headlight switch connector melting

[pennywise]

smoking wires yummmmm

so i recently deleted my tach and speedo but i replaced the speedo with a 1.9 inch speedo, so i got rid of all the tree with the neutral light and all that good stuff and put a new 5 3/4 inch headlight with the h4 bulb

now to the point,

i got it running again but main connector off of the high/low horn and turn signal switch is smoking along with one other separate wire. befor this the battery was junk so i always kick started it but after doing this it would not let me kick start so i put a new battery in and electric start made it fire right up and thats when the wires smoked

any tips or helpful advise would be greatly appreciated.

thanks,

 

[jayel]

poor ground = high resistance = high heat = smoked connectors/wires clean the connectors and run a ground from the FRAME not the fork to the headlight, turn signals, handlebar mounting riser bolt which will take care of grounding the left and right handlebar switches,

 

[pennywise]

ok thats a good idea i shall try that thank you.

 

[CoastsideXS650]

If you let the smoke out of the wires they don't work anymore.

 

[gggGary]

OK you put in a new battery , but NEVER run a bike with a bad battery. There are countless threads on here of guys who did hundreds of dollars damage to charging systems because they were too cheap or dumb to put in a good battery, $30 at farm and fleet.
Then you put in fuses. and start tracing, you have short wired in somewhere. Is this a chopper? a stock bike? 1970? 1983?

PS I like your name......

PPS welcome to the site. Help us help you?

 

[XSLeo]

Don't the English have a saying that goes penny wise, pound foolish. I think that running the bad battery fits under that saying.
Anyway, I agree with Jayel and gggGary, either a bad ground or something shortinmg to ground. Check all you wiring at the headlight.
Leo

 

[retiredgentleman]

It would be a smart move to replace the main 20 amp fuse (if you have any fuseholders on the bike) with a 7.5 amp or maybe even a 5 amp fuse, until you find the offending connection/short circuit. Replacing fuses better than melting wires/switches etc.

 

[pennywise]

okay i will try that stuff, p.s. gggGary haha thanks i thought pennywise would fit well since this stuff is new to me, its a 1977 MAXI MAROON im leaning towards a cafe with it but not fully.

 

[gggGary]

mmm Maxi maroon one of the best stock colors. (in spite of the 70's flower power kind of name)

 

[pennywise]

thatd be what it looks like i enjoy it alot..... when it runs haha

 

[pennywise]

So I was haveing a wire melting issue I found the connector its at, it is the red yellow striped wire going from the key ignition switch to the headlight on/off switch I still can't figure out what is causeing this I have been playing with grounds but yes nothing all I have done to the bike is delete the speedo and tach and the illumination lights such as neutral brake and turn signal. It's a 1977 xs650 need help a.s.a.p this weather is way to nice to be driving a car

 

[pennywise]

i have a 1977 xs650 and i replaced the headlight with a smaller 5 3/4 headlight and the speedo for a 1.9 in speedo and the red wire with a yellow tracer going from the key ignition switch to the headlight on and off switch has a bullet style connector on it and this wire just starts smoking and will burn you if you touch it i played with the few grounds i have and still no difference i can not see a visible short anywhere, anyone with an idea or possible cause, please PLEASE let me know i am at wits end and about to start throwing wrenches.

thank you
i just want to ride

 

[Yamauser]

I'd get out a DMM and start poking around for excessive voltage drops and repair the necessary connectors. I'm currently working out similar problems on my Seca.

 

[jayel]

if the ground to the FRAME not the fork is good probably dirty switch, either handlebar or ignition, fork bearings make poor grounds

 

[gggGary]

Here's the wiring diagram (thanks to member Jayel)

View attachment 22982

bigger here http://www.xs650.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=22982&d=1354245855
Sorry to say but since you have been messing with wires in the headlight bucket (gauges, indicators) the odds are rather good that's where the problem is. Or a wire pinched between the switch body and handlebar.

 

[gggGary]

Since you are changing stuff the 77 has that goofy light checker and a resistor probably best to get rid of all the back and forth wires to that and just go from the headlight on off to the high low switch and then to the headlight. The bike is old, wiring problems happen. Finding them can be a fun exercise.

 

[pennywise]

so i followed the wiring diagram (thanks) and i found that the reserve lighting unit smelt fried i tried the whole jumper wire from the blue/black to the blue/yellow and still nothing
you are correct this is an exercise for sure.

 

[pennywise]

so i have 12 volts to the main switch but when i turn the main switch key on i drop down to .35 or whatever volts i started 1 by one unpluging wires till it jumped back to 12v and when i unplugged the light on off switch wires it jumped back but i still have no electric start no horn so im a little confused

 

[jayel]

so i have 12 volts to the main switch but when i turn the main switch key on i drop down to .35 or whatever volts i started 1 by one unpluging wires till it jumped back to 12v and when i unplugged the light on off switch wires it jumped back but i still have no electric start no horn so im a little confused

should be a black ground wire from the left hand switch that grounds the starter and horn thru the handlebar when button is pushed, painted or non-chrome bars won't let those switches ground, if you're dropping to .35v with that r/y wire plugged in it sound like it's shorted, pinched by switch to handlebar?

 

[pennywise]

i have chrome bars and i took the switches off and i could not visually see anything i mean there was a little corrosion in there on the contacts but they were still shiny where they made contact hmmm