New wireing harness

[Cosmo]

Just finished installing a harness that andreasweiss helped me with (thanks) but am having a few problems. First, there are two wires (red,blue) in the headlight bucket that I cannot find anything to hook to. Also a red/white wire coming from the ignition box towards the fuse box. The starter switch is not activating the soleniod. I can breach it with a screwdriver
and the starter will engage. I have turn signals and tail lights but no headlight or headlight indicator or hi/lo lights on the dash. I have the neutral light and oil pressure light working. I dont seem to have any spark going to the plugs. I suspect something is not right in the ignition circuit. I have had this bike running before I started this project so It must be something I have hooked up wrong. Wiring is not a strong point for me so any help will welcome. Also sounds like a dumb question but is it possible to install the emergency shutoff switch upside down?...Cosmo (Bob)

[John]

In a quick answer to the question about the tip over switch...yes. It is marked "UP" some where on the switch, or the rubber holder. I can't remember which. I got rid of that switch long ago.

[HobbyMan]

The two wires are extra power feed for a fairing I believe.

[TopCatGr58]

Okay Cosmo,

First, the starter switch at the handlebar is just a ground! There should be two small wires for the solenoid, one power, one the ground wire to the handlebar switch. First, use a jumper and try grounding the ground wire to the frame and see if starter works, if so, then proceed to test the continuity of the wire in the harness to the switch on the bar. IF the starter won't work by use of that jumper wire, then the starter solenoid may be bad, but if it worked before switching the harness, it should still work!

The headlights won't turn on until the engine is running!

As for the ignition circuit, you didn't mention from what year/model the harness Andreas got you was? Your machine is a 79F as per your profile, but if you got a later model harness, could be a little problem. The 79F used the ballast resistor, and so there is a hot lead from the TCI that is powered during startup, this bypasses the ballast resistor and sends full 12 volts to the coils for easier starting, but after the engine starts, that lead is not powered, and power is then routed thru the ballast resistor to the ignition coils at a reduced voltage to keep from burning them up. So...not sure what that Red/White wire on the TCI is, your description is not very clear in that do you have a loose wire in the harness that is connected to the TCI, but is not connected elsewhere but is in the direction of the fuseblock??

So....basic troubleshooting ensues, do you have 12 volts at the coils when the ignition switch is on? Kinda difficult to assist further without knowing which harness you got?
T.C.

[andreashweiss]

Harness was a 78e.

[TopCatGr58]

Thanks for the info Andreas!

Cosmo spake thusly in a PM to me:

wiring harness
Awe Gee T.C....Let me try to clear up my post. First, I never have been able to crank this bike through the solenoid switch. I had to first turn on the key and then breach the solenoid. This started the whole mess. The original harness had been chopped to bypass the fuse box. I was able to get a good harness from Andreasweiss so I hoped to cure my bike's ills. I have by the way a 1979sx1100f. The bike runs very well from what little i've run it but I am anal about things being right. I usually ride a Vulcan1500 and got this bike for a very old friend so he could ride along with me. My wife doesn't ride. I took some digital pictures or the areas of trouble but I don't know how to attach them through this thread. With the key on I do not seem to be getting voltage to the coils. Do I check for voltage at the gray or orange leads at the coil? I also checked for voltage at the resistor and got nothing...Thanks

Cosmo,
I wanted to post this to this thread, because there are many others here with much more electrical expertise than I!

Please see my previous post about troubleshooting your starter solenoid.

We haven't mentioned it much but you can ATTACH a photo to your posts via the ATTACH FILE just below the reply window, photo needs to be resized(640x480 or less) and compressed in JPG format to fit under the 85 kbyte size. There is a HOW TO POST PHOTOS in the How To FORUM using an offsite server!

There should be a red/white wire going to the coils that you need to check for voltage, the orange and grey wires are the (-) side triggering side of the coils that the TCI uses to break the circuit to collapse the field to fire the coils. You'll want to check BOTH ends of the ballast resistor for voltage, it can go bad/fry and prevent running after it gets started. The PO may have bypassed it with his hack job?? The coils may be damaged if they were run for very long at full 12 volts with the old harness??

BTW, what kind of fuse block are you running, the OEM glass type? Best to replace it with spade type block...I provide those to members for a nominal fee, much cheaper than you can find at local auto stores, see the tech tips!
T.C.

[Cosmo]

Secuess!!!!

Went out the garage and hooked the loose wire to the starter harness as the wiring diagram and checked the voltage to the coils. I had power. Then checked for spark. Had spark! Pressed the starter button and and lo and behold the starter turned over. Apparently the unconnected wire energized the coil circuit . Thanks to all for your help and suggestions...Cosmo

[thewright1]

Went out the garage and hooked the loose wire to the starter harness as the wiring diagram and checked the voltage to the coils. I had power. Then checked for spark. Had spark! Pressed the starter button and and lo and behold the starter turned over. Apparently the unconnected wire energized the coil circuit . Thanks to all for your help and suggestions...Cosmo

I'm attempting this task, where did you get the diagram on how to hook everything up from? From what I've been seeing, it's not a difficult task, just kind of time consuming, is that about right?