[ggsnarr]

Electrical Problem Please help. I can't find anyone else who is talking about this issue, any ideas will be welcome. [My bike is a 2003 KLR650. I baby the thing, treat it really well, never abuse it, it's always garaged or covered, cleaned often, fluids changed, battery connected to battery regulater. Also, my problem started in the summer in Southern California where it hasn't rained for months]
A couple months ago I was driving when all of a sudden my entire bike turned off (no lights, no power, nothing). I thought I stalled it at first but everything just stopped working the lights went out and everything, so then I thought that it must be a fuse. I pushed it to a parking lot, went to work, and later that day I came back to pick up the bike. Without doing anything or touching anything from the morning, I put the key in and turned the bike to "on". To my surprise, all power came on. So I drove it home and continued driving it for another month or two.
During this time I had these same symptoms a couple more times. On these occasions, the bike had been parked for the day and when I would go to start it, I turned the key to "on" and I would get no response (no lights, nothing). Each of those times I was able to get past the problem by taking out the battery for a minute and then reconnecting it just like normal. Each time I would do that, the lights would come on when I turned the key to "on" and then it would fired right up and I would be on my way.
Well, it happened again two days ago, except this time, after taking out the battery and reconnecting the battery (like I had done before), I still get no response (no lights, now power, nothing) when I turn the key to "on." I have a battery tender so I know the battery is good. I've taken apart the bike and checked through the entire electrical line for blown fuses and they are all good. Interestingly, the PARK BRAKE COMES ON WHEN I TURN THE KEY TO PARK (just past lock)! Other than that, however, no power, no turn signals, no lights, no horn, certainly no starter, nothing (i.e. the park brake does not come on when I apply the brakes with the key in the "on" position).

Any ideas of where I could start?

 

[wiff]

Sounds like a bad ignition switch or bad connection.

 

[Zero_Alligator]

It sounds like the ignition like the pervious poster suggests, buuuuut.... other causes in order that I'd test them would be:

1. CDI (in fact I'm leaning more toward this than the ignition considering the symptom of PARK working but not RUN. This is located on the right side behind the overflow bottle and looks like a rubber coated twin box of playing cards.)

2. Battery (probably not this but SEARS can test it for real - not on a tender, which won't tell you if it is holding a charge properly - and for free.)

3. Regulator/Rectifier (probably not this but I throw it in because a faulty one can cause all sorts of havoc - this is located under the seat and looks like a big heat sink.)

Good luck.

-Mark

 

[ggsnarr]

Thanks

Thanks, I'll check these out today.

It sounds like the ignition like the pervious poster suggests, buuuuut.... other causes in order that I'd test them would be:

1. CDI (in fact I'm leaning more toward this than the ignition considering the symptom of PARK working but not RUN. This is located on the right side behind the overflow bottle and looks like a rubber coated twin box of playing cards.)

2. Battery (probably not this but SEARS can test it for real - not on a tender, which won't tell you if it is holding a charge properly - and for free.)

3. Regulator/Rectifier (probably not this but I throw it in because a faulty one can cause all sorts of havoc - this is located under the seat and looks like a big heat sink.)

Good luck.

-Mark

 

[Spec]

Sounds like a bad ignition switch or bad connection.

+1 find the wires going to the switch and jump them as appropriate (look at a wiring diagram) and see if that solves the problem. You may be able to disassemble the switch and fix the contacts.

Have you looked over the wiring harness carefully?

It's not the Capacitive Discharge Ignition (CDI) it is in the ignition circuit not the lighting circuits. On the Gen1 bikes it doesn't use battery power. The voltage regulator is mostly to charge the battery and provide a stable 12v to the lights. The lights will still light up directly from the battery that's why they get dim when the battery is low.

 

[in-my-element]

I am having the same problem with my 2003. Did you find a solution?
Thanks

 

[doc3toes]

do me a favour and jumper across the two fuses under the seat - even if the fuses look good! just use a thick piece of wire across the two metal bits that hold the fuse. then try it. ill see if i can find my old post, but is sounds the same as my problem from memory. in the end my fuses looked good and even tested good with a volt meter, but they faulted when a load was applied. i ended up cutting them out, extending them over to the left side coven and replaced with water proof blade fuses. never looked back. gl

 

[doc3toes]

here. read thru this
http://www.klrforum.com/showthread.php?t=6870&highlight=fuses

 

[in-my-element]

Ok. This is what I did.
I disconnected the battery, cleaned the terms, they looked new but what the heck.
I cleaned the kick stand switch.
Put it back together and it has miraculously started working.
I didn't get a chance to go further.
I did notice that when the bike is with the key on and I turn the bars to the left the neutral light goes out.
Also it wont start without the bike being in neutral.
Its got me scatching my head.

 

[willys]

Take off or disengage all safety switches.....sidestand safety switch and neutral switch......sidestand is under the black plastic box type cover on left side, just join the two wires together with either solder or a good crimp and strink tube seal it, the same goes for the clutch lever switch, cut and join those two wires together and do the same good job to seal them. You can go directly into the main plugs behind the gauge cluster and do it that way too but you will need to seach out the schematic for that to be 100% sure which wires to join together as there are more than two in the plug and I can't remember which they are off the top of my head.
I would also replace the battery if it is over 3 years old or a crappy one no offence, if that is all you can afford, great no problem just keep it full and trickle charged, battery tender. Clean all connections both power and negative from start to finish for the satrting curcuit. If you can ride your bike fr a while and it goes dead after a ride when you come back to start it the battery isn't holding a charge. If you cvan run the bike after taking the battery cable off the battery the stator is charging the battery, both ways to test the battery and the charging system. You could use a multimeter and see what the output is in volts before and after the bike has started if it will start. A good battery should have very close to 12volts sitting on it's own.:13:

 

[in-my-element]

Thanks, I was wondering if the switches could be bypassed.
The battery is a Autozone gel ( i think optima ) it is 2 ish years old.
I travel for work so the bike is used year round.
I will try the fixes and let you know how it works.
The bike is cherry, 3500 miles, synthetic old well cared for.
I just wish I knew what was actually wrong with it.
Thanks

 

[in-my-element]

Also where is the clutch switch?

