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Message started by FlyNavy2005 on 12/10/05 at 07:37:48

Title: smoking hot cable
Post by FlyNavy2005 on 12/10/05 at 07:37:48

Hi.

So I left the battery on by accident, and completely drained it.  Went to walmart, got a trickle charger, turned it loose.  Eventually it indicated full charge.

Put it back in the bike, tried it out, no luck.

Attempted to jump start it with my car, keeping the car ignition off, so as to not destroy the bike battery.

Hooked it up, turned the key, pressed the starter.
It started, but while trying to pay attention to the battery and keeping the bike going, i accidently kept my  thumb on the starter button.

after about 40 seconds, i realized this, and took it off.
after about 40 more seconds, one of the black-covered cables going down to the transmission started to smoke and appeared to be melting the black coating on it.

Turned everything off, pulled handlebar levers to see which cable.  it was the clutch cable.

obviously the battery is dead and i need a new one.


However, what was up with the hot clutch cable?
there shouldnt be any electric current going through it, right?
Was it because i held the starter on?
did it have something to do with using a car battery for the jump?
is it permanantly f-'d up?
...or, was it just some sort of fluke and i should be okay once i get the new battery?

thanks for the help,

-matt

Title: Re: smoking hot cable
Post by Jim_R on 12/10/05 at 07:49:46

There is a clutch switch but Im pretty sure that would be negative.  Im not sure but that would be my guess.
Wow 40 seconds of starting is along time haha.  I wonder what u were daydreaming? hehehehe

Im just teasing

Title: Re: smoking hot cable
Post by Steve530 on 12/10/05 at 09:21:48

My guess is that you accidently got one of the cables in contact with something that is attached to the clutch cable. Then the sheath was carrying current and heated up.

Steve

Title: Re: smoking hot cable
Post by torque on 12/10/05 at 09:47:00

i hope u didn't burn your starter up :-/

Title: Re: smoking hot cable
Post by slavy on 12/10/05 at 14:58:29

Pull the  gas tank and the seat off and check the dammages. Don't try any shortcuts, because these mistakes are very costly. You might end-up loosing the bike in a fire.

Title: Re: smoking hot cable
Post by Ed_L. on 12/10/05 at 15:35:05

I'm not sure if a Savage has a engine ground but it sounds like you might have a bad one. Without an engine ground the engine was using the clutch cable as a ground, that's why it got so hot.

Title: Re: smoking hot cable
Post by torque on 12/10/05 at 15:41:31


Ed_L. wrote:
I'm not sure if a Savage has a engine ground but it sounds like you might have a bad one. Without an engine ground the engine was using the clutch cable as a ground, that's why it got so hot.

no, the savage dosent have a engine ground,its frame mounted,not rubber mounted.

Title: Re: smoking hot cable
Post by Kropatchek on 12/11/05 at 06:45:20


torque wrote:

no, the savage dosent have a engine ground,its frame mounted,not rubber mounted.


The Savage has an engine ground....
Look at the connection of your starter motor...there's only one , which gets a positive from the start relay when you press the starter button.

Somewhere the starter MUST get a negative.
That's the little fat wire going from the negative of the battery to the engine.
It is visable on the RH side of the engine behind the clutch lever. It is on mine anyway.

As said previously, if this wire is missing or not properly connected, the starter will find another negative and this time it's the clutchcable
Greetz
Kropatchek ;D

Title: Re: smoking hot cable
Post by torque on 12/11/05 at 10:00:31


Kropatchek wrote:


The Savage has an engine ground....
Look at the connection of your starter motor...there's only one , which gets a positive from the start relay when you press the starter button.

Somewhere the starter MUST get a negative.
That's the little fat wire going from the negative of the battery to the engine.
It is visable on the RH side of the engine behind the clutch lever. It is on mine anyway.

Greetz
Kropatchek ;D
i dont think so, yes  there is one cable going to the the starter,the positive,and yes there is a ground coming from the battery to the motor(its grounding point).but the starter is grounded to the frame through the motor ,u can not ,and i mean can not,ground anything  positive to the negitive side of a battery >:(.try it and see what happens :o  

Title: Re: smoking hot cable
Post by Kropatchek on 12/12/05 at 01:55:31


torque wrote:

but the starter is grounded to the frame through the motor   


There u go, thats excactly what i mean.
Maybe my explanation was not so clear.

The wiring diagram tells it all: All the electrical components ground to a common negative ( ground) wire ending at the the small ( thin) wire attached to the negative of the battery.

Btw the connector about 6" away from the battery terminal is one of the first connectors I will check when trouble shooting.

The thick wire from the negative of the battery goes to the engine and hence to the frame. That's the ground for the startermotor and the sparkplugs.

Greetz
Kropatchek ;D


Title: Re: smoking hot cable
Post by torque on 12/12/05 at 06:27:17


Kropatchek wrote:


The thick wire from the negative of the battery goes to the engine and hence to the frame. That's the ground for the startermotor and the sparkplugs.

Greetz
Kropatchek ;D


man ,think about what your saying,as soon as u screw a spark plug in it's grounded(by the motor).theres no ground wires involved.

what your saying is the positive starter wire grounds by going to the black wire then to the negitive post on the battery.

that little wire only grounds the battery,and things that dont bolt directly to the motor or frame(lights,ect).


Title: Re: smoking hot cable
Post by Kropatchek on 12/13/05 at 02:21:37

Please don't get me wrong but you better study this wiring diagram as I seem to be unable to explain the basic DC principles. My native language is Dutch.

http://suzukisavage.com/images/uploaded/SavElectweb.jpg

Greetz
Kropatchek :-[

Title: Re: smoking hot cable
Post by lancer on 12/13/05 at 05:27:25

FLY NAVY 2005

Welcome from a former military aviator.  Are you active duty now?  What are/did you fly?

My son is active Air Force, flying KC-10's.

RIDE WELL

Title: Re: smoking hot cable
Post by Kaishaku on 12/13/05 at 11:09:21

Kropatchek, your explanation was just fine.

Title: Re: smoking hot cable
Post by Matt on 12/13/05 at 15:34:28

Hi Lancer,

Yeah, I'm a pilot in the navy, flying the SH-60B Seahawk helicopter.
I just got my wings in september, and am now at the fleet training squadron learning to fly the seahawk.  Actually my first flight is tomorrow.

My kid brother's in the airforce, in Navigator training over in san antonio.

Its nice to hear from you :)

Have a great day!

-Matt

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