Why you should do your own work

I just had something happen that reminded me how important it is to be able to do your own troubleshooting and maintenence.

I live on a circle that's about 1/4 mi. around with no houses in the center. So it makes a nice test drive track w/o having to go out onto a busier street. I had just dropped in a new set of front brake pads, and was doing a few laps to get them seated. A neighbor was out walking, and we stopped to chat, and I killed the engine and turned off the key.

When I went to start it up again, the button, it did nothing!

I push started it and got back to the garage. Trouble shooting time!

Oil light comes on, when the switch is pressed, so the switch seems ok. Then a quick check of the XJCD wiring diagram, and back to work. Listened for relay click, it sounded kind of faint, so into the side. Just to make sure the starter still worked, I jumpered the relay's terminals with a screwdriver, and the engine turned over. Big relief there!

I disconnected the battery, and pulled the relay, shook it to see if the guts were loose, they weren't. I plugged it back into the harness, and hooked up the battery. I got a nice loud click, so I checked resistances across the main terminals. Open circuit normally, closed when the starter button was pressed. So far so good.

I reconnected the battery main and check to make sure the voltage was flowing, seemed to work ok. Then I connected the starter and now it worked.

Diagnosis: loose connection with a side of minor corrosion.
Tools required: 10mm wrench & multimeter
Time: about an hour

I cleaned everything up with a wire brush, and made sure each connector nut got a dab of loctite, including the battery terminals. Now it cranks right up, and the dash lights seem a bit brighter too.

Just to be safe, I'll replace the relay in the near future. But I saved a tow, and god-knows how much $$$ for a shop to test it and sell me a new relay.

I just thought I'd post this as encouragement to those that don't yet do their own work. Give it a try, you might be surprised at what you can do.

 

The Gospel according to SecaGirl.

There's little things you can do for yourself, which will be very good for your bike, and prevent a situation that would require some lengthy troubleshooting time, that do not require a 3-tiered toolbox and a Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

The minds that started with a clean sheet of paper, and designed these bikes, for us to have and to hold, provided all the tools you need, for performing important preventative maintenance chores, in the Tool Pouch that came right along with the bike.

I'm quite sure, that there are a great many, of the nearly 900 registered members off this fine forum, who need, or would like to have, someone guide them through, a few -- very simple projects that will help keep your bike's trouble-free for awhile.

Well, ... I'll write 'em ... if you'll do 'em!

The hard-core wrencher's, tweakers and fine-tuner's will probably get a laugh at some of the really simple "Projects" we'll get after. Most of the really basic little projects I'll be asking you to do, with just the tools you'll find in the tool pouch, won't get your hands dirty and your fingernails disgusting.

While I go over to Mr. Peabody's for a little ride in "The Way-Back Machine" to see what it was that I did, when I laid my first tool on a motorcycle ... there is one little project you can do; already!

Gloves. Steel wool. WD-40. Paper towels.

Scrub the rust off all those tools in the Tool Pouch. Oil 'em up and wipe 'em down. It's time for you to do something that'll keep your bike out of the shop!

Thank God I'm nearly bald now ... 'cause where I'm going ... back in time ... to get the inspiration for a few, "First-time doin' stuff" posts, is where I had the best times of my life!

I'd like to come back that thin and with all that hair. But, it would be a real shocker. Particularly, for my wife.

She never seen me in a dirty T-shirt with a pack of Lucky's rolled-up in the sleeve; and my hair all greased in a really cool-looking flat-top with a duck's ass!

 

Your post made me realise that the biggest problem most people have with the stock tool pouch is: the tool pouch itself. :shock:

Mine is in pretty rough shape, the snap just pulled through the plastic, and the seams are pulling out. They're an odd size and not easy to replace. But the solution is simple: make your own.

Stay tuned for some pictures on how to make a replacement tool pouch from *drumroll* duct tape!

 

I'll look forward to the duct tape tool kit to come! It's probably more durable than my solution. It's amazing how fast your trusty toolkit becomes your rusty tool kit in the pouch it comes with. I cleaned my tools up, oiled them, wraped a lightly oiled rag around them, put a ziplock around them, and then put them in the pouch. I check them every now and again, but it seems to keep them in a little bit better condition than the "rust pouch" method. I will still be looking forward to the duct tape pouch.

BTW, I am impressed with the electrical troubleshooting. I would have likely been trying a hammer since electrical is not one of my strong suits! nice work! Brett

 

Flat top and ducks arse, cor blimey how far back do you go Rick?

Mick.

