KZ550 won't start!

Well, I'm at a loss. My 1980 KZ550 LTD won't make a sound when I press the starter button. A buddy and I went through with the multimeter and found power from the battery to the starter button, from the starter button to the starter disconnect switch, but no power flowing through R/Y and Black wires going into the starter solenoid. We made a simple circuit involving the starter disconnect switch, and it was doing its job. So is my problem in the wiring harness somewhere?

On a side note, since I have hooked up the dyna s coil into the harness, the stop light blinks. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

-Bill

Have you checked the glass tubed fuses? they can fail and look o.k. Take them out of the clips one at a time and use the multi meter ser on OHMS and do a continuity check.

The fuse wire inside can partially melt amd the metal end caps can seperate. I believe the AGX fuse is still available at auto parts stores. While you're at it, clean any corrosion from the fuse clips and make sure they have a tight grip on the fuses. A cotton Q tip and some metal polish will remove any crud.

If still no success in starting,then start by looking at the kill switch on the right handle bar pod, and the connections inside the headlight housing,broken wires/bad splices in the wiring harness.

The Japanese use a lot of the plug in connections called bullet connectors, they get green crud inside and resistance causes lower voltage/current flows. Take a wire brush to the male connectors and a pipe cleaner from a smoke shop dipped in electrical contact cleaner.

A very good brand I use on my bike is made by Caig Labs in San Diego Ca. called Deoxit. www.deoxit.com is their website. You can get this at the local Radio Shack. Never use WD-40 on fuses or electrical switches as it will later tun into a nonconductive coating having you chases your tail looking for the problem.

I haven't checked the fuses yet, but would I be getting power to everything but the starter motor if the fuses were bad?

I took apart the kill switch and everything looked fine there.

The starter solenoid coil is probably a fused circuit but the high current circuit from the battery to the starter motor is not fused. To confirm this, jump across the heavy gauge terminals where the battery cables go to. If the starter motor is good,it will turn over the engine.

This is a website on starter motor repair kits.
www.cyclewareables.com/pages/street_star...kits/startmtrkit.htm

I did jump across the heavy gauge terminals, and the starter motor cranked, so that's not the issue. I appreciate your help.

-Bill

The lack of voltage to the coil of the starter solenoid can be traced to either a bad crimp in the wiring harness(where several wires can be spliced together) or at the start switch on the handlebar. If the voltage is at the switch, then start looking at the wiring for a broken wire or a disconnected "bullet" connector(a Japanese electrical connectors that plugs in).