Another Wonderful/Frustrating Day...

[EVAHank]

Hey, All;
It's been a beautiful day (weatherwise) today. However, things are not going quite so well with Rusty, my 1300 Voyager. After having a Major Brain Fart yesterday, I remembered (after consulting the schematics) how I had installed the switch for the radiator fan. I had simply bypassed the 'fan switch' (which is actually a temperature sensor), and installed a 'normal' switch on the switched side of the fan relay. I got everything hooked together today, flipped the switch, got the l.e.d. indicator, but the fan didn't start. A quick check with the V.O.M. shoiwed no voltage at the plug to the fan motor. The logical thing to do was check the relay, which showed continuity on the switched side, but an open (infinity) on the coil side. After a quick trip across the street to NAPA Auto, I installed a new relay (which I had checked beforehand-it was good), and flipped the switch. Again, power in the switch circuit, but a fffssszzzppptt sound from the front of the bike (lasting about a second), and nothing from the fan. I pulled the new relay, and found out that it, too had burnt out the coil. I'm guessing that there is a short to ground somewhere in the circuit for the fan, but I'm at a loss as to where to look, after all there are only1,293.754 feet of wire in the fan circuit alone! (OK I'm being a bit obtuse here, but you get my drift.) If anyone can offer advice on where to look, or a suggestion, I'm all ears! I'm wondering if I should just rewire the coil side of the circuit, and cut all of the possibly bad wire out of it? I don't want to do that except as a last resort. But then, I'm staring at this impossible electronic spaghetti in the schematics, and I'm thinking that may be where I'm headed. HELP!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Ride Safe & Sane;
Hank & Rusty
Voyager 1300/6~The Original Voyager!!

[Me Again]

It's Xmas, so I hope your in a good mood.

only1,293.754 feet of wire

Your problem is quite simple.You have removed at least 3 feet of wire so now you have a, short in the wiring, problem.
Just replace all the wires you removed and you should be good to go.


sorry

[Me Again]

I would probably start at the switch. did by chance you reverse the wires?Instead of hot ,common ,hot you have hot ,hot ,common?
This could account for your still having a light after you blew the relays.
I would think you would blow a fuse if this were the case but stranger things have happened.

[EVAHank]

Hey, Me Again...Merry Christmas!!
Actually, I didn't remove any wire...I just rerouted (and added about 18") to the switch side. The switch circuit and the power (coil) circuits are separate...They do not interconnect. There may be a fuse in the system, but I don't think it's on the coil side, if it was, I'd be blowing fuses instead of relay coils. (Fuses ARE a lot cheaper!) I was checking the schematic, considering the idea of wiring around the break, but that is not possible, that same wire supplies power to several other points on the bike (like the horns, for instance.) So, I'm fishing for ideas. I don't like the idea of an 'all nighter' with the Beast in an unheated garage (8 miles from my apartment), trying to trace this wire down, but if that is what I have to do, I guess there's no choice. By the way, I checked the fan motor, and it's good. no resistance, and it spins freely with no noise. Anyway, if you (or anyone else) has any ideas or suggestions, I'm all ears!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Ride Safe & Sane;
Hank & Rusty
Voyager 1300/6~The Original Voyager!!

[Me Again]

My question is if it was working fine why did you disconnect it?
Just to add wire? If it were working fine before you added the wire it shouldn't take to long to find were you left a little bare spot.

[EVAHank]

OK, One more time...
Due to the engine design of the 1300 Voyager, the engine has a tendancy to overheat rather easily. It's one of the 2 'Achilles' Heels' of the beast. The OEM 'fan switch' sensor was allowing the engine to nearly overheat before it would turn the fan on...It was out of spec, and is no longer available from MaKaw. As a result of this, many owners of the 'beast' (not just me) have bypassed this sensor, and installed a standard single-pole, single throw switch
as a 'manual' radiator fan switch. Again, there is not a problem with the switch side of the circuit (where I added the wire and the switch), it works fine. The problem is with the power side of the circuit (the 'coil' side), which apparently has a dead short to ground somewhere, as I am blowing the relay coil side (NOT the switch side) as soon as I energise the coil by throwing the switch. I just need to find that worn/frayed wire...And if you have seen the main wiring harness of a Voyager 1300, you know the task that lies ahead of me. I'm not looking forward to it.

Ride Safe & Sane;
Hank & Rusty
Voyager 1300/6~The Original Voyager!

[Me Again]

Sorry I'm not much help.
I'm still trying to figure out what you did when you put on that fancy new gas tank.
Now it's your own fault. you've been around the 1300 long enough to know you should always go to Yahoo first.

[EVAHank]

Ah, Yes, Yahoo...I've posted there (recently) and as of yet, do not have a reply. Maybe I'll get one someday. It's beginning to look like you have to be a machinist/auto electrician/ bodyman/ cooling system specialist to keep a Beast running (I am none of these...I know a little, but not near enough!) I guess that's why I have my 'backup' bike, an '03 VXII named 'Old Faithful'.
Have a Blessed New Year!!

Ride Safe & Sane;
Hank, Rusty & Ol'Faithful
Voyager 1300/6~The Original Voyager!

[Me Again]

I thought the XII was for your son. Isn't that a strange little creature .Maybe fun to ride ,but no where near as comfy as the 1300.
Hope your fans OK .But that may be easier than tracking down a pinched wire.
Did that once.Pain in the butt.

[Rhinestone Kawboy]

Hank, I'm no 1300 expert at all, know next to nothing on them, but here's an observation or question:

Are you certain that it is a single pole switch that allows the correct amount of electric to go to the coil? Some switches have stepped electric outputs which could be mistaken for a single output switch, and may be putting inadequate power to the coil and overheating it. Just a thought.

[EVAHank]

Gary, you've got me...according to the wiring diagram (and the diagram on the relay) it's a simple single pole switch. I was assuming that the switch circuit and the coil circuit were separate, but after looking at the wiring diagram, they are obviously interconnected. The coil side of the relay is what is blowing out. I assumed that it was due to a dead short somewhere down the line between the relay and the fan. I'm going to run some tests on the fan motor to make sure it's ok, and, then run a new blue (power) wire from the coil side of the relay to the fanmotor. If that works o.k., I'll know the problem is in the wire. If I blow (another) relay, I'll have to look at the switch circuit. I might put a 10-amp fuse in that circuit to keep the relay from blowing (fuses are much cheaper than relays!!)
MeAgain...I owe you an apology. I saw on another post where you've been a Beastmaster for 18 years. I agree with you that tracking down a pinched wire is a Pain In The Butt, I'm hoping that running that other wire will clear up just what's going wrong.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Ride Safe & Sane;
Hank & Rusty
Voyager 1300/6~The Original Voyager!!

[Pure Pork]

Its hard to diagnose long distance on a wiring problem and it sometimes takes a long time to find. I work on campers and RVs and gremlins in the wiring are hard to find.

Do you have a good reading on the fan circuit to ground? The ground circuit could have issues as well. I had my self diagnosing flashing light tell me I had a problem with voltage at my brain box, and it turned out to be a faulty ground somewhere in the system. I had a reading of 8 Volts at the harness leads at the box, I soldered a wire onto the ground wire at the harness and ran it over to the battery, solving the problem. Have no idea where the break or "weak" spot is. Running a "new" wire may be the best way out.