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Help Bike won’t crank with headlight fuse installed?

Discussion in 'Kawasaki 250cc In-line 4's' started by DamnitLaverty, Aug 25, 2021.

  1. DamnitLaverty

    DamnitLaverty Doing things the hard way since '78!

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    Getting bike back to street duty- rejetting and whatnot. Headlights don’t work. Found a blown fuse. Replaced fuse. Starter stopped working. Remove good fuse, bike starts. Insert fuse while running, bike keeps going. Turn bike off it won’t restart until fuse removed.

    familiar/common problem? I’m about to start digging thru wires, but it’d be good to know if there’s a common issue I’m seeing. :)
     
  2. DamnitLaverty

    DamnitLaverty Doing things the hard way since '78!

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    Ok, I’ve got it starting with the headlamp fuse in (clutch switch hasn’t ever been needed on my bike- after “fixing” some PO wiring crossing the switches (brown on left grip was bridged to YL/RD on right grip) now I need the clutch switch again.

    but now it only runs on the highbeam switch. Low beam acts like a kill switch lol…. How even does this happen?
     
  3. DamnitLaverty

    DamnitLaverty Doing things the hard way since '78!

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    This feels like a grounding issue- are there any grounds I could have forgotten on the bike other than the engine case to battery, the bullet from the battery to the wiring harness, the eyelet that comes off the wiring right by the starter relay, and the individual blinker grounds?
     
  4. GreyImport

    GreyImport Administrator Staff Member The Chief Contributing Member

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    Have u cleaned up the terminals and plugs?

    My battery to engine case was very ordinary on the engine side

    crap pic but u get the idea :D

    IMG_3787.JPG
     
  5. DamnitLaverty

    DamnitLaverty Doing things the hard way since '78!

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    Yeah I did for the rings. Not for the blinkers- they function so I know they’re getting ground.
     
  6. Frankster

    Frankster Grey Pride...Adventure before Dementia Staff Member Premium Member Ride and Events Crew

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    Fuse box issue?
     
  7. DamnitLaverty

    DamnitLaverty Doing things the hard way since '78!

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    The diodes in the fuse block make it freakin’ voodoo black magic to me- I’ll go thru the manual validation procedure tonight tho once I get back from the track.
     
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  8. DannoXYZ

    DannoXYZ Well-Known Member

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    can you link to wiring diagram? this sounds like something is not wired correctly
     
  9. DamnitLaverty

    DamnitLaverty Doing things the hard way since '78!

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    The diagram I have is in the manual, and is a marginal photocopy. :)
    It definitely feels like something is wired wrong, but there's no connectors I can reverse, and I can't find any missing grounds, etc.

    Ive let it sit the last week, I'll do more this weekend and update the group!
     
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  10. DamnitLaverty

    DamnitLaverty Doing things the hard way since '78!

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    Ok - this is definitely a grounding issue. Has to be. Came out in the garage. Still no headlights, but bike cranks in either headlight position.

    I haven’t changed ANYTHING since I last touched it. This is infuriating.
     
  11. GeorgeT

    GeorgeT Active Member

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    Have you checked the power cable to the starter motor is ok to carry the starting current? Doesn't take much to put those out of action. Which fuse was blown?
     
  12. DamnitLaverty

    DamnitLaverty Doing things the hard way since '78!

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    I haven’t. I’ll check it tonight, look for signs of overload.

    good call!
     
  13. DamnitLaverty

    DamnitLaverty Doing things the hard way since '78!

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    My Bike:
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    So it wasn’t a grounding issue, at least not in the way we were thinking.

    When I converted the bike back to carbs, I went back to my early wiring harness. I didn’t go back to the early junction box though.

    Pure accident that didn’t trigger a lightbulb moment until I couldn’t find a high beam fuse on my harness- and then realized there was no fuse in my box either.

    the A model light switch is still silly status, and I have to rebuild all those jumpers, or revert to a stock switch, but I have headlights finally.
     
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