relay connectors looked really corroded with the blue green battery junk. I'm assuming this was from the battery meltdown issue.
I took the eight wires off, marking them with tape labels to get them back on correctly, and cleaned all the corrosion off of both the connectors and posts on the relay.
After cleaning I put the relay on, plugged in the wires, and put the tank back on. Turned the key and... nothing. Totally dead. No "dash" light, no horn, no electronics at all.
After getting really depressed, I managed to refrain from dragging into the yard and setting it on fire. Now a week later, I've checked the continuity from the connectors on the realy up a few inches to where they dissappear into the harness with a needle point probe through the insulation. I thought maybe the wires were corroded inside the insulation and I broke one when cleaning the terminials. I also used the meter to check that the relay was properly grounded to the bike-- not sure if it even needs to be, but I couldn't think of anything else.
The only thing I can think of is that I dropped the relay about two feet when cleaning it. I'm not sure what they are like inside or if this could have damaged it.
I did notice from lookinig on the wiring diagram that a hot wire comes from the battery to the relay via a red wire. Another red wire takes the positive to the terminal block in the headlight bucket. From that terminal, another short red lead goes to the key switch.
However, there is no power out of the relay to the terminal and key switch-- the power goes in to the relay from the battery, but the red wire coming out is dead-- even with the key on.
Does this mean the relay is shot? Could I have killed it by dropping it two feet?
Thanks in advance for any advice. This one is driving me nuts. I was hoping to take this bike to Vintage Motorcycle Days in July-- bummer if I can't get it going.
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