Topic: Honda 550 side light issues.

[Kylegent]

Hello folks.
New member here in need of some electrical help. My CB550F f2 has decided to start playing up just before mot time.
It’s been sat in the garage for around 5 years since it was last used.
Everything works as it should. Except for the side lights. Main headlight works. And the front and rear side light work as ‘parking ‘ lights. But when I use the switch to side/pilot light nothing. No light on the front or rear. And the clocks don’t light up either.

I’m thinking it’s the switch on the handle bars. As if it was a wiring issue the parking lights wouldn’t work either.

Any help would be great. I’m in the uk if that makes any difference on the spec of the bike.

Thanks all.

[BenelliSEI]

Kyle...... we need to clarify some terminology and perhaps different wiring for Brit bikes? On most of my cb750s, the turn signals (pairs of orange lens lamps, front and rear) only flash when the turn signals are activated. My later K8, also has a set of orange markers (less bright filament on the two pole bulb in the front turn signal housing) that come on as “running lights” but only when the head lamp is on (hi or lo). The “parking light” is the rear tail light only, and only comes on by itself when the key is clockwise to the last (Park) setting. Our head lamps also don’t have a small parking bulb, if yours does it likely would also come on with the key in that last position?........ if yours is wired differently, help will likely have to come from members in your area.

[FourUsTry]

The instrument lights are always on so the handlebar switch should not be relevant. I'd start pulling the headlight and cleaning up all connections in there and along the harness and reconnect with a bit of dielectric grease. If the turn signals still don't work then check/clean the switch and the flasher unit. And even though the headlight works I'd consider a fresh battery after 5 years.


Good luck!

[Kylegent]

Hi guys. My ‘turn signals ‘ work fine. Everything but the ‘side lights’ work electrically.

I’ve got a new battery. That’s fully charged.

In reply to the wiring differences. I have 4x turn signal lamps that’s are seperate to the regular lights.
On the Brit bikes. The parking light also uses the front headlight unit via a different bulb (little 5v one)
So both front and rear lights come on when you flick the key all the way to the right.
This function works as it should. Which is leading me to it not being a wiring issue.

I’ll assume over in the US.  You guys refer to side lights as position lamps? Which I’ll imagine you guys don’t have in your wiring system like the UK models.


Thanks for the help so far.

[jaytee-nz]

Kyle - if your bike is a UK model I don't believe it has side / position lights. if you compare the wiring diagrams for the US model versus the UK model you will see that the US diagram refers to the  "turn signal and position light" where the UK model only refers to them as "turn signal light".
See the F2 supplement here - http://manuals.sohc4.net/cb550/

[BenelliSEI]

Assuming side lights are a separate lamp, each signal housing would have a dual filament build (1157) and double post sockets?

[jaytee-nz]

Based on the wiring diagrams, the side lights are the turn signals and not separate lights. They are designed to stay on until the switch is used to active them as turn signals.

[Honda3]

Assuming side lights are a separate lamp, each signal housing would have a dual filament build (1157) and double post sockets?

On my 73 500F its 1156 in the front and 1157 in the rear

[Bodi]

I believe the marker lights are only on the front (on models with them), definitely on Canadian models that's the situation. So 1157 dual filament up front, 1156 single filament in rear. I think the original bulbs were different numbers though, slightly different wattages.

[bryanj]

Come talk to us on the UK forum mate plus its probably over 40 yrs old so dont need an mot as its free road tax

[Kylegent]

Have you got a link to the uk forum mate.
Appreciate all the help from people above.

[robvangulik]

There you go http://www.sohc.co.uk

[Kylegent]

Much abbliged mate.