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92 interstate.solenoid and ign switch problems

3K views 46 replies 6 participants last post by  doubleminded 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
My bike runs flawlessly.i love it.has 164,000 miles. i am second owner.
here's some problems.from day one- i have owned it about 6 months.

when i put the key in it often times wouldn't turn.
i would try and try until finally it turned the ignition on.
rest of day it was ok.
nearly every first start was like that.
sometimes when i pushed the start button nothing happened.

sorry this is novel length.after 5 or 6 tries the button worked. this happened a lot but not every time. yesterday i was going to go ride. took 3 tries, then the key turned on. push start button. nothing.
i would hear a click once and now no lights come on.
signals don't work. horn works. running lights up front come on.

yesterday everything worked. I can put a screwdriver across the solenoid even without the key on and the motor cranks good. i had the battery checked too, it has 340 cca.
12.4 on the tester at the dealer. So i am thinking i need a new solenoid.and a new ignition switch. no fuses are blown. there is an inline glass fuse 20 amp the previous owner put in for some reason.
he had several things rigged up for helmets and bigger speaker wires and electrical outlets. I replaced the fuse. i know the solenoids are cheap. it has 2 wires pushed on to 2 prongs.

there is a third mystery wire heavier gauge that could push onto a spade connector. i think it was for something the p o had hooked up.
i know there are also relays and the left saddlebag has to be loosened and moved a little to get to them.but they seldom fail.

so what do i do first y'all?
 
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#4 ·
on the Ignition switch, get some of this and fill the switch hole with it, then work the key back and forth, it will free up the switch for a long long time.

 
#6 ·
sorry this is novel length.after 5 or 6 tries the button worked. this happened a lot but not every time. yesterday i was going to go ride. took 3 tries, then the key turned on. push start button. nothing.
i would hear a click once and now no lights come on. < Which lights don't come on?
signals don't work. (Are you sure the turn lights don't work?) horn works. running lights up front come on.



so what do i do first y'all?
Look above. Which lights don't come on and when? (Key on?)
Are you sure the turn lights are not working with the key on???
 
#7 ·
here is what I have done.I went and ordered another solenoid.because when I cross the posts with a screwdriver the bike starts.however, is the solenoid wired right.i unhooked it and didnt note what went where.it has a m on one pole and b on the other.i have the red positive battery cable connected at the battery and the other end over the M post/ pole. The b pole has the black cable from the motor likely grounded to the block somewhere.i changed the fuel filter.because by crossing the posts the bike started and ran but only like 5 seconds.the old filter was full of gas so probably wasnt the problem.the filter also had a arrow.denoting fuel flow i assume.i have the arrow pointing to the front of the bike.no lights nor the horn work now.the signals didnt flash yesterday but they lit up.also yesterday the sidestand light, neutral light and oil light came on when the key was on.now they dont come on.also when the bike starts and i pull out the screwdriver it dies.i held the screwdriver in place and it kept running.this is too weird.i suspect now bad ignition switch, blown ignition fuse which i dont know which it is because the identifying cover is gone.yesterday i pulled each fuse one at a time and all were ok.maybe i blew one.i suspected fuel pump but it wouldnt start and run if it was bad, right? Maybe i need to switch post connections on the solenoid.any help will be greatly appreciated.
 
#8 · (Edited)
First the "B" on the solenoid indicates the cale from the battery. The "M" is the cable that goes to the starter MOTOR(M for Motor)
I think you might do better if you just work with the guys and be a little more methodical. They have helped a lot of people but your answers are changing and that makes it hard to help. Take a deep breath and hang on for a bit while we work you through. :)




Start at the 30 amp fuse that plugs in to the solenoid. Is it good?.
More to follow shortly...
 
#9 ·
As the previous poster said you are jumping about all over the place YOU NEED TO STOP and be methodical also wait for answers, we are not all waiting witk baited breath for a post and some, like myself, are in a different country on a time zome many hours different..

WHEN you have a good solenoid fitted wired correctly(see previous post) check if you have 12 volt positive on the red wire at the ignition switch, this may mean removing awkward covers TOUGH you need to do it right.
When you have done that come back with a result for the next test
 
#10 · (Edited)
Bryan,
I wonder if the original problem wasn't an issue with the gear indicator or sidestand switch. Now he might have blown a fuse etc. with all his travels??????
I bet he is out switching the solenoid back to it's correct position then he might be back to his original problems.
NOTE: If the horn works the ignition switch has power going in the red and coming out the black wire. :)
Ignition switches rarely fail as they only handle low amps to the relays.
 
#11 ·
Well thanks everyone.number one i am not changing my answers or post.i am saying what i am trying.i reversed the connections on the solenod to what i thought.b for battery.the guy at the honda shop told me the other way.now it starts, runs, horn and lights all are working.it still takes 2 or 3 tries on the start button so thats probably the problem and never was the solenoid.i await your response.statements like you arent waiting on baited breat on my posts is a smartalec comment.the bike is running so all is good except the starter button acting up.if anyone cares to comment on that i would appreciate it.
 
#14 ·
how are you posting to the forum?
you are making one continuously long sentence, no punctuation except for a single period, and no spaces.
I tried to edit your first post, but even that was hard to do, as it is not always clear what you are telling us.

Please, make one statement, and then add some <RETURN KEY> marks to space down to a new sentence, leave some white space between the sentences.

.what we are trying to tell you, is just post up one problem at a time, wait until you get a reply on that one comment....

you are posting up multiple "tests" that you have done, and we can't separate out exactly what you have done for a test, and what parts are new, or have been put back like they were?

