Electrical issues... please HELP!

you should still send that TCI to someone for confirmation.......

 

I was still concidering this... But my simple "tap tap tap" trick... And the fact that I've tested, retested and ruled out every other option, I feel is confirmation enough that my TCI is at fault. It hasn't died yet since then... I'm going to rack up a few more miles and see how she performs

 

Well since tapping it gets it to work you may be OK with just reflowing the solder connections. But since you don't have a spare TCI it would be worthwile to have a repair shop check it over and replace any suspect capacitors as well.

Just keep this in mind: Walking sucks, but pushing a 500 pound motorcycle sucks even more.

 

Resistor caps AND resistor plugs on canadian bikes! My xj650 seca came std with them. As did my cb900 Honda

 

I can speak to the walking a motorcycle being no fun, just took mine for an over 1.5 mile stroll this weekend! It was a beautiful day though, and a kind gentleman stopped to offer the sage advice that motorcycles are easier to ride than push...

 

Hi Pat, I started to write this a while ago - and before I saw the latest lot of posts! If I exit the 'compose reply' mode (and read something), it seems very easy for the site to 'lose everything' I've worked upon!??!...

Panic NOT! I accept that you're frustrated; but - please forgive me for saying this - 'all of a sudden' you appeared to be 'stabbing in the dark' for no good reason!... Electrics follow absolute, logical, and unequivocal rules of physics; and WHEN we do get this machine repaired, we WILL find that vital clues concerning the root of your problem were there from the very start! Please do forgive me if I HAVE 'got you wrong' - but 'tearing things apart with gay abandon' is NOT going to help, if connectors/relays get 'mixed up' in the heat of the moment?!?...

There is a fantastic wealth of experience, knowledge, and understanding available to help you from members on this forum: all you need do is 'stand back' and ask. As an 'XJ900F newbie' I am seeking to LEARN myself! In the course of this I came across an exceedingly helpful forum resource:-
Just 'Google' - Ultimate xj electrical guide - and follow the auto-link that comes up!...
This really is 'the business' for Yamaha XJ electricals! Again, I am sure you will find that if you reread sections as your 'hands-on' experience grows, more and more will 'click into place' - and with it the level of confidence that only comes from knowing how the thing works; and, rather more to the point, exactly what you are looking at (or for) if the b***** thing goes t***-up?!!!

There is another section which deals with 'TC' ignitions in greater detail - primarily 'aimed at' Vision/XZ550RJ/RK machines - but there is a lot of common ground! The link to this is:-
http://www.jetav8r.com/Vision/IgnitionFAQ.html#aapp
This IS rather more 'in-depth technical' - BUT IF you persevere there may come the time, etc....?... They do advise within some of these pages that the TCI module itself is NOT repairable: certain areas of the front-end/'advance control daughterboard' may not be - BUT 'dry'/cracked/corroded joints and/or connections clearly ARE, as are the various 'discrete' components! Those that are replaceable are also quite inexpensive to purchase: no good reason NOT to make some valid attempt at doing so then!??!...

The relay with the blue/yellow wire IS the sidestand 'ignition safety' interlock; and if you think about it for a moment, taking a 'scan' around the 'Haynes' manual wiring diagram, it will become evident that THIS is the ONLY ONE with 'DIRECT' relevance to your ignition system! Both this and the 'starter solenoid cut-off relay' derive their power (red/white wires on my bike) from the TCI/ignition coil circuit - and the only conceivable problem here could be a 'volt drop' caused by 'leakage' (via the contacts in the case of the 'starter cut-off' - and via the electromagnetic coil in the case of the 'sidestand interlock') coupled with a 'high resistance' (corroded/dirty connector, etc., and/or contacts...) in the 'kill' switch loop?

