R1100GS mystery electrical problem advice gratefully received.

[bowser]

Just put a new battery on the GS as the old one was knackered, so its been sat for a few months.
Battery one and the alarm is fine, however none of the lights flash and there are no lights on the dash. Got one with tidying her up a bit and all of a sudden lights all on.
Tried to start and made a good go at it then nothing all lights etc gone again, first thing to look at is the loom into the bottom of the ignition switch as I know it can be an issue.
Wiggled everything and no difference, then all of a sudden everything back, try and start and goes again.
I know the old bricks had a load relief circuit and if you try and draw too much current is just cuts out, but this is more like a circuit breaker cutting out and then waiting for it to reset.
Got too dark and cold to have a good go over now but will have a look in the morning.

Anyone any thoughts as a good place to start, I was thinking just start with a multi meter and check where there is and isn't any power and work it from there, any pointers would be welcome.

So far I am sure that it is not the wires to the white plug in the base of the ignition switch, because I have checked it and its a relatively new one as I have replaced it within the last couple of years.

the accessory socket on the starter cover is fine and so is the supply to the starter, so the bits that come direct from the battery are fine.

When there is power, everything works as it should, lights indicators, horn etc etc.

 

[flatdog]

With the ignition on try turning the handlebars from side to side.
Sounds like a break in the ignition wiring loom to me.


Edit,,,, reread your post and you mention an alarm.
That's the start point. It's a basic bike with a basic ignition. Most failures will involve the aftermarket alarm.

 

[bowser]

With the ignition on try turning the handlebars from side to side.
Sounds like a break in the ignition wiring loom to me.


Edit,,,, reread your post and you mention an alarm.
That's the start point. It's a basic bike with a basic ignition. Most failures will involve the aftermarket alarm.

Yep done the handle bar bit, its normally the wires that connect to the bottom of the ignition but they are fine.
Not sure how it could be the alarm that is working fine, its just there appears to be intermittent no power supply from the battery?

 

[Kenny]

Bowser has the bike ever run on the new battery ? If not, could be a duff cell in the battery

 

[Aidan1150]

Bowser, on the lebbenfiddys the wiring towards the ignition switch runs along the offside of the frame but it is susceptible to water ingress which lies in the outer protective sheath and rots the wires. I don't know if the 1100s are the same but I had the problem above which was diagnosed by St Eptoe. Might be worth slicing the outer sheath and having a wee look.

 

[Slipperyeel]

When it's dead, is everything off, clock included?

If yes, could it be earthing? Are the connections to the battery good? (just thinking this if you've had the battery in/out).

I don't know where the main earth is on the 1100, but maybe look at that too? Something has been disturbed. Or Kenny is right and the battery is duff?

Clutching at straws

 

[bowser]

In no particular order.

No its never run on the battery but I have done a discharge test on the battery and its ok.

Thanks for the suggestion on the water ingress, I havent checked that yet and will have a look.

Yes when the power goes, there are no lights on the dash panel, no indicators, no RID, no horn no ignition nothing. As I say its like there is a circuit breaker that resets and you trip it no power, leave it a bit and it resets and comes back, but there is no pattern to how long it takes to go and come back, sometimes a few seconds sometimes a few minutes.
I will check again when I have the tank off this morning but I am fairly certain that all the connections are fine at the battery. The accessory socket and alarm are both working fine even when the display disappears.

 

[ynotbiker]

on a recent trip my 1150 gs was the same as your bike a few times before I left before the trip the bike just cut out. then wait a while then all was fine on the trip in the middle of france the bike stopped again this time there was no start as luck would have a bmw technician was out for a ride and he sorted it for me what it was a fault in the ignition barrel.we didn't have the parts so what he done was fit a switch underneath the barrel so I no longer started the bike with a key this lasted me for the three week trip without any problems. on arriving home put the key in the bike and all was well for a while then same problem occurred so I'm thinking your problem is inside the barrel.

 

[bowser]

now hadn't thought of that, not sure how I isolate it to test the issue though, will have to have a good look at the wiring diagrams

 

[DrFarkoff]

I am thinking its in the ignition switch itself If the barrel is "working" as it normally feels

if you have a bright light a tiny screw driver and good eyesight You can just "drop out" the switch and split it

I have seen some right gunk in there over the years

 

[ynotbiker]

get the local villain to hot wire it for you

now hadn't thought of that, not sure how I isolate it to test the issue though, will have to have a good look at the wiring diagrams

 

[bowser]

get the local villain to hot wire it for you

Yeh right, this is fecking gloucestershire!!!! they still have gas lights down here, most of the local TDA is on horse and cart not cars and bikes, and fiddly stuff like ignition is very difficult when you have five or six fingers per hand instead of the normal 4!!!! I will stick to having a go my self

 

[ynotbiker]

now hadn't thought of that, not sure how I isolate it to test the issue though, will have to have a good look at the wiring diagrams

if this is your problem tell me how you've sorted it because am still working of the switch think the barrel is expensive.

 

[Steptoe]

As a few others have suggested, sounds to me very much like your ignition loom is the problem.

Drop the switch out of the bottom of the ignition barrel and test the wiring. Usually breaks in the wiring where the cable ties hold the loom to the frame.
You can repair or if too brittle buy a new section, the ignition loom is available separately.
First thing anyone should do when getting their bike is cut the ridiculously tight cable ties holding all the wiring in place.

 

[Laxman]

Had a similar scenario before. After going thru the wiring diagram, isolated the problem to a bad fuse (thin blue) in the fuse box. The irony was, I checked continuity using a multimeter on the top side of the fuses. All were good. When I pulled each one, discovered one fuse didnt have continuity on the lower side. Bike started immediately after replacement.

 

[bowser]

To all those that offered advice, the problem lay with the green return wire from the ignition back down to the fuse box, and an improperly soldered joint after an alarm removed, obviously taped up and re sealed inside the wiring loom so hard to spot!!!!!