.the guys here are NOT being Smart Alecs as you think, we are trying to separate out what you have done, and it is hard to do with 5 or 10 items thrown into a single post.

Forums are a global community, so the responders may be half a world away from you, and won't be back for 24 hours to see what you say.
 
#13 ·
I think you are right on the ball. The switch is probably dirty as John suggested. If you want to be more sure check on the starter solenoid for the little yellow wire with the red stripe. It should have power every time you push the start button. If you catch it with the start button pushed and no power on the yellow/red wire the switch is not doing it's job. Might be dirty or failing.:)
 
#15 ·
I appreciate the help.I am incompetent when it comes to electrics.I have completely rebuilt v8 auto engines and one 1980 gs Suzuki 1000 cc bike engine.But electrical is impossible.I let the bike idle for 15 minutes.everything worked fine.I rode one block and it quit.The dash lights work, all the headlights and running lights work.I was in error when I said the blinkers work.They just come on but don't blink.I don't care about that.the start button now does not work.Nor does using a screwdriver across the solenoid make the bike start.2 guys helped me push the 850 pound bike 2 blocks back to my house.it is my 8th Goldwing, 3rd of the 1500s.I thought I had fixed it just now.It is cold and windy and I have no garage so I am done for today.Thanks again to everyone.
 
#16 · (Edited)
This is much easier to read.

I suspect one of 2 possibilities. Either the kill switch on the handlebars has failed or the ignition relay has failed.

The kill switch is easy to diagnose. Find the 2 wires that go to the kill switch and hook them together. The color of the wires for the kill switch should be black with a white stripe and the other should be black with a light green stripe. According to my 1991 manual.

You will have to take your left saddle bag loose and swing it out in the front. Find the ignition relay and flip flop it with a different relay in the box. The ignition relay is one that fails the most often as it is always on when the bike is running.

I am hesitant to say that the ignition relay is the lowest one in the box. My manual is for a 1991 so I can't be absolutely sure it is the same as a 1992 but it might be worth a try. Just a matter of unplug and plug in. :)

EDIT: The color of the wires for the kill switch should be black with a white stripe and the other should be black with a light green stripe. According to my 1991 manual.
 
#20 · (Edited by Moderator)
I took the handlebar switch apart.the kill switch has 3 settings.off on off. In the on position , key turned on, neutral light lit up, clutch lever pulled in and starter button pressed nothing happens.

I pulled the kill switch connectors off their respective spades.
i touched the 2 wires together.nothing.
then i inadvertently pulled one of the female connectors off so now will have to strip the wire and put a new male end on it.

But here is something i found. The plastic piece with a 20 amp fuse in it, Has 4 prongs.
The red yellow wire and brown red wire push onto the front prongs to power the solenoid.right?

The back 2 power up the ignition switch.right? The back 2 prongs i noticed a red wire with male connector pushed over one prong/ spade.

the adjacent spade has no wire connected to it. something came loose.

Don't know where the wire for it comes from or what color. but its missing.

crossing the solenoid posts with a screwdriver would start the bike if the ignition was powered up right?

I'm quitting for today. its getting dark.
Input appreciated.
 
#23 ·
crossing the solenoid posts with a screwdriver would start the bike if the ignition was powered up right?

.
Are you asking me if it would start? If all was as it should be, and the key was on and you jumped from the B to the M stud it should start and run. The problem is you veered off course a bit. There is no answer for why the engine quit down the block related to the solenoid.
If you look back at one of my previous posts you should notice I mentioned the possibility that the kill switch or the ignition relay might be the issue. I think you should temporarily hook the 2 wires together at the kill switch and move the saddle bag out just a bit. Find the lowest relay in the box and flip flop it with another. Put one bolt back to hold the saddle bag on and take it for a ride around and around the block so you aren't too far from home. If that fixes the problem don't forget to replace the bad relay you flip flopped in another place. So keep track of which is where when you flip flop them.
 
#22 ·
OK, if you go test the 4 prongs you should find 2 that are hot always. We will deal with them later.

That leaves 2 prongs. Plug the yellow/red wire in to one and the brown/red in the other. No polarity so no order to worry about.

Now back to the 2 prongs that are hot always. There should be a red wire plugged in to either one of the hot prongs and the other hot prong is empty.
 
#24 ·
Such awesome info.i touched the 2 wires together from the killswitch.nothing happened.when i do that is that leaving the killswitch off all the time.so i could leave it like that and just use the key?
 
#25 ·
With the two switch wires connected together, it just bypasses the OFF/ON/OFF switch.

Meaning that with the Ignition on, and bike in neutral, it should start every time ( assuming all of the other starter related wires, and relays are good.
 
#27 ·
About to go nuts with this bike. None of the fuses are blown.i moved the saddlebag to get to the relays.my manual shows me with a poor picture which is the ignition relay.inside the cover it also shows.since all the relays are the same i plugged different ones in the slot.i believe its second one down on the right.the 5 am fuse at the bottom is also ok.i dont hsve all the relays plugged in.someone has removed a couple.the 30 amp fuse that sits on top of the starter relay is also not blown.i disconnected the wires of the killswitch.cut off the female connectors.bared the wires and twisted them together.the start button does nothing.theres a second starter relay and have no idea why it would need two.please somebody figure this out.could the ignition switch be causing this?
 
#30 ·
Regardless of what you find at the kill switch I have one more easy test. At the starter solenoid with the fuse in it find the little wire that is yellow with a red stripe.With the transmission in neutral sidestand up and the clutch pulled in push the start button. Each time you push the start button you must have power at the yel/red wire. Do you?
 
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