 

He does sound pretty old, doesn't he Mick?
I am a hard-core believer in DIY since an oil change place left my oil filler cap on the aircleaner of my truck. Hadn't gone 1/4 a mile down the road when the stupid thing fell off the engine, hit my fan and went into my radiator! I was royaly ticked! They paid for the repairs (awful nice of them wasn't it?) but argued that they weren't responsible before I went high and right on them.
SecaGirl, don't be in a hurry to condemn the solenoid just yet. Light corrosion is not something that should be viewed as reason to pitch the part. Pasche sells a really neat little toy called an air eraser for about $60. Throw it on a compressor and you should be able to remove any traces of the dreaded rust very quickly. Clean it off, shoot some preservative/paint on the now clean surfaces and you should be back in business.
Sewing up your own tool kit bag is a great improvement over the stock plastic baggy. I bought some heavy duck from a sail-maker here in town and whipped up a nice bag in about 10 minutes. I'm sure that some nice seamstress will be happy to do the job for you if you lack the requisite machine.
Yamamax, the oil coating of your tools is a great preservative, everyone ought to follow that advise. I have done something similar but chose instead to wrap my oiled tools in a dry shop rag before inserting them into the baggie. I just couldn't get past making a rag oily on purpose. Slave to my own mind it seems.

 

I dont even have a tool pouch, let alone any of the tools that go in the kit. The door on the tool box is totally gone too.. Not that terribly concerned cause when the wife is riding the XJ, I will be riding along with her too, and I got a tool kit on the V-Star. Plus I always carry a few extras... I would like to get a replacement door for it though....

 

Well, it was the relay, the sealed electric part that sits next to the battery, and the bit of corrosion was on the terminals preventing a good connection. The metal part of the case wasn't rusty. I guess I wasn't too clear about that.

As for replacing it, it's "on my list of things to watch." Which pretty much means I won't replace it unless it acts up again.

I think it's important to let our XJs know that we love them, and DIY maintenence is how we show it. A bike that you believe in will get you home.

 

Secagirl good job way to trouble shoot, sounds like this ain't your first rodeo..

 

Anyone have a picture of where the elusive tool pouch and tools would be located on an 82 XJ650? I'm pretty sure I don't have one, but since I haven't come across a manual yet to tell me the blasted thing is supposed to be, I can't check. ;-)

As for DIY, I plan on doing pretty much all my own work on my bike. Mainly to learn more about my bike, but also because I just don't have the money to blow on getting someone else to work on it. On my truck, however, I pay someone to do stuff to it. It's too new and has too many gizmos that can get screwed up. Besides, that way I can blame someone else if it does get screwed up.

 

Hehe, I've been messing about with cars for almost 30 yrs (I started in single digits) because my Dad was into cutting up and modding everything he owned.

I did vocational welding school in high school, and some auto tech units in community college. The problem was smart girls were supposed to go to college, so I did.

Which has let to a lifetime of semi-employment because I practically refuse to work in an office. That, and bouts of taking care of family for the past few years makes it hard to get back into working. Which I still need to do, now that Pop's health is improving some.

Meh, guess I'll have to try a temp service. I wonder how much crap I'll get for riding a bike. (I'm two-wheels-only, unless I borrow a car.)

Regardless, today's nice out, and I'm off to take a zoom up the Oak Creek Canyon twisties and spend the day in Flagstaff!

 

You have nothing to be ashamed of SecaGirl, I hope to raise my daughter to be similarly enlightened! Nothing wrong with an independent woman, it is invigorating to know that there are more of you all out there! I'd see if you can't borrow a car for the first month or so just to get to know the new company before you whip out your "unconventional personality traits". My wife insisted that I not ride to work for the first couple of months just to establish the appearance of stability. While I'd love nothing more than to ride in on the first day, I'm interested in not alarming the "man" and setting the wrong tone for the duration of my employment. Easy does it, you'll break them in a little at a time. First the earring, then the sensible footwear....next thing you know it'll be nose rings and spiked hair! All kidding aside, the corporate world takes a dim view of "alternate" behaviors (this perception is based solely upon the personality of the boss of course) and there is no reason to not give a favorable first impression. Something to be said about working in a Mom-n-Pops environment. It tends to be a little more flexible and tolerant (unless your boss is a hard core conservative). Go get them, you’ll do just fine with your mind, I’m impressed already. I’ll be sure to give you a call when I start up my own business!

 

Well, that's the nice thing about working for a temp service in a small town. There's not a lot of "corporate America" crap to deal with. So I'm riding, and if they don't like it, tough.

Besides, the only cage I could borrow would a V-8 converted CJ-7, and I don't think my foot could take the clutch. I broke my left big toe about 3 weeks ago, and just got to where I don't have to tape it, and can walk w/o limping.

I'm dropping off the app for the temp service Monday, so hopfully some jobs will come up. An Aerostitch suit is on the list once I have some income, so that'll open up some more wardrobe options for me. Plus in hi-viz yellow, maybe some of the blue hairs around here will start seeing me. :?

 

From what I can dig up on the XJCD, the tool kit should be on top of the air cleaner box, between the fuse panel and the rear fender.

The picture isn't that great and pretty much straight forward on the location so no picture attached.

 

Well, from your description of the location, I have surmised that I do not have a tool pouch. Guess I'm going to have to start assembling one. Anyone have a list of items that were in there?

 

Did you check inside the rear-section void. Somebody might have stuck it in the rubber strap, back there.