V11 Sport Electrical problem

[mikemiller]

Hello All Im new to this forum but have really enjoyed my reading so far. I am having a problem with my guzzi v11 sport 2000 model. Sometimes when i turn on my key to the run position my battery light does not illuminate. When this light does not illuminate this means also my brake lights dont work and my headlight is dim and my battery wont charge if bike is ridden in this state. sometimes if i turn the key off and back on the battery light will illuminate. when it does illuminate then all is fine everything working well when riding. It is just so unpredictable when i turn the key on weather this battery light will illuminate or not. sometimes when i turn the key on 10 times in a row it will function correctly but other times i will have to turn it on and off many times before i can get the battery light to illuminate. Im just not sure where to start on this. ive checked for loose wires and dont believe there are any near the ignition, also i dont think it could be a loose wire because how it is behaving just having to turn the ignition sometimes many times to get the light to illuminate and everything working. Thanks so much in advance for any advice you can give me.

[Greg Field]

Check the 30a fuse in your fusebox. Does the plastic look melty?

[gstallons]

If you see any problem at all, you can wire around the fuse (I assume this is the charging system fuse) panel and install 30a maxi-fuse in place of the standard ATO fuse.

[Guest ratchethack]

Hello All Im new to this forum but have really enjoyed my reading so far. I am having a problem with my guzzi v11 sport 2000 model. Sometimes when i turn on my key to the run position my battery light does not illuminate. When this light does not illuminate this means also my brake lights dont work and my headlight is dim and my battery wont charge if bike is ridden in this state. sometimes if i turn the key off and back on the battery light will illuminate. when it does illuminate then all is fine everything working well when riding. It is just so unpredictable when i turn the key on weather this battery light will illuminate or not. sometimes when i turn the key on 10 times in a row it will function correctly but other times i will have to turn it on and off many times before i can get the battery light to illuminate. Im just not sure where to start on this. ive checked for loose wires and dont believe there are any near the ignition, also i dont think it could be a loose wire because how it is behaving just having to turn the ignition sometimes many times to get the light to illuminate and everything working. Thanks so much in advance for any advice you can give me.

Hi Mike. Welcome.

 

This sounds like classic Guzzi relay problems. V11's are notoriously finicky about relays, and IMHO, both the OE and the usual suspect replacement relays are the most likely sources of symptoms like yours. See many many threads on this. Like many others here over the last 6 years, I've tried Siemens, Bosch, Tyco, GEI, and Omron. Again like many others, the ONLY relays I have not had any problems with wotsoever are Omron.

 

Front to back:

 

START

LIGHTS

NEUTRAL

ECU

EFI

 

If yours are all 5-pin (some are 4-pin, best always use 5-pin for interchangeability), you can swap them out to ID the clinker. Be careful when installing them. If not lined up correctly, the female spade recepticles in the relay block can get shoved down and out the back. Should your symptoms not be due to a bad relay (highly unlikely, IMHO), you are well advised to advance replace them all anyway, and carry at least one as a spare.

 

May I highly recommend from personal experience Omron relays from forum member John Mickowski, aka Ryland. He offers them at a very reasonable price and backs up his sales with qualified, comprehensive engineering research and support, and Guzzi-specific application technical knowledge, not to mention a 1-year warrantee. You can order Omrons and note site FAQ's and John's linked GEI/Omron relay comparo here:

 

http://www.motratech.com/Motratech/MGRC20.html

 

Hope this helps.

[mikemiller]

wow thanks for all the good advice, nice to come home from work and see some replys to my question. Yes i looked at my relays and noticed they were bosch. I will replace them with ones mentioned in near future for preventative measures. What I did do to my ignition switch problem was spray some contact cleaner in the key hole while switching on and off. I had to spray 3 good blasts before my battery light came on like it should. I then followed with a short burst of wd40. I dont know if it is coincidence but it works with out fail now, (knock on wood) Im thinking maybe it was just a bit gummed up inside there I will keep updated if this comntinues to work. Thanks again

[docc]

WD-40 is known to conjure up *demons* (at least on this forum!).

 

Seriously, cleaning all the contacts with good contact cleaner, lubing them with copper or silver anti-seize paste is good luvin' for your Sport.

 

Check my Personal Message to you as I have a 2000 Sport an hour south of Nashville. Meet you halfway?

[Guest ratchethack]

WD-40 is known to conjure up *demons* (at least on this forum!).

And that's NOT ALL!

 

According to popular delusion, it also conjures up record bass when used on bass lures, not to mention conjuring up prize nooky when used as an aphrodisiac, amongst many other astounding wonders.

[mikemiller]

Point taken thanks for the good advice.

[docc]

Well, Mike, did you fix it or sell it off like an old lawnmower?