Author Topic: '77 550F ground wire (NOW WITH PICS!!!) (Read 3671 times)

Jugghead · « **on:** January 29, 2007, 04:12:00 PM »

Hey all, I was working on my brothers (new) 77 550F last night and noticed a weird wiring setup.
Here's the scene since i can't post pics...
Under the seat where the battery is, the wiring harness is visible.
There is one main junction with many wires connecting, and just behind it is a ground wire coming out, all by itself a few inches back.
I discovered this ground wire was connected to the negative terminal on the battery and said, "That's weird. Never seen that before."
It didn't make sense to me logically, so I checked my 350F and saw the equivalent ground wire (roughly the same location) connected to the frame instead.
I checked the 77 550F USA wiring diagram schematic, and think i deciphered that this ground wire is supposed to go to the frame as well.
I secured it under the the front airbox mount nut in the same manner as the 350F. Thereby grounding it to the frame.
Was this correct thing to do?
Should it go somewhere else?
This thread only added to my confusion:
http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=2741.0
Why would someone connect that ground wire to the negative battery terminal?
What effect might that have?
Thanks, and i eagerly await confirmation on my assumption.

KB02 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 29, 2007, 04:41:27 PM »

The ground wire will normally go from the battery (Negative terminal) to the frame. Thus basically completing the cuircut since all power eventualy grounds out (and back up into the battery).

You don't really mention what the other end of the ground strap is connected to, though, in your post.

Jugghead · « **Reply #2 on:** January 29, 2007, 04:47:12 PM »

sorry, the free end is connected to the frame now, and it leads into the harness, going who knows where.

750goes · « **Reply #3 on:** January 29, 2007, 04:51:52 PM »

Ground it out, and all will be well unless its connected to another non-green wire somewhere in the harness.....maybe test it for voltage first.....

medic09 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 29, 2007, 04:59:19 PM »

Not sure I understood. I know on the 750 K8, I have a few 'extra' grounds. One up front, one by the coils, one by the electrics under the left sidecover. Was this just a little green wire with a connector on the end, or something else?

Jugghead · « **Reply #5 on:** January 29, 2007, 05:43:47 PM »

Quote from: medic09 on January 29, 2007, 04:59:19 PM

Not sure I understood. I know on the 750 K8, I have a few 'extra' grounds. One up front, one by the coils, one by the electrics under the left sidecover. Was this just a little green wire with a connector on the end, or something else?

I think you got it medic, it is just a little green wire with a connector on the end. It is by the battery under the side cover (not on the electrics side) It is coming out of the wiring harness all by itself. It was originally connected the the negative(minus) terminal of the battery. Now I connected to the frame. The Wiring diagram didn't show any grounds going to the battery, but it did show an isolated ground to frame.
I think i got it right. It could have been fine before, too.
I just never dealt with electrics and don't want to invite gremlins/shorts/ overloads by having random wires connected to my battery!.
Thanks for the help on a really dumb, probably simple problem.

medic09 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 29, 2007, 05:54:40 PM »

Quote from: Jugghead on January 29, 2007, 05:43:47 PM

Quote from: medic09 on January 29, 2007, 04:59:19 PM
Not sure I understood. I know on the 750 K8, I have a few 'extra' grounds. One up front, one by the coils, one by the electrics under the left sidecover. Was this just a little green wire with a connector on the end, or something else?

I think you got it medic, it is just a little green wire with a connector on the end. It is by the battery under the side cover (not on the electrics side) It is coming out of the wiring harness all by itself. It was originally connected the the negative(minus) terminal of the battery. Now I connected to the frame. The Wiring diagram didn't show any grounds going to the battery, but it did show an isolated ground to frame.
I think i got it right. It could have been fine before, too.
I just never dealt with electrics and don't want to invite gremlins/shorts/ overloads by having random wires connected to my battery!.
Thanks for the help on a really dumb, probably simple problem.

Definately not dumb. But you came to the right place to get help. I know zero about electrics, but the guys here have patiently talked me through whatever I needed. Stick around...

TwoTired · « **Reply #7 on:** January 29, 2007, 06:11:14 PM »

I have 2 77CB550 a 76 and 75. None of them have an extra green wire connected to the battery. The negative battery cable goes directly to the Engine/frame mount. All the green wires on the bike collect and terminate on the frame at an ignition coil mount under the tank. The nearest green wires I can find to the battery are the stop light switch for the foot pedal, and the bundle that feeds the tail lighting group (lots of green wires there).

From your description, I'd have to assume that your wire harness has been buggared.

Cheers,

Jugghead · « **Reply #8 on:** January 29, 2007, 06:24:45 PM »

Thanks, Two Tired, for the info. That may be the case.
It "could" hopefully be original, and not buggered, and just be the ground that is coming from the tail light stop switch...
I am going to try and get a picture of it tomorrow and show you guys.

Also, when your 77 550F bike is on and running, are your front winkers on until you hit the turn signal(flasher)?
What about your back winkers? are they on all the time or off all the time (until triggered by the signal (flasher)switch)??
Are front and back different? Thanks. this may turn into a wiring nightmare $:-\$

TwoTired · « **Reply #9 on:** January 29, 2007, 06:44:15 PM »

The fronts are running/marker lights until turn selected, then they wink bright to dark.
The rears only wink bright to dark.

