I just did something but I don't know what.

[retiredgentleman]

With the 1980 SG it should be simple to find out why you lost power to the tail light. There's only 2 things between the battery and the tail light.

Use your VOM to check for battery +12 volts at the main 20 amp fuse, and then check at both sides of the ignition switch. That's all there is.

I hope your bike doesn't have those original fuse holders (glass fuses). They can cause lots of intermittant electrical problems. If you still have them..............replace asap.

 

[sseres]

I hope your bike doesn't have those original fuse holders (glass fuses). They can cause lots of intermittant electrical problems. If you still have them..............replace asap.

Yeah, I totally have glass fuses. Ill get to that next. I did a continuity test to each fuse terminal and that all seems ok.... But if I were to guess, it's like there's something wrong with the main fuse, but like I said, it's a guess. I need to go out and test the ignition terminal. I do know the battery to be good.

 

[retiredgentleman]

Yeah, I totally have glass fuses. Ill get to that next. I did a continuity test to each fuse terminal and that all seems ok.... But if I were to guess, it's like there's something wrong with the main fuse, but like I said, it's a guess. I need to go out and test the ignition terminal. I do know the battery to be good.

You have to replace those old fuse holders first thing. They may look OK but they can't be trusted. Buy some automotive, inline, blade type fuse holders. Solder in the new ones and use heat shrink insulation.

 

[Maxx650]

You said you 'swapped around the four fuses' - the main needs to be at least a 20 A fuse, the other three should be 10 A, I believe. If you had put a 10 A fuse for main it probably would have blown.

EDIT: just realized you meant you swapped out all the fuses [with new ones] - sorry for the confusion.

 

[sseres]

Not around, sorry. I meant to say replaced with new, correct ones.

 

[Royboy]

SSeres, Don't let this thread die until you report the resolution. This sounds like something that could happen to any of us anytime. Thanks...

roy

 

[starbill]

had similar problem and it was faulty ignition switch????

 

[sseres]

The thread won't die! I just won't have a chance to get back on the garage until Wednesday afternoon. Curse you day job!!!

 

[sseres]

I was a good forum-ist and checked for voltage at the ignition switch:

nada. So I did commit and bought a thing to replace this with the blade fuses you're all telling me to put in. I'll get to that this weekend. I just wanted one last picture of how pretty it is stock:

And then, since I knew it was an issue before the switch, I went back to the battery. I noticed this:

lots of corrosion on the red terminal. This is a NEW battery from like 2 months ago. It's a sealed one. Anyway, I noticed that there was positive continuity from the red pole to the end of the jumper where it attaches to the relay, but if I put my 12v tester on it, I was only getting a dim light!

Took off the jumper, filed everything clean, back together and POWER!!! So, kind of a dumb thing. But turns out to be a good lesson about troubleshooting the bike!

Thank you guys for the help! I wonder what kind of damage to the battery led to this?

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

I've seen micro cracks in some sealed batteries that can lead to that kind of corrosion.
Did you take the battery out, wash it good with baking soda, brush off terminals, apply dialectric grease?
Do I see a crack in the glass of that long right fuse?

 

[Royboy]

Steve,

With me it's usually the neg. post or cable connections but obviously the pos. can do it too. Cause...? Dialectric grease would probably have prevented it?

Thanks for keeping us in the loop.

roy

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Yeah, positive side kinda rare, that's why I was thinking microcracks...

 

[sseres]

any other symptoms I'd have if there were cracks in a sealed battery? or just the corrosion?

 

[5twins]

You're not supposed to install battery cables dry, duh. I thought everybody knew this (even cave men, lol). Coat the post, bolt, and cable end with Vaseline, age-old trick. Do your car battery too.

Your fuse box looks fine. Yes, they are notorious for going bad but yours still looks to be in good shape. I would get the right length fuse for that long one (or slide the clips out farther). You're not making as good of a contact as you could.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Long ago, I remember the wife would pull my jeans out of the dryer, and they would be pock-marked with little holes, like the modern fashion statements kids wear nowadays. Suddenly it hit me, dang, was working the battery bench (batteries on charge) yesterday, was careful, but that acid knows no boundaries.
If you slide-on a pair of jeans that look like the aforementioned 'fashion statement', odds are that some battery, somewhere, is leaking. Above all else, check your wallet pocket...

 

[retiredgentleman]

Yes, as 5twins said, all battery terminals should be coated with vaseline. If you do that you will never have corrosion like that again.

I can't say anything good about those stock fuse holders. Its not a question of if they will cause trouble, its a question of when they will cause trouble. That style fuse holder is substandard, so continue to use them at your own risk.

 

[sseres]

You're not supposed to install battery cables dry, duh. I thought everybody knew this (even cave men, lol). Coat the post, bolt, and cable end with Vaseline, age-old trick. Do your car battery too....

Dammit, Jim. I'm a doctor, not a motorcycle mechanic!

 

[sseres]

I picked up one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VU9D1G/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I was thinking of using crimp-type terminals to attach the existing red wires (and then slather the whole thing in Vaseline?).

Any reason not to proceed in this manner?

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

I wonder if the box would melt if you soldered to those lugs...

 

[5twins]

Maybe. There's something you have to know about how your original fuses are set up. Power comes from the battery to the main 20 amp fuse only. Then power runs from that to the ignition switch and from there, back to the other 3 fuses. This makes power to them "switched", which is what you need and want. If you run battery power directly to all the fuses, they would be "hot" all the time, even with the key off. So, if that fuse box you got has one power input and all the fuses run off of it, it won't work, at least not for the main fuse. You would want to use a separate single fuse holder for that.

And no Vaseline on the fuses, lol, that's a battery terminal only trick. You could put a little dielectric grease on them though.