Topic: What's the most likely cause for my neutral light to be stuck on?

[juntjoo]

Happened after taking off the seat and tank and doing something with my carbs. Don't know if that was when I did something to cause it or not. I'm guessing there is a switch down there after that bundle of wrapped wires enters the transmission case on the left side. Is this a mechanical or electrical problem? Anyone dealt with this before? Maybe I should point out that my tyranny works pretty good save for a bit of fiddling I have to do getting it into neutral. It either works perfectly or I can only get it into neutral while the bike is in motion. Sometimes I'll have to carefully do it by hand while at a stop or parking. And sometimes I'll be in neutral but the light won't indicate so. But generally it works right.

Thanks

[Patrick]

You have two different issues. The neutral light comes on when the neutral circuit is completed. I would check the wire to your neutral switch to make sure it is not pinched between the cases, grounding out. The inability to find neutral its a clutch adjustment. Completely different issue.

Patrick

[Bodi]

The gears mesh with dogs on their sides, so if you want to get in gear and they are interfering the gears have to turn a bit to slide together. But getting neutral should only be pulling the 2nd or 1st gears apart... so they can't really be interfering but could jam if the dogs have been undercut...  Anyway, maybe it's just balky because the clutch adjustment isn't letting it completely disengage. Maybe the shift forks are worn or bent or the drum is worn.
Depending on model the switch is a bit different but they all mechanically connect to the shift drum to close a contact when it's rotated to the neutral detent. The switch can get dirty/stuck or wear out.
Also depending on model/year there may be a starter safety unit (SSU) or a diode to allow electric starting only if in gear AND declutched, or if in neutral. The SSU could fail and make the light and starting ability act strange. The diode can only fail two ways: the starter won't work in neutral with clutch engaged, or the neutral light always comes on when the clutch is disengaged.
You could have pulled a harness connector apart a bit so the neutral switch connection is intermittent The neutral switch wire goes through the engine plug, have a look at that.

[jakec]

For the neutral issue I would start by checking your oil level. I have this really nice CL175 and it was getting REALLY crunching in between 1-N-2. I would also get some clutch slippage under hard acceleration. I was reallly confused because it would only happen when the bike was hot. I checked the oil and it was showing about 40% on the dipstick. I put in about 600ml (the bike only takes 1500). After that the issue went away. Moral of the story is to always do an oil change yourself after buying a new bike.

[bryanj]

Would help to know what bike

[robvangulik]

Still the same cb650 I'm afraid

[bryanj]

That switch is similar to 500/550 and it is so close to the sprocket it could be full of crud, check under the sprocket cover

[evinrude7]

Wiring block that sits behind the air cleaner. That was my issue once on a 750

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[kerryb]

'82 cb650sc...Pull the side cover and the seat.  find the two-wire connector that comes up out of the engine case.  This will have a green wire with a red ring on the end of it, that is the wire to the neutral switch.  Follow this wire to the engine case. you may have to pull the shift lever and the engine side cover to follow this wire all the way to the switch where it is plugged in.  If this wire is pinched or frayed to the point that it can ground out against the frame or engine, that will turn on the neutral switch.

[kerryb]

Continued...If the cause isn't apparent by the time you find the neutral switch, check to be sure the wire is plugged into the switch.  And then check to see if something has gotten into the switch to cause it to be shorted out or held closed by a piece of gunk!
Note :  the switch in the pictures never closes because the cam that closes it is worn down to the point that it doesn't make contact with the switch at all...the neutral won't come on...ever.
CORRECTION...the switch in the pictures doesn't work because the cam is too dirty!  see a later post for updated pictures and explaination.
Last pic, I think it's time I cleaned the cam for this bike!

[Patrick]

Kerry, for every every tranny I've seen, the neutral switch engages when a notch on the cam lines up, allowing the switch on the of pf the neutral switch to pop up, completing the circuit. If your neutral light is not coming on it likely is not because it is not making contact with anything. That would leave the light on all the time. You might want to try a new switch, or check your neutral light bulb.

Just a thought.

Patrick

[Don R]

 It says stuck on. What have you checked so far?

[kerryb]

Kerry, for every every tranny I've seen, the neutral switch engages when a notch on the cam lines up, allowing the switch on the of pf the neutral switch to pop up, completing the circuit. If your neutral light is not coming on it likely is not because it is not making contact with anything. That would leave the light on all the time. You might want to try a new switch, or check your neutral light bulb.

Just a thought.

Patrick

I kept rereading this post to try and understand it...struggled most with "allowing the switch on the of pf the neutral switch to pop up"  never did understand that but decided to look again to see what I missed.
Sure enough, I missed the brass contact ring buried in the gunk on the cam.  So I cleaned it (the cam) and bent the contact finger on the switch out ever so slightly, and viola la! the switch works fine.  the neutral light is grounded through the connection between the switch finger and the cam insert to the engine case (ground).  hope this helps, I know I feel better!

it's all part of the adventure!

[juntjoo]

Wow, thanks guys. I haven't checked anything yet as it's no emergency but I wanna get it fixed. I'll update asap

[juntjoo]

I wonder if my dead stator is the cause of this! I just took it out and learned of this neutral switch indicator attached to the wiring. Dead stator = broken neutral switch? I'm hopefully thinking "yes!"

[Bodi]

Alternator and neutral switch are separate independent circuits. Their wires are kinda close together but that's all.
Key-on power goes to the indicator light and its ground is switched by the transmission neutral switch. A stuck on switch could be a bad switch, loose wire at the switch touching metal, wire damaged and touching metal somewhere else, misconnected harness wiring, or something very wrong in the SSU if you have one.