wet fuse box

Hey fellow riders, heres a head scratcher, 1984 gpz1100, fuel injection removed, stock wiring harness. Last week had seat off measuring for a plate under the seat, got distracted. and I didnt move it back inside. so it took a sprinkler shower, by the time I realized it, and went to move it. the lights were all on, but the ignition wasnt turned on, battery was to low to start. so i disconnected it, went back today charged the battery, but every time I turn the key, the fuse box starts buzzing.

You're going to have to disconnect the many and various electrical connectors & clean them out. If you have access to compressed air, a blow gun(air nozzle) at low pressure will help remove the moisure. I use a very good brand of electrical contact cleaner called "De-Oxit" for my bikes electrical contacts. www.deoxit.com is their website.

Troubleshooting A Wet Motorcycle (Won’t Start/Run)

1. When motorcycles get wet, many things can happen to prevent normal starting and running.

2. Ignition coils, due to their mounting location under the gas tank, can overheat if sufficient air flow is not provided causing minute cracks for moisture to get in shorting the coil.

3. Sparkplugs wires and caps need to be replaced as the heat from the engine makes the wires(High Tension Leads) get brittle causing the insulation to fail. The caps contain a resistor to limit the RFI(the snap and pop heard on radio’s) that will fail, again from heat/age. They can be checked with a multimeter ,and will test at 5000 ohms.

4. Most Japanese motorcycle electrical connectors are open at the rear, letting in moisture, that will collect on the male and female pins/sockets
causing a short, blowing a fuse or creating corrosion limiting current flow.

5.Check the right handlebar switch pod for signs of corrosion or broken wires on the run/stop switch. Some older Kawasaki’s are experiencing broken/crumbled solder joints in switches. If needed, I have a repair procedure, just ask.

6. I recommend buying a spray can of “De-oxit” electrical contact cleaner/preservative available at Radio Shack Stores in the U.S. or any other electronic supply store. www.deoxit.com is their website.

7. I’d advise not using WD-40 on any electrical connection/fuse clips as it over time becomes a non conductor(more like an insulator).

8. If the popular “Pods” type air filter is used and gets wet, it will act like having the choke on causing a very rich condition. The only repair for wet pods is to remove them and either using an oven set at 250 F, a wet/dry shop vac to vacuum the moisture from the filters, or a air nozzle at low pressure to blow the water away.

9. Use caution when using an air nozzle, as at high pressure, the fabric of the filter medium may tear making the filter unusable.

If the relays are making noise, it might be due to low battery, or circuits being turned on when they shouldn't. I'd suggest making note of which relay goes where, and then removing them, blowing out moisture from the sockets. Maybe a wet/dry shop vac with a step down nozzle would work to remove moisture from connectors & sockets.

Thanks for the speedy reply MFolks.I will take your full advice on the matter at hand, just another question for the forum. I have certain wires. In the harness that have that white chaulky battery stuff on the inside of them. What's the usual fix for that?

Baking Soda and water, mixed neutralizes battery acid. Then you can inspect for damage to connectors terminals, or insulation.

Make a solution of baking soda(the dry powder) with water, say 2 tablespoons of baking soda to 16 Oz of water. Mix well, and carefully pour/brush the solution on the damaged wires. What you've got is battery acid, deposited on the wiring during the charge/discharge cycle of the battery.

After the mix stop bubbling, rinse the area well with water.Avoid getting any of the mix inside the battery, as it will quickly ruin it. Check the routing of the battery vent tubes/lines especially if it has a crack, venting the acid fumes onto wiring or other parts of the bike.

Okay Gents, first let me say thanks. for such sound advice, simple, inexpensive, and to the point. Got through the buzzing relay drama, so while i was checking all my connections, i noticed when the 4 ways are turned on. all my other lights are flashing also, i even put a test light to the battery, the test light flashed as well. what gives, any ideas?

I'd check the switch settings;is the 4 way flasher switch on? Most Kawasaki's have two seperate flasher relay cans(most are silver in color) with a two pin electrical connector, one for the normal turn signals, and the other for the 4 way or emergency flashers.

You might have to open up the handlebar switch "Pods", looking for possible corrosion on the switches, or failed solder joints. The left handle bar has the turn signal,high and low beam selector,horn, and the 4 way switch. Any of these may be feeding a circuit it should normally not.