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My G5 has an electrical Gremlin, need help

kwn306

kwn306

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To make a long story very short, 2 years ago I came across a barn find, a 79 V1000 G5 police bike with less than 8K miles on it.

This past winter/spring I finally got around to working on the damn thing and it runs and all the electrics work on the bike. At least the idiot light on the dash goes out when you start the bike after a few seconds of running. The PO had installed a Vetter faring which I removed and bought parts from MG Cycle to make the bike look stock (somewhat).

My issue is the battery which is brand new drains down so the starter will not engage if it sits for a few days, if I charge the battery the bike starts right up, it is a cold blooded beast though.

I pulled the positive side battery terminal and installed a 12 volt prick tester between the battery and the positive cable and the bulb glows dimly with the ignition key in the "off" position, if I turn "on" the key switch and the light becomes bright.

I have no wiring diagram for the damn thing but......................

With the key in the off position the only battery drain would be......

1. the starter solenoid
2. ignition switch, which is a new part from MG Cycle, I had this problem with the old switch as well.
3. the diode board?
4. the regulator?
5. ???????????

Something else I'll throw out there.............the positive cable goes from the positive terminal of the battery directly to the starter solenoid, there is also a 14 or 16 gauge wire on the starter solenoid positive side, is this the charging wire to keep the battery charged?

I assume (I hate that word) because this issue is when the bike is at a "non-running" state everything controlled by the fuse block is not active, so I'm chasing this electrical Gremlin in the same state, non-running.

Can someone throw me a Doggy Bone as to where to look / start?
 
Kurt,

The 1978 SP schematic or the T-3 schematic in the dowloads section would be very close to your bike. Set up your indicator for parasitic drains (the test light). Isolate circuits one at a time (pull fuse or disconnect item) until the light goes out. You have then found the circuit with the drain. Then go into the components of that circuit in the same fashion.

Good luck,
 
john zibell said:
Kurt,

The 1978 SP schematic or the T-3 schematic in the dowloads section would be very close to your bike. Set up your indicator for parasitic drains (the test light). Isolate circuits one at a time (pull fuse or disconnect item) until the light goes out. You have then found the circuit with the drain. Then go into the components of that circuit in the same fashion.

Good luck,
Click to expand...

John,

Someone from the WildGuzzi Forum gave me a link to the wiring diagram. Since this is my 1st Guzzi restoration project I am a sponge for information, with that being said........

If my issue is present with the ignition key in the off position your saying there still could be an electrical draw through the fuse box?

According to the wiring diagram I'm looking at ................unless the diode board is cooked and a diode is letting current pass through it backwards the only two fuses that would have power with the ignition switch off would be fuses 5 & 6. Now I guess the spot light switch could be partial shorted and bleeding the other would be the turn signal flashers.

If I get a chance tonight I'll pull some fuses and report back what I find.
 
Start with fuses 5 and 6. Then proceed to components that may have power with the key off. It could actually be the ignition switch itself. If someone in the past used a graphite lube for the key, it may have gotten to the contacts.
 
John,

The ignition switch is new, I pulled the fuses at location 5 & 6 (I guess they are 5 & 6 because nothing is numbered) and the battery drain issue is gone.

Now to figure out which circuit it is and what is causing the drain.
 
kwn306 said:
John,

The ignition switch is new, I pulled the fuses at location 5 & 6 (I guess they are 5 & 6 because nothing is numbered) and the battery drain issue is gone.

Now to figure out which circuit it is and what is causing the drain.
Click to expand...

Now insert a fuse in each position one at a time. Determining if the drain exist with a fuse in 5 or 6 will eliminate some of the possibilities.
 
john zibell said:
kwn306 said:
John,

The ignition switch is new, I pulled the fuses at location 5 & 6 (I guess they are 5 & 6 because nothing is numbered) and the battery drain issue is gone.

Now to figure out which circuit it is and what is causing the drain.
Click to expand...

Now insert a fuse in each position one at a time. Determining if the drain exist with a fuse in 5 or 6 will eliminate some of the possibilities.
Click to expand...

John,

I put the fuse back in position 5 and have a battery drain, removed the fuse and put it in position 6 and I have a battery drain.......................so it doesn't make a difference. Then I ran out of time as the wife needed some honey-do's done.

I had this problem when the Vetter faring was installed as well, I removed the faring and install a MG Cycles headlight bucket and new turn signals as well.

I guess the next process will be getting into the headlight bucket and unplugging the left hand wiring control switch (turn signals, headlights, horn, etc.) on the handle bars to isolate it.

Fuse #6 feeds the left hand switch on the speedo cluster for driving lights which I do not have.........does that speedo cluster come apart, screws? Maybe a rusted up switch ...........
 
Kurt,

You will just have to keep digging until you find the source of the drain. Yes the instrument cluster does come apart but save that for last.
 
Hey Kurt,

Sounds like ohm bugs!

I too have a G5 Police. Did you get yours from Oklahoma?

Here are two wiring diagrams for 70's Convert Police models. A Euro spec and a US spec:

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc204/Tonerjockey/G5/1975_Convert_USA_police_zpsb341c963.jpg

and

http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc204/Tonerjockey/G5/1975_Convert_Europe_police_zps887d6aec.jpg

I've added color to the traces to ease the eye (and brain) strain.

One way to trace this problem is to get a decent ammeter and connect it in line with a fuse. This way you can "see" the current and not have to reply upon draining the battery during this search and destroy mission.

The schematics (or "cartoons") show the fuses ID'd from bottom to top (go figure). Which fuses are we talking about?

BTW if you want the JPG for these lemme know. Very usefull to blow them up and have them plastic laminated. I put a key chain loop on mine and it hangs in the shop.

Alex
 
Toner Jockey,

I just sent you a couple of PM's, forgot my email addy on the 1st one.

What to you mean by the "ohm bug?"
 
Toner Jockey,

I'm talking about the top two fuses, looking at the diagram going from top of the fuse box to the bottom.

On my wiring diagram they are fuse #6 (top) and fuse #5 (right below fuse #6.)
 
Ohm bugs is a phrase we used to use in the early computer world. Ficticious gremlin that added resistance and generally gave the troubleshooter headaches.

Alex
 
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