Any Ideas? Key/Ignition swith Problem?

[RoadKill]

Today when I left home I got to the corner and noticed I didn't have a speedo or odememter. Stopped and checked all the lights and they were on as was the overdrive and cruise lights, so since I had a GPS I went on. On the way I stopped for gas when I started it back up everything was working again. Later in the day when I started it kind of paused, then started, but the odemeter and cloce and been reset.

 

Any ideas

[Carbon_One]

Sounds to me like you're experiencing beginning switch problems. I'd try lubing the switch 1st with an electrical contact cleaner/lubricator. Just spry the stuff into the keyhole and then work the switch on & off with the key in place a few times.

I had a similar situation on my bike about a year & half ago. Hasn't recured since.

Larry

[99silver]

You'll have to remove the ignition switch to clean it, the lock is separate from the contact plate, no access from the key hole. If you have passing lamps or other accessories the need to be put on a relay otherwise the draw will be right through the switch. I just put the whole lighting circuit on a relay, found wire on service manual CD. If the contact plate is not toast you can clean it and use some dielectric grease.

PS you will need to remove the cone head bolts (pia)

Hope this helps

Other tech articles are here as well

Gary

[Red1]

That's how my switch started acting before it died completely. But mine turned out to be wires that came loose from the soldered terminals on the bottom of the switch. Might be a good idea to check that before your bike decides to die at 75 mph like mine did. Remove the boot around the fuel cap, remove the plastic neck covers, remove the seat & the fuel tank (just slide it back a bit). Then you can unplug and remove the switch. Flip it over and remove the bottom section and then you can clean the contacts and check the 4 soldered connections. It's not as difficult as it sounds - took me about 30 minutes.

 

A little dielectric grease on the contacts is a good idea. Not sure why you would need to put all accessories on a relay since it's a "hard" or "physical" switch, not an electronic one. When you turn the key, it physically rotates the contact plate on to the various terminals. The wires & contacts used are heavy enough to carry all the juice the main fuse can handle.

 

Larry - Spraying lube into the keyhole will not effect the contacts at all - they are isolated from the upper key part of the switch. I'm glad it seemed to solve your problem, but if you are having (or had) an ignition switch problem, you may want to check your soldered connections, too.

 

My own theory is that because the bottom plate holds the wires in place pretty tightly, a soldered connection can come loose and still function with only sporadic electrical problems - until it either comes in contact with another wire - resulting in short & blowing the main fuse and/or frying the plate. Or, as in my case, comes completely loose - resulting in a "dead" switch. Just my 2 cents

[Carbon_One]

You're right Red as now that I think of it my ignition problem was more of a sticking situation than anything else. All of my electrical stuff worked fine at the time.

As to using relays for accessory lighting & etc I do believe in that as it will help prevent additional loads on the ignition switch. I even went so far as to install a relay with a separate switch for the low beam headlight. I turn it on after starting the bike and off before shutting the bike down along with spot lights (which are on a separate circuit). I always use the kill switch to shut down the engine as well or side stand before I converted to a trike. May be over kill on my part doing it this way but gives me more peace of mind knowing I'm doing whatever I can to prolong switch & battery life.

Larry

[VentureProf]

although the conventional wisdom among RSV owners is to put their passing light circuit on a relay, I agree with Red1. Looking at the size of the contacts in the switch, they should handle the load, as long as they are clean and don't crack. The downstream solder joints and connections may fail if they aren't up to snuff, however. I've always suspected that if the ignition switch is going to fail on an RSV, it is going to fail regardless of whether your passing lights are relayed or not.

 

Now I suppose I've just jinxed my switch.

 

Kelly

[99silver]

The lighting circuit get extreemly hot to the point the key would get hot ( not even connected to the switch plate ) and the switch plate was cracking at the lighting post due to exessive heat. Therefore, the relay.

Worked for me !

[REDRIDER52]

Check battery posts for corrosion rode mine one sunday gout up on Monday no start checked when got home cleaned and tightened screws fired right up loose or dirty poosts causes many differn't problems