Engine shut off switch/starter switch problems

My "new" 79 had a bad engine shut off switch, as well as a bad starter switch.

My "old" 81 had a good engine shut off switch and an intermittent starter switch.

I decided to fix the 81 starter switch and put the whole thing on the 79. The starter switch repair went well. It was filthy, as well as had some frayed wires where it comes out at the handlebar.





Cleaned up and ready to reassemble. Tested both at the plug and was well.





Things went south when I tried to put it on the bike. The 81 has 4 wires leading from the handlebar. Yellow/red and brown for the cut off switch, blue/red and black for the starter. It ends at a plug.

The 79 only has 3 wires and no plug. Someone had previously spliced into the harness. Great. When I unwrapped the wires from the bar I see 4 wires, but the blue/red from the starter switch and the yellow/red from the engine shut off have been joined with what looks like a factory splice.

I grabbed the 79 A1 manual (don't have an A3 manual), went to the wiring diagram and see that is what it looks like they have done from the factory, near as I can figure out. It looks like the yellow/red jumpers to the blue red.

So, I cut the plug off the 81 cable and went color to color, joining the yellow/red to the blue/red, brown/brown, black/black.

As soon as I turn the engine cut off switch to on, it blows a fuse. So I removed the blue/red wire just to see and it still blows a fuse.

To complicate the issue, the 79 has accel coils and a relay. The yellow/red powers the relay. That much I figured out. As to the rest... I'm lost.

Anyone have any ideas as to what I should do next.

Have you uploaded the electronic service manual from the site? There's a supplement for the following years and on page 333 of the manual you'll find the wiring diagram for the 1981. the other thing that adds confusion when talking about issues like this is the fact that we're worldwide and we need to know which model we're talking about since there's a U.S model and a European model and it can make a difference. I'm assuming since you're in Nova Scotia, we're talking about the U.S./Canadian model. I'll have a look at the diagrams and see if I can make sense of it for you.

KB

Thanks Kawboy. Can you point to where I can download the manual?

As an update... I believe I found the short. I believe the handlebar is somehow now making contact with the terminals of the engine shut off switch. When the switch is not screwed to the handlebar it works fine and doesn't blow a fuse.

However, despite rebuilding the starter switch it still does not work. Short the terminals on the solenoid and it fires right up. It still could be wiring related but I may have another problem elsewhere.

Arrghhh. LOL.

Ledkz1300 wrote: Thanks Kawboy. Can you point to where I can download the manual?

As an update... I believe I found the short. I believe the handlebar is somehow now making contact with the terminals of the engine shut off switch. When the switch is not screwed to the handlebar it works fine and doesn't blow a fuse.

However, despite rebuilding the starter switch it still does not work. Short the terminals on the solenoid and it fires right up. It still could be wiring related but I may have another problem elsewhere.

Arrghhh. LOL.

It's on the home page. Bottom right corner I think.

Got it downloaded now. Thanks!

I've been running back and forth to the garage. I just found the starter switch problem. The starter lockout switch was buggered.

I see the differences between the two. There is indeed one more wire in the 81. Rather than jumping power from the engine cut off switch it has its own wire which runs directly to the solenoid fuel valve. The 79 has a jumper from the cut off switch to the starter switch which then in turn goes to the solenoid fuel valve and the igniter.

Glad to see you can make your way around a wiring diagram. Kudos to you brother. Not everybody can. And right you are, the jumper is in there because on the 81 the feed to the starter switch comes from the Black/white wire from the starter lockout switch, which was fed from the yellow/red that fed the engine stop switch.
Now that you've got the wiring diagram, I'm sure you'll be fine.