Author Topic: Help wiring aftermarket ignition switch  (Read 1976 times)

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Offline jorwesflow

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Help wiring aftermarket ignition switch
« on: April 13, 2015, 06:22:12 PM »
Stock has five connections, this switch has three. any help? combine? bypass?

1977 CB550K

Offline jorwesflow

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Re: Help wiring aftermarket ignition switch
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2015, 08:51:17 AM »
it's '77 cb550 K

thanks for the help. what about brown wire?
1977 CB550K

Offline mystic_1

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Re: Help wiring aftermarket ignition switch
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2015, 09:46:59 AM »
In the stock configuration, when the key is in the On position, Red is connected to Black and Brown is connected to Brown/White.

Based on the switch you're using, I would simply connect Brown to Brown/White directly, bypassing the switch.  You'll loose the ability to use "parking mode" to turn on the rear tail light only, but your switch lacks that position anyway.

I suspect you won't be using Accessory terminal on that switch at all, but it's hard to be sure without knowing how the switch connects internally, how many positions it has, etc.

mystic_1
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Offline jorwesflow

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Re: Help wiring aftermarket ignition switch
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2015, 12:59:53 PM »
In the stock configuration, when the key is in the On position, Red is connected to Black and Brown is connected to Brown/White.

Based on the switch you're using, I would simply connect Brown to Brown/White directly, bypassing the switch.  You'll loose the ability to use "parking mode" to turn on the rear tail light only, but your switch lacks that position anyway.

I suspect you won't be using Accessory terminal on that switch at all, but it's hard to be sure without knowing how the switch connects internally, how many positions it has, etc.

mystic_1

Switch has three positions:
1: OFF
2: Ignition/Accessory
3: Accessory Only

Couldn't i use the Accessory position for parking mode? if so, do I connect Brown to that terminal, or Brown/White? I attached my full wiring diagram. And I made a little illustration of this. I kind of took a guess as to how the aftermarket switch arrangement goes. Seems right I think
« Last Edit: April 14, 2015, 01:54:44 PM by jorwesflow »
1977 CB550K

Offline jorwesflow

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Re: Help wiring aftermarket ignition switch
« Reply #4 on: April 14, 2015, 01:49:54 PM »
I think part of this is understanding how/why the OE switch is set up the way it is. I don't get why there are two brown wires if they just connect to each other right outside of the switch housing. And what does the dashed circle even mean??
« Last Edit: April 14, 2015, 01:55:03 PM by jorwesflow »
1977 CB550K

Offline jorwesflow

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Re: Help wiring aftermarket ignition switch
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2015, 02:41:17 PM »
I'm quite an electrical amateur, but would this work with a couple diodes? Not that I'm desperate to preserve the "parking" mode of the ignition switch, more hypothetical at this point.

« Last Edit: April 14, 2015, 02:51:26 PM by jorwesflow »
1977 CB550K

Offline mystic_1

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Re: Help wiring aftermarket ignition switch
« Reply #6 on: April 14, 2015, 04:06:31 PM »
And what does the dashed circle even mean??

I suspect that the dashed circles in the diagram may be their attempt to document regional differences between models using the same diagram.

First off, take a look at your actual switch.  Does it have four wire terminals or five?  Every one I've ever seen (here in the USA) has four.  The fifth position in that diagram may represent a switch style that was used in an overseas market.

If you have only four wire terminals on your switch, pretend that the PA column doesn't exist, and that the switch works like shown in other diagrams:



On your bike, Brown/Black picks up switched power from Black via a jumper in the headlight housing.  Brown/Black then passes through the Tail fuse and becomes Brown/White.  Brown/White runs to the gauge backlights, turn signal switch, and ignition switch, where it jumps to Brown in order to illuminate the taillight. 

So, there's no need to feed power to Brown/White at the switch.  Cap that wire off.  Hook Brown to the Accessory terminal so that your taillight picks up switched power from Black instead of from Brown/White.  That's it, all done.  Everything should work in this configuration.


One reason for the stock configuration, tapping taillight power off the switched Brown/White wire, was that some models had an OFF position on the lighting switch, wherein you had ignition power and could drive the bike, but all lighting was off including the tail light.  Later models kept the lights on whenever the key was on, but the design lingered due to parts compatibility issues.

mystic_1
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Offline jorwesflow

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Re: Help wiring aftermarket ignition switch
« Reply #7 on: April 14, 2015, 04:28:14 PM »
Quote from: mystic_1
First off, take a look at your actual switch.  Does it have four wire terminals or five?  Every one I've ever seen (here in the USA) has four.  The fifth position in that diagram may represent a switch style that was used in an overseas market.

I definitely have five terminals, 2 of which are brown.

Quote from: mystic_1
So, there's no need to feed power to Brown/White at the switch.  Cap that wire off.  Hook Brown to the Accessory terminal so that your taillight picks up switched power from Black instead of from Brown/White.  That's it, all done.  Everything should work in this configuration.

But wouldn't this be bypassing the taillight fuse?
1977 CB550K

Offline mystic_1

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Re: Help wiring aftermarket ignition switch
« Reply #8 on: April 14, 2015, 05:08:33 PM »
More like shifting the tail light's load from one fuse to another, it'll be running off the Red circuit which is on the main fuse.  I don't know how tight the tolerances are on the fuse sizing but you may need to upgrade to a slightly heavier main fuse if you do this.  That's about the only downside I'm seeing so far.

mystic_1
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for."
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My build thread:  http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=68952.0