Author Topic: Dead CB750K6. It's electrical. Checked the obvious things. What's next?  (Read 1518 times)

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AwesomeCB

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Noticed brake light wasn't working at neither front lever nor rear pedal. Other taillight and rest of lights working fine.

Checked taillight bulb, and it looked fine. Looked for loose wires like at brake switch. Nothing found.

Turned key again and this time nothing turns on -- no lights, nada. All dead.

Checked fuses, they look okay too. Checked battery, it reads 11.93v.

Checked inside headlight shell for loose wires -- nothing there.

Those are the obvious things, I think, with my limited understanding of electrical troubleshooting.

I must have a short somewhere, right? One moment I had lights and then the next, nada. I'm supposing that I've jiggled a connection but everything looks okay as best as I can tell.

Can someone suggest what I might take a look at next? Thanks.

Offline flybox1

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block connectors, in your headlight and behind it, also at your electrical panel.
fuses....they may look good, but check them for continuity
fuse holder.  take it out and look at the back for signs of heat.
'78 750K (F3 engine) PD42b's, Modified airbox w/K&N  filter, 40/110 jets, 1 needle shim, IMS@ 1 turn out. Kerker + Cone 18" QuietCore

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Offline dave500

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11.9 is a flat battery,might have a dead cell and cant supply any load although it shows some voltage.

Offline flybox1

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11.9 is a flat battery,might have a dead cell and cant supply any load although it shows some voltage.
+1 dave.
a good battery should read north of 12.6v

get in on a trickle charger. 
'78 750K (F3 engine) PD42b's, Modified airbox w/K&N  filter, 40/110 jets, 1 needle shim, IMS@ 1 turn out. Kerker + Cone 18" QuietCore

Past Bikes
1974 550K0 (stock), 1973 CB350F (stock), 1983 Yamaha XS400K (POS)
77/78 cool 2 member #3
"Knowledge without mileage equals bullsh!t" - Henry Rollins

"This is my CB. There are many like it, but this one is mine…"

Offline dave500

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key switch might be funky or the connector on the back?

Offline Bodi

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If the fuses are all good, and you checked the back of the fuseholder (a cover should come off) and the wires are stiff attached... next in line is the main switch. That connects fused power to everything else, with it coming back to the other fused for distribution.
Get a cheap meter, or attach wires to a signal bulb (a known good one!) and use that for a voltage detector. Work through the circuit - from ground to battery +, then to MAIN fuse both ends, then to keyswitch red, then to keyswitch black.... etc etc etc.

Offline HondaMan

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The START button may have finally melted. This switch provides all lighting power when it is released, and often riders install too much headlight (halgoen, 80w, etc.) and the extra current melts the unpressed contacts, warping the switch. The START side often still works, though.

You can bypass it for now inside the headlight: there will be a Black/Red (or it might be Black/Yellow) wire form that switch coming to the headlight and it goes to the middle fuse on the fuseblock, then back to the headlight to provide the power to the lights. It returns to the headlight usually as either Brown/Red (if Honda did it) or as Brown/White (if the assembly tech did it backward, still works), then supplies power to the lefthand switch Hi/Lo switch, and as Brown/White to the rest of the lights. Just unplug the Black/Red from the switch and plug the returning Brown/Red into that hole and the lights will light up again. You will not be able to turn off the headlight, though, during Start.

If it is the switch, you can get a new one: if you have a halogen headlight, it will melt again. I make a relay kit that will stop this nonsense...
See SOHC4shop@gmail.com for info about the gadgets I make for these bikes.

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AwesomeCB

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Problem solved. Charged the batt overnight and it read 12.45v in the morning, better than yesterday. Bike fired right up and all the lights worked except the brake light. Figuring it was time for a new batt anyway, I went to one of the few places that had a replacement, bent over the Honda dealer counter and let him have his way with me. New batt in bike is copacetic.

Now, back to brake light. Check wiring again, esp. g/y under seat and at taillight. Fine. Check front brake switch. Fine. Check rear brake switch.

Hello? Vas ist das? Brake switch jammed at a weird angle and spring pulling on pin. Reseated switch and wunderbar, brake light is working again.

I don’t know when that happened but I’m guessing when I kicked started the bike, I must have brushed the switch with my boot or caught a pants leg — dunno.

I appreciate all the advice. I learned a few things and fixed a small problem that I was not aware of while troubleshooting. Thank you.
« Last Edit: June 16, 2018, 09:24:35 AM by AwesomeCB »

Offline Patrick

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You might still have an issue with that battery. Fresh of the charger it should read over 13. After resting off the charger overnight you should get a reading much closer to 12.7v. I believe you have a dead cell.

And you haven't yet gotten to the root of your problem. Even a battery with a dead cell is going to run your lights an probably will turn the starter enough to start.

Patrick
« Last Edit: June 16, 2018, 10:22:44 AM by Patrick »
1970 CB750 K0
1982 VF750S Sabre
1987 VT1100 Shadow
1979 Yamaha XS11
1969 Yamaha DT1B
etc.

AwesomeCB

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I did replace the battery. I was so keen on doing it today that I bought it locally instead of online and paid $40 or more than if I had waited.

Offline Patrick

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Take back where you bought and and have them check it. Alternately, you are not getting a good reading.
1970 CB750 K0
1982 VF750S Sabre
1987 VT1100 Shadow
1979 Yamaha XS11
1969 Yamaha DT1B
etc.

AwesomeCB

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Take back where you bought and and have them check it. Alternately, you are not getting a good reading.

You missed something. The old batt read fine after an overnight charge, nevertheless, it was about time to be replaced, so I bought a new one.

Offline Patrick

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OK. I am not sure what you think I missed. You posted your readings and I told you what I think they mean. You know the guy who sold you the battery better than you know me, so I guess you're better off trusting him. Whatever.
1970 CB750 K0
1982 VF750S Sabre
1987 VT1100 Shadow
1979 Yamaha XS11
1969 Yamaha DT1B
etc.

AwesomeCB

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OK. I am not sure what you think I missed. You posted your readings and I told you what I think they mean. You know the guy who sold you the battery better than you know me, so I guess you're better off trusting him. Whatever.

1. My old battery read 11.xxv. This is the battery that was in the bike when I acquired it.
2. I charged it and it read 12.xx
3. I concluded the battery was faulty, even though the reading after charging was 12.xxv.
4. I bought a new battery and charged it. It reads 12.xxv Bike starts up. All the lights work.

I don't know why you keep saying the Honda guy sold me a faulty battery. Never said anything of the sort.

Offline American Locomotive

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Make sure the bike is actually charging the battery when running.