If we had not confidently discounted this already, there is a straightforward test:-
Ignition off; multimeter to 'volts' (DC 0-20) - connected between red/white at coil and ground; grey and orange wires from coils temporarily grounded - but disconnected from TCI module (to 'load' your circuit...); and bike in 'neutral' (to energize the main starter solenoid through the cut-off relay). Switch on ignition/'kill' and note reading - then unplug both relay connectors one by one: in the EXCEEDINGLY unlikely event you were to see a voltage rise, it would be telling you to check out your wiring, etc. - but any significant fault drain here ought to have 'cleared' your 10A. 'ignition' fuse!? Then remove your meter probe from the coil feed and check at the battery + and/or 'main' fuse: ideally the voltages should be similar throughout the system - though it is likely to be MARGINALLY lower at the coils on a 30 year old bike, due to simple ageing of joints, wire terminations, etc.!?... (Hell, it's likely to be marginally lower on many brand new bikes - given the wiring gauges and 'crap' that often passes for in-line/multiway connectors these days!!!...)

Let's just think about what might be going wrong? We may usefully draw an analogy with 'self-contained' s***house plumbing here!... ("My f****** bike IS a s***house at the moment!" - I hear you say!?!!...) There is a meter in the main outside, which cuts the water IF more than a predetermined amount ever flows: this is your 10A. fuse. In the 'rising main' - feeding into the room - we have a stopcock: this represents ANY 'dodgy' contacts/connections in the wiring loom - and it is only 'on' by 'half-a-turn' or so; thereby causing some flow resistance. The cistern ball-valve represents your TCI module and coil feeds; while the basin tap represents the feed to your two relays. (If some pedantic **** 'observes' - correctly - that "we only have half-a-circuit" - for the purposes of this exercise all our H2O runs to ground, and back to a pumped tank; i.e. our frame and battery!...) The engine is on and our cistern is filling; NOT as fast as it would be IF the stopcock were turned 'full on' - but the water 'pressure' (= voltage) is just sufficient to do the job. Now the basin tap is turned on 'partially' - representing a 'leakage' through the relays. The 'hissing' of the ball-valve quietens as the pressure there duly drops, and the flow reduces to a mere trickle.... Depending upon to what extent that pressure (=voltage) arriving at our cistern ball-valve may have dropped, our hypothetical ignition system may quit (as our voltage at the TCI unit falls below that required for it to operate)?... Now we clean up/renew the 'dodgy' connections in our 'kill' switch loop or wiring system; SO we reduce the 'resistance' at our stopcock by turning it full on. Now the cistern will still fill, even if the basin tap is turned on. We could have SOME 'leakage' associated with the relay(s) circuit(s); but the engine will still run, as there enough capacity for pressure (voltage) to be maintained at the TCI. Now let's turn on the basin tap at full bore - representing a 'significant fault' via either relay (or on the 'switched in' starter solenoid circuit...) - or we could cut/break a pipe, representing a 'short' to ground?... At this point the 'limiting' meter will flow too much water, and it will cut the supply: our fuse has 'blown' to protect the circuit! However, it will be readily seen that if we were again to introduce 'resistance' (be it a 'dodgy' connector and/or a 'dirty' switch contact?...) by turning down our stopcock; should that resistance be high enough our fuse would NOT 'blow' (though one would expect it to become a little warm!...)? The usual consequence, under a 'HEAVY' fault condition, is that the 'dodgy' connector or contacts would 'arc' and 'burn out' first!?!!

I hope this helps anyone who is beginning to 'get their head around' the mysteries of electrics build insight over the interaction of voltage and resistance?... It follows that (given the wiring on these machines is at least 20/30+ years old now...) maintenance (and replacement, if necessary?...) of your contacts, connections, etc., should NOT be overlooked - OR there WILL be 'volt-drop' issues some day; WITH melting/burnt out connectors/contacts accompanying them!

Insofar as the sidestand relay 'function' is concerned (and it's direct interconnection with a TCI module 'interrupt'), the checks I described previously (7th July) you have now done. Your 'fault pattern' has proved (as expected...) to be totally unaffected by disconnection of this from the system - so we may now 'rule it out' of the equation!!!

I am still correlating some further 'online' research into your particular TCI module; and hope to post some constructive input later!?... Cheers and Best Wishes for now, Andy.

 

TL/DR

 

?.

Gary H.

 

Too long, didn't read.

 

I got "too long"...didn't get the rest. Thanks.

Gary H.

 

What he is trying to say is ......"send your tci to someone else to test for you...."