oil pressure issues?

Hey everyone- just new to this forum. i have an 81' 550 seca that i've been tinkering with for the past few months and still haven't gotten it up and fully running.

the most recent problem is that the oil light is on and the engine won't turn over at all. i have the correct amount of oil and recently changed the filter. last time i rode it, it rode just fine.

i was thinking it might be an oil pressure problem, but would that explain why it isn't turning over at all? any thoughts?

 

Your Seca has a oil float switch and not a pressure switch. It is located on the bottom of the engine on the left side. They are known to stick and cause oil light problems. Next time you change the oil remove it and clean the float with some brake cleaner to get the sludge out.
The oil light is seperate from the starting circuit, not starting is a different problem.
Things to check;
Is the battery fully charged
test the starter solenoid, does it click when you push the start button? If not the side stand saftey circuit may have it dissabled.
test the starter

 

Does the "oil" light come on when you press the starter button?

If so, the safety circuit is "deployed" because the bike "thinks" the stand is down or it's in gear.

The main suspect is the sidestand switch because of its rude location.

 

ok- good to know that the two are unrelated. the oil light does come on when I press the button. how do i un-deploy the safety circuit?

it s on a trickle charger tonight too....so i'll see in the morning if that has anything to do with it. Thanks guys!!

 

Bigfitz, I was pretty sure that the oil light comes on when you press the starter button and then turns off once the bike is running and you have released the starter button (unless the oil level is low, in which case it stays on). I was pretty sure I remembered reading that in the factory manual of the XJ650J.

Is the behaviour different for 550's or Secas or something? I had come to think this was standard procedure, certainly not that it would indicate a side-stand down.

 

Except if the stand is down, the bike in gear, and the clutch lever not pulled in, it WON'T START.

Or if the bike "thinks" the stand is down and it's in gear. And when that happens, the oil light will come on when you press the button.

To test the safety circuit, unplug the safety relay as a temporary troubleshooting trick. The safety relay is under the tank, just in front of the coils' rear mounting bracket.

Handy ID and troubleshooting info (for the relays themselves) http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=27543.html