From: Baker Terry To: GTS Owners Group Subject: Washing the GTS Hey--I found it!! I found it!! I found it!! A while back, I sent an email out asking if anyone had problems when washing their bikes. On Monday, I washed the baby, and sure enough, the lights, fuel pump, etc. all came on again. My mechanic had found earlier that this mystery load was going to the alternator and powering up the system. He rigged up a wire with a spade connector to disconnect the problem until the thing dried out or whatever. This time, even after disconnecting my "hot wire", my battery went dead. Now I'd had it--my problem had just grown and didn't look like it was going away as the bike dried out. Over the last two nights, I've had GTS innards scattered all over the garage. (my god--that wiring harness would make any hooker blush!) Anyhow, after much wailing and gnashing of teeth, here's what I found: The two wires that go from the alternator to the wiring harness have "bullet" connectors in addition to the main white plastic connector. These bullet connectors are fantastically hidden behind the left main frame rail. The black tape covering these bullet connectors had come loose and allowed water in--the moisture would conduct between the two wires! This time, things had gotten black and sooty (smelled real nice!), as well as corroded. A little solder and some heat-shrink tubing and we're all back to normal. :-) I was about ready to order a new ignition switch!! FWIW--I'd be checking the condition of this harness on your bikes. There's a brake line that runs along the inside of the left frame rail and I think the damage to the tape around my wire harness was caused by it being wedged between the frame and this hydraulic line.