Deeeed

[Pussyhorse]

I put the new starter solenoid and main fuse on the bike yesterday. Not a peep out of it. No idiot lights, nothing.

Looks like I'll need to buy a multimeter.

I'm a real mong when it comes to electrics. Where should I start? Throw it in the skip?

[Whealie]

yeah, get rid of it. I'll come and take it away for you.

[africajim]

Real generous offer there wheelie

Well, electrics are the bane of everyone's life I'm afraid. Finding something as silly as a broken wire can rake up huge garage bills as intermittent faults can take ages to find.

You say you changed the main fuse? Check it's whole and seated properly. Solenoid is stright to the battery so check all terminals and make sure it's all connected properly.

Simple tip for you, if you have an old indicator lying about, or any light you can connect to the battery simply fit a couple of crocodial clips to the wires of the light then you've got a tester. Connect one clip to the bike for an earth and the other to a screwdriver this can be used as a probe to test for power. Start off with the battery, does it light up? Then tester is working and batter is fine. When you touch either side of the fuse it should light up, if only one side then the fuse is blown.

Hope this helps mate.

[Pussyhorse]

Cheers africajim!

You can't take it away just yet Whealie. :P

Main fuse is intact. I swapped it for another anyway and it's still dead.

I accidentally shorted the contacts across the solenoid and the starter spun up as well as giving me a heart attack.

I'll try the light thingie. I don't have anything lying around. IIRC you can buy screwdrivers with it built in can't you?

[Maverick]

IIRC you can buy screwdrivers with it built in can't you?

Two choices...

1. Drink lots of blood pressure tablets promptly followed by 'n visit to your nearest halfrauds which should stock them if the useless twit pimple faced idjit have not lost the keys of the glass cabinet where they lock them up.

2. Forget the tablets and go to your nearest maplins or car spares shop, they normally keep stock of them as well.

[Dilbert]

IIRC you can buy screwdrivers with it built in can't you?

Two choices...

1. Drink lots of blood pressure tablets promptly followed by 'n visit to your nearest halfrauds which should stock them if the useless twit pimple faced idjit have not lost the keys of the glass cabinet where they lock them up.

2. Forget the tablets and go to your nearest maplins or car spares shop, they normally keep stock of them as well.

Or any large DIY store, B&Q, Focus, Wickes, etc, but as above don't expect any help from the shop morons, they're easy to spot, like a small screwdriver with a transparent handle and a coily thing inside, press the screwdriver blade onto the connection and press the end of the handle with your thumb, if it lights up you've got power, be careful though these are intended for house mains (240V) so your 12V battery might not light it up very well, the low voltage spare bulb is the best bet in that case, also the screwdriver can't be used to check earth continuity or continuity along a length of wire, for this connect to the battery live with an inline bulb and clip onto one end of the test wire and then clip the other end back to the battery nuetral.
unbroken wire = light on, broken wire = no light, while it's all connected up wiggle the suspect test wire, light off and on = intermittant wire break.

Don't check the regulator this way unless you sure you've got the connections the right way round, reversing the polarity will completely knacker it!!!

[Dilbert]

Hate to point out the obvious, but you did clean all the connections and fasten them all up tight again didn't you

especially the main earth wire to the frame and the battery to soleniod wire (big sod off strap).

[cabbage2404]

Pussyhorse, didn't you have a problem with your ignition switch a while back ? Couldn't be related could it ?

[captaincaveman]

dont worry about the screwdriver. buy a multimeter from maplins you can get a digital one for £5.99


http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...37279&doy=20m7


then ya got it for all sorts in the future

[matt]

Turn ignition on, go round the bike carefully moving wires. If idiot lights flicker, there's your fault. If not, you might have two faults. Battery charged OK? Dare I mention rectifier?