Lost all electrical

[ccRider246]

Can anyone tell me where on the bike I should find the ground connection? The battery ground is good. I traced my ground wire back from the tail lights where, according to the wiring digram, I should have encountered a ground connection, but I can't find one. I have no lights at the console so I suspect there is a break in the ground somewhere. I have not tried to pull the ignition switch yet but I suppose that will be my next step.

[lcochran]

I had the same problem a month ago. My ground was on the right side of frame, below the battery box.  However, i found no connection problem.
My problem was the ignition switch, found one new online with keys for $35 dollars, it shipped here (alabama) in 4 days, works perfectly. Try that out

[ccRider246]

Thanks for the reply. I found that ground and I get the appropriate voltage drop there so the connection is good. I see on the wiring diagram that there is a ground connection made on the return from the tail lights. I was trying to find where that hit the frame on the bike. I guess the next step is to take off the ignition switch and check continuity through that. I think I have to take my fairing off in order to get to the ignition switch. I was trying to avoid that by finding that other ground and cleaning it up first.

Thanks.

[lcochran]

ahh.If i had a fairing, i'd try to find that ground as well. Good luck! let us know how it goes

[Rodgil]

Hi Chris, My '81 has a ground at the front ignition coil mounting bolt. The bike cranks but has no spark without it. I don't know if it causes any other faults.

[ccRider246]

Thanks. I will pull the tank tomorrow and check that location. According to my wiring diagram, I see only 3 ground connections; the battery ground, a ground at the neutral switch, and a ground at some unspecified location that comes from the coils and tail lights. That must be the ground you are referring to. I will give it a shot, thanks.

[ccRider246]

Well, I pulled the ignition switch. Before disconnecting power I check for power in at the red when off. That worked. But I got no power out on the starter circuit when on or the tail light circuit when set to park. So I pulled the switch off and tested it with a continuity tester. Suprisingly, that worked exactly as it should. So now I am baffled.

If I make a jump wire and connect between the red and black on the switch coupling, should I get power to the indicator lights or will I just end up blowing a fuse?

[ccRider246]

well, i tried the jumper wire and nothing happened. I checked the ground at the coils and that's still good. I guess I will change the switch and see where that takes me. I just hate replacing parts to see if it solves the problem but the switch shows signs of someone having tried to piclk it in the past so it might be buggered up inside a bit.

[vern401]

Chris do you have a wiring diagram for your bike?
Usualy hondas have the connections for the main harness inside the headlight bucket.
I say usualy since I have seen some that do not.
Do you get power to your fuses when the ignition switch is turned on, or do the have power all the time?

I didnt read the whole thread so I may be asking questions that have been adressed already I will read it all but those are my main questions so far.

[ccRider246]

Yes, I do have the wiring diagram and yes the connections are in a box on the forks. I took the ignition switch apart last night and reassembled it. I accidently assembled the ignition base backwards. When I plugged it in I got power to the oild and neutral lights when the igintion was off. I took the switch apart, disassembled it, reversed the guts of the switch base, and reassembled. This morning I will try it again and see if I have power. I checked the fuses but I didn't check any of the circuitry in the box on the forks.

[ccRider246]

Update: After doing a repair on the switch and charging the battery I tried to start it. No click from the solenoid. I checked the voltage on the battery again and found that it dropped. So I took my 8 month old Die Hard battery back to sears to have it tested. It was bad and they replaced it. So now I am wondering why it went bad so fast. I replaced the solenoid with a new one, charged the new battery, installed the old switch, and she started up fine. I did a voltage drop test at 3000 rpm and found it to be 14.7 so I assume the charging system is good. I removed the old switch from the bike and I should be receiving a new one today.

Here's a question - could a stuck solenoid cause a parasitic amp draw on the battery? After I get my new ignition switch and install it, should I be checking all of the switches on the bike to see if there is a parasitic draw somewhere?

[LukeM]

14.7V with the engine at 3000 rpm sounds about right.  Normally they are below 13V at idle.  I remember seeing a chart showing charging currents at different RPMs.  
There shouldn't be a whole lot of draw on the battery when the key is out.  Granted, there isn't a lot of capacity in the battery (12 amps comes to mind), and depending on age it'll drain down on its own.  A battery tender is a good way to keep the battery up to full charge. Remember to check the battery liquid levels also.  You shouldn't be able to see the bare plates when looking inside.  Use distilled water to top them up, then either ride the bike or put the tender on it to get the solution integrated.  Make sure your connections are good and clean at the battery, and at the solenoid.  The less resistance in that path, the more current your starter gets.

Finding the parasitic draw could be easily done by putting a ammeter in series with one of the battery terminals, and checking the current draw with the key off.  Unless I'm mistaken, there shouldn't be any draw. If there is, you can isolate different sections of the wiring by pulling one side of the associated fuses.  It's not uncommon for bikes of this age to have ground issues or corrosion buildup at different places.  This is the fun part (or so I'm told). I fixed my son's friend's CB550 by tapping on the wiring harness, narrowing it down to the ground connection for the bike (which he secured with a wire nut).  Once that was fixed, the bike started running.

Good luck, and keep us informed.
Luke M

[ccRider246]

Thanks everyone for your help. The problem is now solved with a new ignition switch, new solenoid, and a new battery.