Several XS650 (G?) wiring questions - no headlight, no indicators and more!

sidkn33

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Hi all,

Thanks in advance for any pointers.
I am in the UK and have a US import XS650 with plastic side panels, single tap tank and take off seat - G model? Special / Special II?
I am using a stock loom, that is in OK condition, but many of the connector blocks are brittle and broken - I presume from sun baking, but otherwise, decent.

I am using Clymer manual with its black and white coded wiring diagram.
I have several electrical problems

  1. Indicators/Turn signals
    Clymer says my indicator cable should be Dark Green - it's totally a light green, almost mint colour at top and tail of the bike
    My right hand turn (not) dark green wire terminates in a double female bullet connector - why would the turn signal need to flow onto somewhere else other than the bulb and which wire is supposed to connect to the other female socket here?
    With the ignition on, and all indicators wired correctly (as far as I can see!) I get only one front indicator lit and it does not flash - there is no sound from the indicator relay under the tank and I've swapped the relay already to no effect.
    Also, the indicator switch on the left handle bar control does nothing - the front right hand turn lights up, solid and only turns off with the ignition switch !

  2. Headlight does not come on after ignition - strange yellow wire near alternator wiring block
    There is an unconnected yellow wire with a male bullet connection, coming out of the loom, next to the bundle that connects via a block to the alternator wires.
    I can see no female bullet yellow wire anywhere in the vicinity to connect this yellow wire to.
    If I jump this yellow wire to the 12v positive battery - the headlamp comes on, stays on until ignition goes off.
    This does NOT affect the turn signal operation - it remains as 1.
    I have tried to read up and understand the safety relay behaviour but nowhere have I seen a reference to a lonely yellow male connector next to the alternator block, that would turn my headlamp on, as above - why?

  3. Headlamp bowl wiring - front brake switch etc
    Clymer says my front brake light switch is Br and G/Y
    but my brake light does not come on when I pull the brake lever and anyway, the colours leading from my front brake switch, are black and black yellow and connect to a green connector block in the headlamp bowl, that certainly appears to be OEM and comes up inside via the main loom plastic shielding.
    (This front switch does NOT currently work the brake light but the rear brake switch, works fine via brake pedal)
    I DO have a brown wire in the headlamp bowl but it presents to a dual connector and I currently have the other brown wire connected to that dual connector - is that correct and if so, what connects to the second female bullet socket?
    I also have a Green/Yellow wire, not connected to anything
    And I have a very dark green (?) wire not connected to anything.
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Yeah... you got a mess there... compliments of the PO. :rolleyes: Need to nail down the year of your bike first. Put up some side pics so we can see what you have.
In the Tech section there's colorized schematics. Have a look here.
 
It sounds like an '80+ model. Here's a good diagram for it. I think 5Twins knows of some small error with it, but it's one I use

The dark green and brown turn signal wires. Without checking my bike, I'd be very surprised if they didn't come out of the same bundle. Hopefully the any big changes are limited to inside the bucket. On mine, in a couple places I had to trace back some new wire to where it connects to the old wire of the right color, ti figure out what's going on.

81XS650_WIRING_(fixed).jpg
 
I think the yellow in the second photo is the stater yellow that goes to the safety relay. Just guessing. does it go to the connector with the 3 white wires that comes from the alternator ?
 
Usually the front indicators connect together in the headlamp shell with the indicator lamp itself and the repeater amber in the dash cluster.
 
Here's the yellow wire from the alternator. I think it comes from the central connection of the three phase generator and is about 6V when on.

What happens is... yellow wire gets energized with generator is running. Coil of SR is engergized, opening normally closed SR and removing power from starter. Simultaneousy...LR is energized through the diode and normally open LR is closed, turning on the headlight. Once it's turned on it actually keeps itself turned on through that resistor as long as R/Y is energized.

lighting relay.jpg
 
Thanks for the colour diagram - I have a copy of that and it's useful, but I find those things really difficult to read - particularly for example. when you have multiple black wires going into the headlamp bowl and then which one goes to which
It's definitely 1980+ model - with plastic side panels - I've customised the body work and tank and adapted an SR500 seat to work
There's an oil sight-glass on the right side engine case.
Non oem bi-wire turn signals and LED rear light - otherwise, electrics are standard, I haven't modded anything, I've just taken the loom off when I tore down the bike and not done a good job of recording the connections!
IMG_20200404_134815.jpg
 
Usually the front indicators connect together in the headlamp shell with the indicator lamp itself and the repeater amber in the dash cluster.
Thanks - so you mean the second connection from the green turn signal wire, should feed the indicator (amber) instrument light?
I thought the amber lamp was fed in a dedicated bundle/block, which I've already connected (inside the headlight)?
 
Here's the yellow wire from the alternator. I think it comes from the central connection of the three phase generator and is about 6V when on.

What happens is... yellow wire gets energized with generator is running. Coil of SR is engergized, opening normally closed SR and removing power from starter. Simultaneousy...LR is energized through the diode and normally open LR is closed, turning on the headlight. Once it's turned on it actually keeps itself turned on through that resistor as long as R/Y is energized.

View attachment 164100
Again, many thanks, but where does this lonely yellow wire on my bike, need to connect to and why might there be no record of its existence that I can see on the wiring schematic?
I have a yellow wire in both sides of the connector block on the right side under the battery (leading to the light and safety relays) which is what your diagram refers to - isn't it? Not the odd yellow wire on my bike!
 
Your pic shows it's an '80+ and modified in an unusually nice way by somebody with a good eye
Well, thank you, those style mods are mine and the eye would be mine too. I bought it as a standard "special".
This is the first time I've posted a pic of the machine online anywhere so I'm glad of the feedback....!
 
Again, many thanks, but where does this lonely yellow wire on my bike, need to connect to and why might there be no record of its existence that I can see on the wiring schematic?
What you'll have to do if you can't find it on a diagram is just trace it back to something you recognize. Simple but maybe psychologically daunting if you aren't used to it
 
Well, thank you, those style mods are mine and the eye would be mine too. I bought it as a standard "special".
Where is the seat from? On my '81 I use an older rear fender with taillight to help with loading packs on it. The seat looks pretty bad where the stock taillight is removed
 
Where is the seat from? On my '81 I use an older rear fender with taillight to help with loading packs on it. The seat looks pretty bad where the stock taillight is removed
It's an SR400 seat (with a plastic pan vs steel SR500) - the rear panel on it, does a good job of sitting over and hiding the bulbous rear frame.
I had to cut back the left and right lower sides to make the seat work with the sidepanels and make the seat line up and look nice.
It just about latches at the front without modification and is then bolted on via a bolt pushed through the seat pan and secured and a hole drilled through the rear fender.
 
I'm very surprised there isn't a good selection of aftermarket seats for Specials. One thing that would probably sell like Pamcos, I'd buy it anyway, is a molded piece that bolts on where the taillight went. Could look like it came from the factory if it was done right. Complicated curves and angles so it would have to be molded or printed
 
That "lonely" yellow wire by the stator plugs is the other end of the yellow wire in the connctor at the safety relay. There should be a cloth covered yellow wire coming out of the loom from the stator for it to plug into .....

LrbvgGA.jpg
 
The oil sight glass on your right engine side cover could indicate you have an '81H model. That model would have a green plug in the headlight bucket with a black and black/yellow wire coming from a clutch safety switch on the clutch lever. It wouldn't be for your front brake light switch. The '81 wiring diagram indicates that would use brown and green/yellow wires.
 
I'd strip it down and re wire the whole thing. It's likely some of the insulation is cracked. Keep your major components for reuse.
 
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