Starter Interlock Conundrum

By:Hilslamer


Due to an unavoidable collision with a rock and bush, I had to replace the elaborate aluminum bracket(ry) that suspends the gauge cluster, windshield, headlight and in the case of the EFI 990's, a substantial amount of wiring and relays and the ECU and the like up there out front of the bike.

When I turn the key on and set the kill switch to "run," I have every faculty of the bike - fuel pump, lights, running and high beam, turn signals, etc - except the starter. The starter button does not trigger the relay, and despite an apparent "all systems go" with the rest of the bike, I can't ge the starter to crank.

The only indication I have that I'm completing the circuit at the starter button on the RH switchpod is that the ABS light darkens when I "make" the starter circuit. I had never noticed previously if this was the case even when the starter was working as normal, because as you know the whole lighting circuit starves for current during cranking and all the lights flicker a bit. But now, ONLY the ABS light goes completely dark while the start button is depressed and everything else just sits there, bright and unhindered.

So, as anticipated, the problem was very simple: the small, 8-pin connector for the "Starter Interlock" box is IDENTICAL to the one for the ABS light and dash-mounted switch. I had them transposed, as due to harness lengths it appeared to me that they could not have been made that long to go their "correct locations". I made this assembly mistake three times in a row during this whole troubleshooting operation.

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