The front bulb are two filament and the rears are single filament.

I think DOT regs. require any bulb facing rearward and constantly on to be red, flashers can be yellow.

Cheers,

paulages · « **Reply #10 on:** January 30, 2007, 12:30:12 AM »

i'm with two tired---someone's probably been buggering with your harness. if i remember right, my '76 550 F has the main green ground wire grounding out at the ignition coil mounting bracket. my guess is that someone thought they'd go straight to the source (negative terminal), rather than allowing the green (ground) circuit to travel through the frame. i'm no electrical engineer, but i imagine that honda had better reasoning for this than saving a few inches of wire...

KB02 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 30, 2007, 05:04:17 AM »

Quote from: TwoTired on January 29, 2007, 06:44:15 PM

The fronts are running/marker lights until turn selected, then they wink bright to dark.
The rears only wink bright to dark.

The front bulb are two filament and the rears are single filament.

I think DOT regs. require any bulb facing rearward and constantly on to be red, flashers can be yellow.

Cheers,

That's correct. Your blinkers are fine.

I guess I was confused on the origanal post. I didn't understand that it was a random wire coming out of the loom. I thought it was the ground strap itself you were talking about (silly me).

You'd probably be fine with thee wire as it is. I had my Mechanic wire up some relays for my on Ducati and he wired everything right to the battery (+ and -). I guess there's not too much to worry about. But you're better off with it attached to the frame like it was origanally.

paulages · « **Reply #12 on:** January 30, 2007, 09:34:16 AM »

okay, i just realized what you were talking about...i was misled by some of the other replies. if you are talking about a loose green with a simple connector, this is normal, and on the wiring diagram as an extra going nowhere. every one of em i've seen has it.

TwoTired · « **Reply #13 on:** January 30, 2007, 10:22:13 AM »

Quote from: paulages on January 30, 2007, 09:34:16 AM

okay, i just realized what you were talking about...i was misled by some of the other replies. if you are talking about a loose green with a simple connector, this is normal, and on the wiring diagram as an extra going nowhere. every one of em i've seen has it.

While there ARE extra unterminated green wires on the bike...

Quote from: Jugghead on January 29, 2007, 05:43:47 PM

... it is just a little green wire with a connector on the end. It is by the battery under the side cover (not on the electrics side) It is coming out of the wiring harness all by itself.

This is NOT normal on any of my 550s.

A picture of the offending wire and location would likely clear up confusion, post haste.

Cheers,

Jugghead · « **Reply #14 on:** January 30, 2007, 01:11:28 PM »

Oops, Pic link to my gallery photo didn't work. here is the image link
http://www.sohc4.us/gallery/v/members/personal/jugghead/GrndWirePic.jpg.html
Thanks all for the interest and help!!

This green wire was previously connected to the negative (minus) terminal on the battery.
I moved it directly to the frame (as seen in photo) to mimic my 350F setup.
Does it matter where it goes?

750goes · « **Reply #15 on:** January 30, 2007, 01:38:18 PM »

The spade fitting on the end of the wire and the heat shrink around it leads me to think this is an after manufacture addition or enhancmenet of your bikes wiring harness....

Jugghead · « **Reply #16 on:** January 30, 2007, 01:50:32 PM »

Quote from: 750goes on January 30, 2007, 01:38:18 PM

The spade fitting on the end of the wire and the heat shrink around it leads me to think this is an after manufacture addition or enhancmenet of your bikes wiring harness....

It's possible, but my old 9/72 manufacture 350F has the same spade connector, same ground coming out, going to this spot where i remounted the 550F ground.
As far as i know, the 350F harness is original, and it really does a great job recharging my battery. amazing, actually.
I guess I am just asking is: Will this affect the battery charging? Should it be instead fed to the battery where it was before? and Is this safe?
thanks
also, for Two Tired, do your 77 550Fs (not K) have this feature(single ground coming out at this point in the harness) as well? or is this indeed a modification?

paulages · « **Reply #17 on:** January 30, 2007, 05:10:19 PM »

that's not the loose green found on my harnesses. looks buggered to me.

medic09 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 30, 2007, 06:16:53 PM »

Not the same as on my 750K, either.

TwoTired · « **Reply #19 on:** January 31, 2007, 12:45:15 AM »

Your wiring doesn't look like my bikes either. And, the heat shrink doesn't look like Honda manufacture. You should probably check under your tank for a wire harness ground attached to the coil mount. I would also look for additional equipment mounted on the bike that might have needed additional wiring.
Since I don't know what that wire is routed to, I can't tell if it is better placed on the Bat terminal or the frame.

Here are pics of my 77 CB550F stocker that I'm fairly confident has never been disturbed. The two leads on the battery are my battery charger plug. Ignore them. The lower right corner pic is my 77 550F parts bike to show where the green frame ground ring lug exits the wire harness. The coils were removed from this bike, so it isn't attached at the moment.

Cheers,

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Author Topic: '77 550F ground wire (NOW WITH PICS!!!) (Read 3671 times)