No Spark - wiring issue?

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BIGRW

XS650 Squid
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Hi all,

I'm new here. I am currently the owner of a 1979 basket case and a 1981 650SH almost runner ( I hope). The 1981 is not running and there is no spark. I have done the reg/rectifier and installed a new battery. The ignition switch fuse appears to be fine, but I can tell some electrical fun has been had by one of the POs. Are there additional fuses that could cause no spark? Should I pull the coil? Also, the bike has no lights that are working. Any help is appreciated!

Russ
 
That depends on what the PO did with the wiring. If you are still running the glass fuses on top of the battery cover, and the wiring is "fairly" stock, those are the only fuses you'll find. Have you checked your alternator brushes yet? That's the first place to look in the case of a voltage issue, but if you have a brand new battery, it may start and run for a brief period of time until the battery runs down, assuming the battery started with a full charge to begin with. Dealing with wiring from a PO is a PITA, and there's no telling what you'll find. I've found out. Twice now.

Stole this from another post on here but it's a great link for sorting out your charging system.

http://xs650temp.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Charging&action=display&thread=3461
 
On the 81 the headlight won't come on until the engine starts.
On the 81, with the key switch and kill switch on is there battery voltage at the red/white wire at the coil and TCI box?
Swapping the stock fuse box for in line blade type fuses is a good upgrade. The stock box was fine when new. As the bike ages the clips that hold the fuses gets weaker. Weak clips won't carry the current as well. This causes heat, heat weakens the clips. A vicious circle. Eventually the clips break.
This bad fuse box can be your trouble. To bypass the fuse box, hook a 10 amp fused jumper wire from the battery positive to the coil. leave the kill switch off. This will send power to the coil and TCI box. This should make it spark.
If you get spark this way replace the fuse box. It may also be bad connections in the key switch and kill switch. They can be opened up and the contacts cleaned.
 
I believe his issue is no spark, not a charging issue - yet. Are you getting the neutral light on the instrument pod and turn signals to light up? If yes then its a problem with power not getting to the ignition. If no its a problem of power not getting to anything. Check the kill switch and the ignition switch and of course all wiiring connections for conductivity.
 
Hi All,

Thank you for the responses. A new issue has arisen that I need to correct first. The starter button on the handle melted out last night, so I believe I'm looking at a killswitch/starter related short. I'm going to pull the tank off and really hit the wiring hard tonight and see where I get. Does anybody know what colors the killswitch/starter button are and which wires do what? I'm gonna end up hotwiring it I think to start troubleshooting.

Russ
 
- starter button is L/W and earth...L/W is blue/white...check the earth connection, also check the solenoid or starter relay-has 2 circuits high current from the batt to the starter and low current from the relay after the safety relay that connects the clutch switch-B/Y, and neutral switch-Sb, to the starter button

P3180001.jpg


- kill is R/W and R/W...these connections need cleaning...one comes from the fuse the other goes to the safety relay, TCI unit and coil...check the ball and spring too-lubricate with dielectric grease
 
Last edited:
BigRW, sounds like you don't have a repair manual yet. You really need one. Either the Haynes or the Clymers are decent. You can d/l copies of the Yamaha factory service manuals from here:

http://biker.net/

Click on the "XS/XT 650 Manuals" link on the left side.

If your fuse box is shot and you want to preserve the stock look of your bike, you can order a direct replacement of it from MikesXS. Other folks here prefer upgrading to the blade-type fuses.

I would look at the relays associated with the starter over on the right side of the bike under the side cover. One of these may be your problem. There are two on the same mount. With my '81 I had starter issues I was able to solve by removing the relay covers and sanding down the points contacts cuz they had gotten corroded.

BTW, the engine does not have to be running for the headlight to come on. If you give the bike a kick and it almost starts the headlight will come on. Just turn the ignition switch off then back on to get the light to go back off.
 
Update and clarification: killswitch works properly, but I still have a few isues... stil have no par, and the starter motor wire is loose. If I ground it, nothing happens, if I takke it to hot the starter just goes, but the starter switch wire is ungrounded. Where should this wire be hooked up? Also, when I ground the starter switch wire, it just sparks, regardless of the grounded/unngrounded condition of the starter wire. I'm at a loss. Also, the fuses have been converted to blade type and it was done correctly. Help!
 
Unfortunately not. My new solution is going to be to install the PAMCO system to isolate the engine power from everything else and go from there. The charging system will then be the next obstacle, but I believe it will work, and then I'll worry about the headlight and taillight assembly. Thank you guys though, and look towards a chop over the snowy season; I'm doing what I can to increase the value of those stockers...
 
cooltouch,

It's the same manual that inx used, Haynes on page 159, but I knew from working in that area that those corrections were needed, so I put them in.
 
Thanks for the feedback, Pete. I had forgotten about inxs's earlier post. I usually work from a Clymer's. Been meaning to add a Hayne's to my collection too. If it has many charts like the above, then I suspect it's perhaps a bit better than the Clymer's, which I find to be barely adequate.
 
- most of the stuff in haynes is from the original yamaha service manuals including the wrong clutch breadown
- personally i dont much like haynes, the reproduction quality is very low and the print is too small...makes for pretty hard reading...has lots of pictures and parts breakdowns
 

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