Gremlins or Cursed???

blaxmax · Nov 6, 2015

After finding what was causing the headlight to go on and off---

I replace the headlight with same wattage xenon bulb and for 1 day everything was fine.
Then today this (first photo)--Cursed?
I am now on my third ignition switch and today this happens-(second photo) red and brown wire weld together from heat and turning off the key and removing it of course keeps the headlight and all power on, (second photo).
Now I have never in my life used dielectric grease but since buying a vmax I have purchased a tube. When installing my third ignition switch today I put some of it on the newly purchased ignition switch that was clean as a whistle as was the the plug it goes into. I put everything back together go for a short ride pull up to the garage door and look at the mileage-(first photo) and turn the key to the off position and the headlight is still shining on the garage door! I remove the key and the headlight is still shining on the garage door! Did I mention there was a police officer right in front of me?
Not that it mattered but odd anyway.
So after pulling the battery cable to get the lights out I now try to uplug the ignition switch that seems welded- After finally getting it apart I find it in this condition-(third photo).
(fourth photo) Any idea why these switches are overheating?:bang head:
Any help is GREATLY appreciated. Thanks.

Bill Seward · Nov 6, 2015

5 minutes with a soldering gun and some heat shrink tubing will solve that problem quickly. Cut the damn plug out.. Mine looks iffy too, when I get the ignition box swapped out, I'm gonna do mine that way, but I may use Posi Lock connectors like I did at the stator..

one2dmax · Nov 6, 2015

Maybe some bad grounds is driving excessive resistance which creates heat. That in turn melts things and doesn't help much. I think I have the OEM connection pins and good used (or even new) Connector housings.

Miles Long · Nov 6, 2015

The plastic connector on my bike melted through a few years ago, causing the red and brown wires to connect - the bike wouldn't shut off!
Luckily, this happened after returning from a ride, in my garage. Easy fix. I just cut the connector off, and soldered and heat-shrinked the wires up.
The cause? Maybe because the red wire is always hot, seeing it comes directly off the battery. For the same reason, ignition switches sometimes corrode at the contacts, and have to be cleaned up.
Cheers!

blaxmax · Nov 6, 2015

Thank you Sean, Bill and Miles you hit the nail on the head.
The red wire melted to the brown just like yours did.
They are all now individually taped apart and new connector installed.--Thanks Guys.

That 13,000 and 666 were not good numbers to come across, I guess.

sdt354 · Nov 7, 2015

I think the heat most likely was from the high resistance in the connectors too. But, I'd check for excessive heat, at the joints, after soldering everything up. Just in case it is ground related.
Better to be safe.
Steve-o