Topic: please help!!!!!bike has electrical problems

[mario medeiros]

1975 cb550f turn on the key and the headlight will not come on and neither does the oil presser light.So the bike will not start,horn works,signals work,starter works but it will not fire up.What should i be looking for.Thanks

[jamesb]

have you checked your fuses

[Rigid]

No simple answer with info given.  You will need a schematic (free here) multimeter, maybe a jumper wire or test light.  I can offer that wires fail less than connectors and switches, start there, after you check the fuses.

[mario medeiros]

Can someone tell me when you turn your key to on what powers the headlight and the oil presser light because when they don't come on my bike will not start but everything else works?

[LesterPiglet]

As stated above check your fuses first.

[mario medeiros]

Fuses are ok?

[LesterPiglet]

Are you sure? Fuses can blow at the ends where you can't see the break.

[mario medeiros]

Ok now i am getting somewhere,the main fuse holder looks like it may have gotten a bit hot as the plastic looks a bit melted.I took a bit of wire and touched the main fuse holder to the headlight fuse and all the lights come on and the bike now starts?What should i do now?Cut out the 2 red wires that go to my main fuse hold and install a inline fuse?Thanks

[mario medeiros]

Swapped out the fuse panel with another and swapped out the ign. key switch with another and neither of them worked any ideas?This bike has allways started great?

[jamesb]

if you want to use the the parts you replaced,make sure your connections are clean use a a brass toothbrush and some electrical cleaner. scrub all your connections good and clean your ground wires. personally i would have left the inline fuse you installed and tried it for a while to see if that fixed your problem. it sounds like you have bad connections.i know these connectors can get a little crusty sometimes.

[DarcyB]

Make sure you keep a fuse inline and don't jumper with wire. A blown fuse is usually an indication of an electrical short (wire touching ground) somewhere in the circuit. Inside the headlight is a good culprit as it's where most of the electrical connections are.

I had a similar issue recently with my 750, but mine was a wire that was supposed to be connected to a signal light buzzer. Hope that helps.

[mario medeiros]

Found it!!!!!!!!!!!bad ground on the kill switch.Thanks everyone who replyed

[Frostyboy]

Found it!!!!!!!!!!!bad ground on the kill switch.Thanks everyone who replyed

 Huh?

[TwoTired]

Found it!!!!!!!!!!!bad ground on the kill switch.Thanks everyone who replyed

 Huh?

Newbies often assume black wires are ground universally, ...and can't read or understand wire diagrams.