Chasing gremlins

77 KZ1000 LTD.    New to me,  ran like trash, cylnder 1 no fire.   Turned out to be the coil.   Had carbs rebuilt and I put carbs back on bike today for some tuning and popped my main fuse after a couple kicks.   Put new fuse in, turned on ignition and 5 seconds later, blew fuse again.   Thinking I have a wire bad somewhere.   (Probably why the starter never worked as well.    Guy I bought the bike from said it ran great and there's NO way this bike ran before I had it shipped to my house in CT from Iowa.     
The few questions I have are these:   Does it make sense to pull the plugs that are under the left side cover to isolate problems or are those unrelated to main circuit?   Secondly, even with my key off I seem to have 12 volts to the coil.    Is that normal?

 

With the key off, there should be 0 volts to the coils.If the Filebase has been restored, there is a good article on electrical diagnosis. If it is not available yet, hopefully one of the electricians will be along shortly.

In the mean time, I would disconnect the battery. Constant voltage to the coils can burn them out.

JoeJak73 wrote:

77 KZ1000 LTD.    New to me,  ran like trash, cylnder 1 no fire.   Turned out to be the coil.   Had carbs rebuilt and I put carbs back on bike today for some tuning and popped my main fuse after a couple kicks.   Put new fuse in, turned on ignition and 5 seconds later, blew fuse again.   Thinking I have a wire bad somewhere.   (Probably why the starter never worked as well.    Guy I bought the bike from said it ran great and there's NO way this bike ran before I had it shipped to my house in CT from Iowa.     
The few questions I have are these:   Does it make sense to pull the plugs that are under the left side cover to isolate problems or are those unrelated to main circuit?   Secondly, even with my key off I seem to have 12 volts to the coil.    Is that normal?




 

There is a link in my signature to a fault finding guide I put together (hopefully the link works) look at the section on "short circuit" faults and follow it through. Don't approach it in a random "try this and that" methodology or you will drive yourself mad. Take a look at the guide then update us, I will help you through
EDIT: the link isn't working (I will try and email it but the file is probably too large)
EDIT-EDIT: I have updated the link, see how you get on
 

I tried the link and it takes me to an old thread where you announced posting the tutorial. I clicked on the link in your signature there and my screen scrolled down to the last post in that thread. 

TexasKZ wrote:

I tried the link and it takes me to an old thread where you announced posting the tutorial. I clicked on the link in your signature there and my screen scrolled down to the last post in that thread. 

In that old post if you click the attachment for the PDF it should open ??

TexasKZ wrote:

I tried the link and it takes me to an old thread where you announced posting the tutorial. I clicked on the link in your signature there and my screen scrolled down to the last post in that thread. 

 

Same result...zooms me to the old thread...

Mcdroid wrote:

TexasKZ wrote:

I tried the link and it takes me to an old thread where you announced posting the tutorial. I clicked on the link in your signature there and my screen scrolled down to the last post in that thread. 

 

Same result...zooms me to the old thread...

did you try clicking on the attachment in the old thread ?

Wookie58 wrote:

Mcdroid wrote:

TexasKZ wrote:

I tried the link and it takes me to an old thread where you announced posting the tutorial. I clicked on the link in your signature there and my screen scrolled down to the last post in that thread. 

 

Same result...zooms me to the old thread...

did you try clicking on the attachment in the old thread ?

Do not see the attachment.

Mcdroid wrote:

Wookie58 wrote:

Mcdroid wrote:

TexasKZ wrote:

I tried the link and it takes me to an old thread where you announced posting the tutorial. I clicked on the link in your signature there and my screen scrolled down to the last post in that thread. 

 

Same result...zooms me to the old thread...

did you try clicking on the attachment in the old thread ?

Do not see the attachment.

i cannot see it either.

TexasKZ wrote:

Mcdroid wrote:

Wookie58 wrote:

Mcdroid wrote:

TexasKZ wrote:

I tried the link and it takes me to an old thread where you announced posting the tutorial. I clicked on the link in your signature there and my screen scrolled down to the last post in that thread. 

 

Same result...zooms me to the old thread...

did you try clicking on the attachment in the old thread ?

Do not see the attachment.

i cannot see it either.

Please see below screenshot, clicking it should give the option to download ??

Edit: just seen the filebase is up and running so I have put the guide in "General-Electrical" and updated the link in my signature





 

Do you have a volt meter?

Sorry for late reply - I totally forgot the update and I still have to check for constant power to coils.   The "new" coil I put it actually went up in smoke.   I put a coil in from Ricks and it works fine.   that was what was popping my main fuse.   The glass ones fire quick - I put a blade type connector in and the fuse didn't blow first- the coil did.     Let all the smoke out.   
Another issue has risen, so I will post that in the right section.   
Thank you everyone