Electrical problems need help! Headlights = No engine.

[SplaTZXR400]

Every time i go to use my headlights if i let the engine idle it fires intermitently and causes it to stall. i assume it does this all the time just noticed more at low engine speeds. and is usually worsened by wet weather or using indi's. i suspect a short to an eath or something, anything that relatesto the ignition and headlight cirsuit. iv tried 3 different batteries, inspecting loom, cleaning earth leads, cleaning & sealing fuse box. n general cleaing of plugs n nothing has worked. i really need help on this, had this problem for 3 months now, doin my head in!!

Cheers.

[stinkwheel]

Try tightening your battery leads, they may have worked loose.

Also check the wiring going into the main fuse holder on the solenoid. This point is prone to corrosion round the terminals in the fuse holder.

[SplaTZXR400]

battery leads are fine. you mean the fuse box? iv cleaned it several times n the plugs comin out of it. soz wots a solenoid?

[finpos]

[SplaTZXR400]

thanx forthe fast replies guys.hmm well not doin it again, the leads are only 1000 miles old n there was hints of this problem before. i checked and cleaned them tho. the only way i can describe it, is , its as if the power from the coils is shorting or being nicked! as it seems to randomly forget to fire on a revoloution, hence cutting out at idle. all lights off n it will idle forever.well i check the output, its about 14.5 with all lights off, when all lights on i get a reading of bout 12.5. a mech said the output was fine, so i spose its a circuitary problem.

[finpos]

So has this only happened since you put the new leads on? You could suspect the new leads. Don't suppose you still have the old ones to try out?

One thing to check out is what has been done for suppression on your bike. By that, I mean that normally there's a resistor placed somewhere in the HT side to stop everybody's TVs cracking up as you ride by. The resistor is built into the spark plug, or the plug cap or the HT lead itself. You need to be careful that if things have been changed a bit at a time, you don't end up with resistors in all 3, otherwise you will tend to loose your spark a bit.

If you have a meter, it's worth checking the battery voltage at the point it's going into the ECU.

finpos.

[SplaTZXR400]

No it was doing it rarely before the leads.i still get the 7mm spark, and the leads are attached to the cap, as in 1 piece. no i wish i had the old leads though. thats wot happens when a mech' does the work, you pay for new parts you should at least get the old stuff back as you've payed for that aswell!! well il try the voltage into the CDI coz it's carb not injection.and maybe from coil to frame, to try isolate the area. it definately sounds like a sparking issue though. the annoying thing is, some other people have mentioned a similar problem but no one knows why it does this. i still say its a curse.

[stinkwheel]

[SplaTZXR400]

Oh ye i know what u mean, ye i will check that, looking at the diagram it leads straight to two coil wires. somehow. But im puzzled because it only does it when the lights are switched on, but thanks for the suggestion.

[stinkwheel]

My thinking is that you are suffering from low voltage somehow and switching the lights on drops it too far, making the ignition cut out in an intermittant fashion. This would also explain why it is worse at lower rev speeds.

The wiring diagram shows how the wiring is connected, not where the comonants are. Parts on opposite sides of the wiring diagram could be right next to one another.

I'm not saying there definately is a 30A main fuse on the side of the solenoid but they do it on many other models of kawasaki so logic would dictate they probably have on yours. I have also had problems with corrosion on this part on my last three kawasakis, which is why I mentioned it.

[SplaTZXR400]

low voltage is possible but the output was checked by a mech. though myself measured about 14.5v at idle with no lights and 12.5v with lights on, but that seems less than my battery which at most is a good 13.3v. ye there is a fuse, but it stil starts fine. but will look nethertheless. i forgot to add that i hav'nt got it cut out (yet) if i switch them on but remove the bulbs. they are 60/55w x2 halogen. im stil curious whether they should be 60/35w. but i doubt it.

[stinkwheel]

Well, I could be wrong, but it is easy to check. You just pull the fuse and check for corrosion on the wiring into the contacts on the holder.

If nothing else, it's handy to know where it is in case it blows at some point in the future.

[SplaTZXR400]

well i cleaned it and checked it over its fine. what i done though was started it, left the indis on n it run fine, with no bulbs connected. i connected up a bulb whilst running and sure enough there it was spluttering and dieing. so i think iv'e isolated a section. thing is though, wot bulbs should u be runnig on a zxr 400 L3. every i read says 2x 60/35w. but these are wimpy for UK roads or any road. at the moment i have 2x 60/55w car bulbs.

[finpos]

You would have thought it could just about run the main beams (2x60W) at idle, but you are clearly pushing it (as can be witnessed by your bike's voltage dropping below battery voltage when you put the lights on). There's a pretty good chance that if you are running those big bulbs all day, the battery is really struggling to keep up.

The 60/35's may be being recommended for a reason. A 400 won't have a hell of a lot of spare electrickery going around.

finpos.

[SplaTZXR400]

ye possibly but, people have said the 60/35w are near impossible to get. just wondering if anyone else has used bigger bulbs. well if this turns out to bethe case i wil be inspecting the stator i think. because it does seem weak to me.

[SplaTZXR400]

you'll never fukkin believe what. there was a wire bridge from the live brown wire to the rear brake switch, bridged across the red wire on the fuel pump??? i reckon its that polish 'mechanic'/muppet who owned it before me, he's fukked alot up on this bike.