Blowing Fuses

I have many issues with this bike currently but for now I am simply trying to get it to fire. I am working in steps to make sure everything is covered.

I have:

Change plugs
Change plug wires
Changed the oil
Went through the carbs
Checked the petcock
Changed the battery

I am now at the point where it will almost fire but then I lose charge almost immediately. I finally broke down and went to batteries plus and purchased a sealed battery ( I had purchased a new one that was fillable just three months ago) my issue is that with the new battery as soon as I connect the battery the main fuse (30a) blows.

When the old (still pretty new) battery is connected I do not blow any fuses.

I am not sure if the battery they gave me is overpowering the fuses or I'm missing something.

I have contemplated the rectifier being the issue or a short somewhere however, why would the other battery not have the same results?

The model number of the battery is AGM 14AH-BS. The bike is a 82 xj750 seca.

 

aree you connecting the correct batery wires to the battery the 750 had a different battery when it hit the production line then they made adaptors because the battery terminals swiched sides my battery is negitive on left and positive on right side with a metal extender to reach the terminal

battery on left has + on left. battery on right has + on right side

 

you can hook a full size car battery to your bike and it will not blow fuses.

 

Either you're hooking the battery up to the wrong terminals, or you're creating a short somewhere with a hot terminal or wire contacting the frame or some other wire/contact at some point. Or the battery itself is defective or possibly incorrectly labeled/made

 

It was a short. Worked through the wiring harness bit by bit and found bare copper twisted together. Compliments of the previous owner that changed out the headlight and turn signals.

New problem however, the throttle seems to be fully engaged.

I'm not kidding when I say this I love moving from one problem to the next. It reminds me of computer programming. Fix one problem and find three more.

Xj550H and hogfiddles I appreciate the ideas and help.

 

Let's back up.
What do you mean by "went through the carbs"?
Were any parts replaced?

 

I sho uld have mentioned I am not mechanically inclined nor have I ever owned a motorcycle before. A friend traded me this bike for some computer advice/repairs. Its quite the project but it's been interesting digging in.

 

There was a rebuild done on them by a mechanic last year. When i say i went through them i mean i sat with the church of clean and my haynes manual and opened up the carbs and inspected parts for grim and anything that may be holding them up. All parts that are replaceable were done so during the rebuild so it was in very good condition.

However, one of the previous owners became a little ambitious with what i can only assume was not the proper paint and sprayed the carbs. They now look chipped and melted so i thought it may be worth the look just in case.

 

throttle fully engaged. this could be the Idle knob is turned in to far. it could also be that the barrel on the throttle cable is not sitting in the cup on the holder that is attached to the carbs or the adjuster at the throttle grip is turned out to far pulling up the linkage.
does the throttle shaft move freely when you twist the grip?

then there is the linkage on the carbs the throttle cable is hooked to it could be hung up on the head. look at the second and third picture in this link
OWWW, My Eyes!

you will see the cable linkage in the upright position in the second photo and extended out in the third photo

paint could have eaten the throttle shaft seals

 

that is why you work through one system on the bike at a time examine each one. wiring, charging ,ignition ,fuel, and motor which would be valves, compression and oil leaks , brakes.........

 

Ok, ive looked at the lever. Particularly the spring. This seems to have a mixture of grease buildup and possibly an over spray of paint. This could be causing the issue?

When I pull the throttle (motorcycle off) and release it, it moves back to closed only partially then I can watch it slowly move to a full off position (throttle grip). However, it doesnt seem that the lever on the carb is fully disengaged when this happens.

If I were to force the throttle grip all the way open and then back closed again i can still manually move the lever (on the carb) to a more closed position.

I am under the assumption this could be from the grease build up/ overspray paint or a faulty throttle cable?

 

I really appreciate this forum and the help from the comments I am forever greatful for finding this site.

 

lube the throttle cable. if you remove cable from linkage check to see if it moves freely to see if ppaint and grease is binding you up although it could be another issue with the butterfly disc not being reinstalled correctly during last rebuild

 

I'd also remove the right hand controls to clean and lubricate the throttle tube (use graphite as a lubricant between the throttle tube and the handlebar).
I'd also inspect the throttle cable for wear and frays.

 

Appreciate the help. I will post updates as soon as possible. Or should this be the start of a new thread? I don't frequent forums so I'm not sure of appropriate etiquette.

 

That's the title of a motorcycle restorer's favorite country song.

 

One thread per machine is preferred. Makes it easier to connect the dots should an issue be complicated by another issue.

 

Thank you.

 

Ok, after a long week at work I was finally able to dig into the throttle issue. Turns out one of the clamps for the carbs had pinned the throttle and I hadnt noticed. I did however open up the throttle to look at the cable. Hanging on by a thread has an actual meaning to me now. Any suggestions on a good cable and size? I would like to do the choke as well while im at it.

 

Yes, get the right ones. Click on the xj4ever logo on the top right for our parts guy. Or email him directly at: info@xj4ever.com

 

Ok, thank you. I've found another challenge. The wire from the start switch has come disconnected at the plug near the headlight. Im not sure which wire it connects to since they're all either twisted copper to copper or connectors with only one end crimped.

 

Here's an image

 

Find the same shade of blue wire. The fuse block in the background is hooked up to it instead of the other end of the wire that the fuse goes to.

