Electrical MESS! expert help needed...

So a previous owner of my xj750 seca did a hack job on the bikes wiring, and while I try to sort it out I have a few questions...

Keeping in mind i just cleaned the carbs and replaced the solenoid and have plenty of battery:

1) When I turn the ignition key into place, two relays beneath the tank, on the frame, click audibly, are the relays bad? Is this normal?

2) I'm not getting any spark at the plugs or power to signals/horn, which i was a month ago, implying a fuse failure somewhere (this is less a question than me hoping someone knows a common short/fuse to fail :? )

3) If I let the starter go long enough, it sounds less like it's trying to start, and more like a sucking sound, very suddenly, and if I let go of the starter switch and get on again, it returns to normal. This may have been a result of hearing flooded carbs, I just cleaned them last night and they were saturated, I had to dump out the gas to clean them. This was after butterflying the choke to try to get it to fire, so i don't think the compression is bad or anything but just simply too much fuel. Is it a short keeping the plugs from sparking? A fuse somewhere in the "Ignitor" Box? (which i haven't opened yet...) OR is my starter motor bad, is that a common problem with these bikes?

4) My battery also drains entirely overnight. Is this another sign of a huge short?

5) On one occasion, I had my leg (In shorts) against the engine and while trying to use the starter, I was shocked, Does anyone have any idea where this short might be?!!! :evil:

I've been feeling completely overwhelmed lately with this bike, even considered flipping it and buying another bike after all the work i've done, money i've spent, and time getting atached to the bike :cry: flipping it would probably mean taking a huge hit financially, since as everyone knows you never get out of a bike what you put into it as a general rule (As a college student i'm really at the end of my rope here...) and I was wondering if it's really worth the trouble anymore?

On a lighter note, does anyone know a good link to learn how to troubleshoot wiring with a multimeter?

Thank you all for all of your help, I appreciate it. Without your advice, I would have sold this bike a long time ago. Thanks

 

You're not getting shocked with battery voltage. If your leg got shocked you have a coil firing and the electricity is leaking rather than firing the plug. Easiest way to find this is to crank the engine in the pitch dark and look for the sparks.

 

Sounds like a world of pain! Have you got a wiring diagram. I can't see anyway out of your mess. Just study the diagram and methodically work your way through it. See also:

http://www.electrosport.com/media/pdf/f ... iagram.pdf

 

if it's going to be a custom, then maybe it'd be easier to go with the minimum wiring diagram that's on here someplace

 

thats what i was thinking...

if you go with a minimal that YOU build, then youll know where to look if something isnt right the first time around and if it IS right, then all your troubles will be over...

 

Electrical system is definitely MY weak area.

The fuse holder is such an easy upgrade, and if you make a new wiring harness, you'll need one anyway.
This would rule out a short at what seems to be the XS/XJ's weakest electrical component.

 

So, how much would an entirely new harness cost? I could google it but I'm sure someone here already knows the best place. Is there a link to the harness post? And I need signals and a horn to be street legal in WA, as a college student I don't need to temp the cops anymore than they already are, they're pretty serious on bikers here.

 

And is there an estimated cost for a home made harness? That sounds like a good learning experience.

 

It sounds to me like all sorts of conclusions are being jumped to here.

The 750 Seca has a myriad of electrical "quirks" due to its attempt at a primitive OBD system with sensors for the battery, indicators for lamps and sidestand, etc. Yes, relays will click when you switch the bike on; what you're hearing may be normal.

If you're on a limited budget and actually need to use this motorcycle, I'd recommend you track down a factory service manual. The electrical diagnostic sections in the the factory books are much more model-specific and include fault-isolation diagrams that help immensely. Armed with real information and the aforementioned multi-meter you should be able to diagnose the problem.

Or eBay an un-hacked harness. Building a new one yourself could prove to more than just a learning experience. And a heck of a lot more expensive than a book.