 

[willys]

If you look at the clutch lever where it pivots and underneath you will find a set of wires, just join them and it over rides the switch. I carefull cut back the rubber sleeve the wires live in now to do this mod as it's nice and clean. You disconnect the plug from the switch under the lever mount and open up the wire cover and pull the wires back about 2" then cut and solder them together and shrinktube them to stop then from shorting, carefully tuck them back inside the covering and tape it up nicely with electrical tape and tywrap it back to the bars to look stock again.
But remember it will now start with the clutch not pulled in so make sure it's in nutral or you do have the clutch pulled in before hitting the start button......it will catch you once ot twice and you will learn fast! Same goes for the sidestand switch, once or twice you will ride away with it down and it will drag and you will learn fast on that one two!!!

There is a reason they are there and it's YOUR responsibility to either do this or not, it's your bike and your life!!! Just so we're clear....:13:

 

[BradleySP66]

July 2017 - 2006 KLR650: I had the same experience. Got stranded when suddenly after stopping for a break, the ignition was useless. No lights, nothing. I tried a backup key for the heck of it and I got lights, neutral light, etc. But when I hit the electric start, it when blank again. Then nothing at all. My first thought was actually a fuse perhaps. After getting picked up by a friend with a trailer, I removed the fairing, the instrument panel and checked the wiring. Everything seemed ok. Checked fuses and they seemed ok. Racked my brain to no end. Looked for videos and solutions online to no end. My friend did a search and found the KLR Forum here and this string, which I must thank you for taking the time to share. Next day I bought all new fuses, replaced the three under the seat and voila! Started right up. Happy days!

 

[Rod Palmer]

I have the same problem with my '13. Everything fine then one day don't crank well must be battery, nope won't even jump from my car. Is there a main fuse?

 

[pdwestman]

I have the same problem with my '13. Everything fine then one day don't crank well must be battery, nope won't even jump from my car. Is there a main fuse?

Where is your owners hand book or service manual?

The main fuse is under the Red multi-wire connector on top of the High amperage starter motor relay. The spare is in the rubber holster, underneath.

Take a very serious look at the wires between the RH gas tank press-welded seam & the coolant reservoir bracket for short-circuiting!

 

[Damocles]

Just an administrative comment, regarding: RESURRECTION OF ANCIENT THREADS.

I've wondered; how do posters access very old threads? BradleySP66 addressed one from 2012; Rod Palmer its continuation in 2017. Is the SEARCH function directing members to these hoary old postings?

just wonderin'; regardless of age, some useful information and contact results, clearly. No criticism implied, just curiosity regarding the operational mechanism of: Accessing old threads.

Now, SUBSTANTIVE COMMENT:

I've found a WIRING DIAGRAM and a MULTIMETER useful in diagnosing electrical problems; the former available on the Internet; the latter from Harbor Freight ($ 2.99 for digital model, on sale).

 

[Kkakay]

July 2017 - 2006 KLR650: I had the same experience. Got stranded when suddenly after stopping for a break, the ignition was useless. No lights, nothing. I tried a backup key for the heck of it and I got lights, neutral light, etc. But when I hit the electric start, it when blank again. Then nothing at all. My first thought was actually a fuse perhaps. After getting picked up by a friend with a trailer, I removed the fairing, the instrument panel and checked the wiring. Everything seemed ok. Checked fuses and they seemed ok. Racked my brain to no end. Looked for videos and solutions online to no end. My friend did a search and found the KLR Forum here and this string, which I must thank you for taking the time to share. Next day I bought all new fuses, replaced the three under the seat and voila! Started right up. Happy days!

I had the same issue and I thought I was stranded but I ended up being able to bump start it and get it home. Now I took the wiring near the dash all apart looking for a short or something because sometimes I was able to get the N light to shine if I turned the handle bars this way and that, but that didn’t work. Now I just tried disconnecting the ground on the bat and wala it magically works now. I don’t understand what weird motorcycle witch craft is happening right now but I just hope it might be okay now and not end up being something else like you or the first guy on this thread .

 

[KLR Kool-Aid!]

I've had some unusual electrical gremlins myself, so let me suggest that you might have a short circuit to the handlebars; in my case, the bike would cut out @ 3000rpm (nothing ignition-related working), but when I turned off the ignition and turned it on again, it started and ran with no problems - until it hit 3000rpm.- and then it would die. In summary, there was spider web causing a short from my starter switch to the handlebar that started conducting when producing lots of current.

Take a look at post #7 on this thread Short in ignition circuit - it gives a really good breakdown for a systematic way to test for a short (the only good way) and there's a really good schematic for the ignition, too!

Good luck and please let us know what you find.

 

[brujo]

Hi all. Almost same thing happened to me. I was having some no power issues i the last 2 months but after some seconds of moving the bars left and right light will come back. This saturday I went for a trail ride and after a stop I would have no power at all, no matter what I tried. I searched on the net for possible issues while being stranded and I found this thread. Lucky me I wasn't that deep into the trail and my wife could reach where I was by car to get me some tools, the tools I should have brought with me as I sometimes do. Lesson learned there. When I got to the fuses there was some green in the connectors. Cleaned a bit and voila, back to the trails.