That also explains why you were blowing fuses.

Is the whole wiring harness full of that type of crappy work!? You might want to consider getting a better replacement harness, or at least a good crimping die and the proper size crimp connectors (along with a wiring diagram).


[Edit] someone added that fuse. What color wire is the opposite end (not pictured) hooked to?

 

start switch ? starter button , run/kill switch or main(key )switch?

main switch has a Br(own) wire a L (blue) wire, R(ed) wire and 2 W/R (white/red)wires
Red comes from 30 amp fuse and supplies power to switch
Brown wire runs to fuse block to supply fuses
blue runs to 5 amp fuse then to meter lights and computer
white/red goes to battery sensor and computer


run/kill engine stop switch has 2 red white wires one comes from 10 amp fuse the other goes to starter circuit cut off relay, side stand relay and TCI unit

starter button has 2 wires a black one Ground and a L/W (blue/white) wire to solinoid

 

Starter switch i was trying to read the wiring diagram but its intimidating at first glance i think im making sense of it now and your comment helps tremendously. Thank you.

 

Most of the wires seem to be changed. There are an abundance of black wires I was assuming were ground just hand wound together but one was connect to a turn signal red. I pulled off the headlight and a lot of wires just fell out of their crimps. I'm think a new complete wire harness might be the answer. On the tail there are a lot of cut wires that had a lot of loose copper. I trimmed them back to avoid shorts.

 

By the time you get done farting around with the wires, you're STILL gonna still have a hacked-up harness. There's plenty around that are in much better condition. I'd recommend just getting another that's in better condition. You'll save a LOT of aggravation.

 

+1.
Keep the hacked-up one to salvage wire from for projects, and for spare connectors.

 

Ok, here's an update to the situation. After long searches and research I have decided to buy the Motogadget M unit blue with some switches and the Motogadget M button. I have been debating on getting the handlebar turn signals and making it simple havent convinced myself of it yet. I am also going to buy a reg/rec and simplify that situation as well as get the new starter solenoid.

I had already purchased a new headlight and since I started I might as well as go all the way. Unfortunately for me the Motogadget devices are back ordered till sometime in February so i have some time before everything arrives.

During my wait I have decided to write a new task list for myself. So here it is.

Powder coat frame
Install new master cylinder
Build a new battery box
Paint the tank
Install new cables
Reposition ignition


I'm hoping this will keep me busy while I wait. I'm very excited to get the m unit and do away with any fear that the electrical will ever be a problem again. At least for a few years.

If you guys have any suggestions let me know. Also if you'd like to see pictures id be happy to post some. I plan to post something for the m unit when it comes in.

 

Your plan sounds good.
FYI Powdercoat is not the be-all-end-all in frame paint. It looks good and all, but when it chips or scrapes it's a bear to make look good again.
Enamel (single stage) is nearly as hard, and easy to repair. Just something to think about.

There is a thread regarding wiring the M Unit that would be worth reading. Use Google to search for it. Sorry that I don't have it bookmarked (the cost of the unit would buy me another motocycle).

 

I really appreciate that. I have been going back and forth on powder coating for a while. I wanted to go white frame green tank (forest) but my wife said not to do the white and stay black since I will inevitably get oil, grease or dirt on it and it will be ruined.

I am going to try and draw out a wiring diagram and see if it makes sense. I will probably post it so if there is a mistake hopefully someone or I will catch it before I make a regretable mistake.

They are pricey but I want to do this right and make it something I can be really proud of. I shopped around on ebay and amazon for a long time and even though great things could come from the parts I decided to go in a different direction. Hopefully this investment will return on itself with satisfaction and pride. Also dont get me wrong there are a few amazon parts going on here such as grips, seat and taillights. But when it comes to the mechanical functions I really want to put the attention there.

 

Wiring diagram?
Here ya go. I got done with my homework a bit early, so I thought I'd find the link.
http://www.xjbikes.com/forums/threads/xj650rj-seca-build.111444/page-4

 

Ok, I've been utilizing this warm weather as much as possible and I have actually gotten the bike running. Everything is performing the way that it should. Carbs are good fuel and spark is good. Now I am moving onto the wiring. Everything seems to function like it's supposed to other than things not being hooked up. I was looking at the headlight and trying to get that hooked in first. I have purchased the Daymaker headlight off of Amazon and obviously does not have the same connections as the previous headlight. I am having a little trouble figuring out what I should be connecting it into since all I seem to have is a giant nest of a mess up front. If anyone has any guidance on this that would be great. I'll post some more pictures up later when I get home of the new headlight and connectors.

 

what bike are we talking abut and did you go with stock harness?

typicaly head lights have a common ground and a hot wire to high and a hot wire to low beam only 1 filliment lights at a time and low shuts off before high comes on and high shuts off before low comes on.

the harness has a 3 position connector that plugs into a short connector that hooks to head light

 

The bike is a XJ750 Seca 1982. I think the connector maybe missing. I found a couple wires that come from the right hand switch of "Headlamp" but that is only a Blue/Black Red connector and the Blue is cut. The new headlight has a three prong connector but nothing on the bike matches. I bought an adapter with three bare wires and a female connector to match the headlight. Now I just need a place to connect them in.

 

yellow /green comes from atari computer
green /red comes from atari computer
and black comes from atari computer