Strange NC30 electrical issue!

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Vincent
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Posts: 76
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 12:49 am
Bike owned: '89 NC30 T1, '92 NC30 T8
Location: New Zealand
Strange NC30 electrical issue!

Post by Vincent » Thu Sep 12, 2019 10:39 am

Hello, went out for a ride today after doing some carb work, pulled up at the petrol station to get some fuel, turned my key to the off position... and nothing happened. The bike wouldn't turn off. I shut the engine off with the killswitch, but the instrument cluster stayed lit up, and headlights stayed on.

The key doesn't seem to do anything when turned to the off position. I had a quick look at the cabling coming down from the barrel assembly, and it seems fine. The issue remained even with the connector from the ignition assembly to the loom detached (bike still 'on').

Before I go pulling the loom apart looking for faults, does anybody have any idea of what might be causing this issue?

Vincent
Settled in member
Reactions:
Posts: 76
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 12:49 am
Bike owned: '89 NC30 T1, '92 NC30 T8
Location: New Zealand
Re: Strange NC30 electrical issue!

Post by Vincent » Thu Sep 12, 2019 10:48 pm

Have just disconnected every connector on the loom in succession but it had no effect on the issue, still had headlights, instruments, and ignition with the key turned to off.
Lights/instruments etc all turned off as expected when relevant connector was unplugged.

I'm at a bit of a loss here! If the ignition barrel stopped working for some reason while the key was in the on position, would the bike stay in the 'on position' until that switch was triggered again? Maybe I should short the contacts at the connector.

I would have assumed that 'off' position simply broke the circuit.

Vincent
Settled in member
Reactions:
Posts: 76
Joined: Sun Jul 06, 2014 12:49 am
Bike owned: '89 NC30 T1, '92 NC30 T8
Location: New Zealand
Re: Strange NC30 electrical issue!

Post by Vincent » Thu Sep 12, 2019 10:58 pm

Had another look at the wiring diagram and I couldn't see how I wouldn't have been able to isolate the fault. That made me think that it must be to do with the ignition barrel wiring. I'd gone over it all already, bit this time I paid closer attention...

The connector for the ignition wiring to the loom looks good, not corroded at all, but after shining a torch down the end of it I noticed some corrosion which had moved the contacts closer together. Some CRC and a small screwdriver took care of that, and now it's fixed!

It was just the contacts bridging inside the connector...

It wasn't a completely wasted effort as I found some pretty dodgy wiring underneath some tightly wound electrical tape, so I've fixed that up


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