have i ruins my electrical system?!

[timothycori]

hey guys just picked up a k1100lt, had no battery was super excited an so hooked up a battery charger to the bike and the instrument cluster worked indicators etc.

very stupidly i tried to start it with no battery and just the charger hooked up then it died completely. i got a battery today and nothing. its getting power as the clock lcd is working the ignition off position but switching the key on the clock would go out and reset.

i rolled the bike back in 3rd popped the clutch now the temp light is on with ignition on but that's all the battery was reading 12.4v so im guessing that's enough to run there cluster. HELP what have i done. all fuses are intact i opens the motronic and nothing seams to be burnt out or blown.

cheers, Tim.

[blackie1]

had you seen the bike start and run prior to this?

or did you acquire it as a non runner? have you seen this bike start and run?

when did it last start and run?

if initially you had no battery, to what did you attach the battery charger to?

[timothycori]

Non runner, was told it just needed a battery.

I attached the charger wires to the positive and negotiable cables on the bike and all electronics worked.

Blinkers cluster and when I pushed start button made some noise then the charger tripped. When I went to reconnect the clips from the charger they sparked. So just left it.

[blackie1]

wow
that is "super excited" 

[timothycori]

Yep, not so excited now. More like depression

[Laitch]

Welcome to Motobrick!

Before you try starting this moto again, note the orientation of the four-screw cap assembly and remove it. Remove the fuel then see if the tank has debris in it. It it does, clean it with white vinegar, rinse it and put a gallon of clean fuel in it. If it doesn't, put a gallon of clean fuel in it. The next thing to do is assess the battery.

Your moto's battery is discharged. A moto that hasn't been ridden might have lubricating fluids that have thickened presenting more friction to be overcome during starting.  A discharged battery might cause the starter contacts to seize. We'll cross that bridge later. Charge the battery at the slowest rate of your charger—a trickle charger won't work. Charging could take 12 hours depending on the rate of charge. Once the battery is charged, reconnect it and try again. Run the starter at five second bursts.

Why the battery connections sparked is anybody's guess; you might have inadvertently switch polarity connecting them. Regardless, do these two tasks then report back. In all likelihood, the previous owner knew as little about how the moto operates, and what it needs to run well as you do, but you'll learn.

Start the moto with a working battery, not a booster.

[timothycori]

Thanks mate appreciate it.

Will get the battery charged up tomorrow.

With the battery in today nothing was working at all, fuel pump wasn’t turning on and starter button wasn’t doing anything.

Someone suggested that the load relay may have arced and stuck when trying to start with the battery charger.

Cheers

[Laitch]

That's likely. Sometimes tapping on these relays—or even on the side of the relay box—with a screwdriver handle will free up the contacts and restore function but first, charge the battery. It's also likely that if it's a neglected battery, it won't hold enough charge for more than a couple of starting attempts so if the starter grinds slowly, stop.

Look at the bottom of this Repair Guidance post for a link to the troubleshooting pdf. Download it and learn about the systems running your moto and find the location of the relay box if you don't know it already.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Not much I can add to the excellent advice above.

You say you got a battery.  Was it new or used?  12.4v on a new battery is unusual.  Should be at least 12.8v.

You mention a spark when you connected the charger.  Some "smart" chargers will have a capacitor on the output to smooth out the DC to better measure the actual voltage of the battery.  This capacitor will frequently give a brief spark when you connect the charger to a battery as it gets rid of it's residual charge.

Pull and check all the fuses for good continuity.  Better yet, get some new ones and a can of Deoxit D5.  Clean the fuse sockets and replace the fuses with the new ones.  An old fuse that looks good visually can still be bad internally.

[Scott_]

Don't forget, with the 1100LT, you have a side stand switch. Bike will not start or run with the side stand down. No gauges, no fuel pump either.

[Cafe racer]

Welcome to Motobrick!

Before you try starting this moto again, note the orientation of the four-screw cap assembly and remove it. Remove the fuel then see if the tank has debris in it. It it does, clean it with white vinegar, rinse it and put a gallon of clean fuel in it. If it doesn't, put a gallon of clean fuel in it. The next thing to do is assess the battery.

Your moto's battery is discharged. A moto that hasn't been ridden might have lubricating fluids that have thickened presenting more friction to be overcome during starting.  A discharged battery might cause the starter contacts to seize. We'll cross that bridge later. Charge the battery at the slowest rate of your charger—a trickle charger won't work. Charging could take 12 hours depending on the rate of charge. Once the battery is charged, reconnect it and try again. Run the starter at five second bursts.

Why the battery connections sparked is anybody's guess; you might have inadvertently switch polarity connecting them. Regardless, do these two tasks then report back. In all likelihood, the previous owner knew as little about how the moto operates, and what it needs to run well as you do, but you'll learn.

Start the moto with a working battery, not a booster.

He says the moto had no battery...

[Laitch]

He says the moto had no battery...

That's why he needs to get a working battery.

[timothycori]

battery good, have moved around relays tried new fuses still nothing happening anywhere.

as mentions only thing that shows signs of life is the clock LCD in the ignition switch off position, when key is switched on the clock resets.

im going to pull starter to morrow and bench test also the relay. will also bench test fuel pump

[Scott_]

as mentions only thing that shows signs of life is the clock LCD in the ignition switch off position, when key is switched on the clock resets.

You obviously still have a bad/dirty connection somewhere that won't carry current. If the clock dies, it's not going to be the starter or LSR, as they have no connection with the clock circuit. The clock should stay on, all the time, even when the starter is turning the motor.
What do the battery connections look like(where the wires are crimped to the terminal). Look for corrosion.
What does the ground wire bolt to on the bike, should be near the starter/transmission area, is it clean and tight.

[Laitch]

Don't forget, with the 1100LT, you have a side stand switch. Bike will not start or run with the side stand down. No gauges, no fuel pump either.

Do you understand the significance of Scott's comment here, Timothy? You haven't acknowledged it. Is the moto on the center stand during this investigation or on the side stand? Have you checked the side stand switch for function?

[rbm]

Good advice on the sidestand switch.

To help with your diagnosis, you should arm yourself with some good schematics first off.  This URL was published on the other K-bike forum: https://mega.nz/folder/PmYCESAD#C1e0ijnsfDwqzH_evEOK2Q
In the K1100 folder, you'll find PDFs taken from the BMW service CD for the various subassemblies of the electrical system.

You haven't indicated the year of manufacture for your bike.  It makes a difference because there were changes after 1994 to the K1100 electrics.

[alabrew]

Darn side stand got me this morning. Cool (finally) this morning, so I was going to ride the RS.
Turned it on from the right an pushed the starter, cranks but doesn't fire.
After three attempts, it ALWAYS starts, finally occurred to me. I generally kick it up once I get it up on the center stand just for this reason.
Obviously, it is a necessary safety item for me.

[timothycori]

all good lads, got it running this morning.
turns out im stupider than even trying to start it from a charger.

there are two earth cables that go to the battery one to the ecu and one to the chassis, i had only plugged attached the one to the ecu.

feeling pretty stupid but also very relived.

thanks for everyone's help and suggestions. greatly appreciated

[Laitch]