Author Topic: 1978 CB550K4 Electrical Help  (Read 1455 times)

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Offline mwah

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1978 CB550K4 Electrical Help
« on: January 19, 2021, 04:48:10 PM »
I am rebuilding a 1978 CB550K4, however, I am currently stuck with an electrical issue.

Setup:
Stock reproduction handlebar switches from 4into1
Wiring harness from 4into1
Shorai battery
modern rec/reg
LED 2 prong flasher relay
Supernova LED brake/blinker/running lights from revival cycles

The issue I'm having is that I cannot get power to the running lights. Weird thing is that they will blink when the blinker switch is turned on. They will also light up when I turn the key to the "P" position. Fuses seem to be fine. Any idea why this is happening?

Any help would greatly be appreciated. Ive been stuck on this for the better half a week already. Thought it was the key switch but that doesn't seem to be the case (smashed the original one trying to open it up to see if any wires were not attached. Have since ordered and installed a replacement). What could it be?
« Last Edit: January 19, 2021, 05:17:07 PM by mwah »

Offline 69cb750

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Re: 1978 CB550K4 Electrical Help
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2021, 05:51:20 PM »
If you have double filament bulbs running light is brown/white wire.

Offline mwah

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Re: 1978 CB550K4 Electrical Help
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2021, 06:23:58 PM »
I do have a wiring diagram and have plugged the LEDs into the right wires, or so I think I have. The problem is that I get no voltage coming out of the brown/white wire. I only get that LED to flash when the blinker is turned on or the key is switched to "P".

Offline HondaMan

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Re: 1978 CB550K4 Electrical Help
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2021, 06:42:10 PM »
I do have a wiring diagram and have plugged the LEDs into the right wires, or so I think I have. The problem is that I get no voltage coming out of the brown/white wire. I only get that LED to flash when the blinker is turned on or the key is switched to "P".

This sounds a bit like a mis-conneciton in the headlight? But first - which 550 do you have? The early ones use the keyswitch under the gas tank, front of frame. The later ones use the key up by the instruments. These main harnesses are different, as are the keyswitch connections, and some imaginative wiring changes have to happen to mesh the 2 different types. The handlebars switches are a little different, too, which may be where the issue starts, here. The vendors often don't know the difference, with 4into1 being the least aware of which parts fits which bikes, in my experience with them. If it wasn't electrical, they can be good about exchanging stuff for the correct part when they mess up, though, so they aren't "bad" vendors, just confused sometimes.

The Running Lights and the Parking Lights are the same circuit, the Brown-White wire stuff. These are also on their own fuse in the fusebox.
The Turn Signals are powered via the Black wire system: it reaches the turn lamps via the flasher when the TRUN switch is in either position.
See SOHC4shop.com for info about the gadgets I make for these bikes.

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Offline mwah

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Re: 1978 CB550K4 Electrical Help
« Reply #4 on: January 19, 2021, 06:48:33 PM »
My CB550 has the key in between the speedo and tach.
Im not sure if this helps but here are the links to the harness and switches I have.

Harness
https://4into1.com/main-wiring-harness-32100-404-670-honda-cb550k-1977-1978/

Switch

https://4into1.com/reproduction-left-switch-assembly-35200-404-671-honda-cb550-cb750/

Offline Bodi

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Re: 1978 CB550K4 Electrical Help
« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2021, 06:50:39 PM »
I haven't checked the 550 wiring diagram but others have the park lighting - tail and headlight mini bulb (mini bulb not installed on USA models) - on a special wire connected (in the keyswitch) to the TAIL fuse in ON but switched to the MAIN fuse in P position. The markers are lit in P on a 550?

Offline Bodi

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Re: 1978 CB550K4 Electrical Help
« Reply #6 on: January 20, 2021, 06:05:11 AM »
There are many dual contact LED bulbs to replace the 1157 type tail/stop bulbs. Some have two sets of LEDs and some change the power to get two brightnesses from a single LED or array. Very few are bright enough to be safe. The Osram ones are bright enough, some others as well.

Offline newday777

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Re: 1978 CB550K4 Electrical Help
« Reply #7 on: January 20, 2021, 06:37:51 AM »

Supernova LED brake/blinker/running lights from revival cycles

Are you using these as tail lights, turn lights and brake lights? If so, the bike is wired for separate turn signals from the brake lights and these lights are wired for incorporated brake/turn system(like American early cars and trucks had) so you will need a 5 wire to 4 wire trailer converter to use just the 2 lights in the kit.




Supernova lights(notice he has separate turn lights)

I am rebuilding a 1978 CB550K4, however, I am currently stuck with an electrical issue.

Setup:
Stock reproduction handlebar switches from 4into1
Wiring harness from 4into1
Shorai battery
modern rec/reg
LED 2 prong flasher relay
Supernova LED brake/blinker/running lights from revival cycles

The issue I'm having is that I cannot get power to the running lights. Weird thing is that they will blink when the blinker switch is turned on. They will also light up when I turn the key to the "P" position. Fuses seem to be fine. Any idea why this is happening?

Any help would greatly be appreciated. Ive been stuck on this for the better half a week already. Thought it was the key switch but that doesn't seem to be the case (smashed the original one trying to open it up to see if any wires were not attached. Have since ordered and installed a replacement). What could it be?
Stu
Honda Parts manager in the mid 1970s Nashua Honda
My current rides
1975 K5 Planet Blue my summer ride, it was a friend's bike I worked with at the Honda shop in 76, lots of fun to be on it again
1976 K6 Anteres Red rebuilding project, was originally my brother's that I set up from the crate, it'll breath again soon!
Project 750s, 2 K4, 2 K6, 1 K8
2008 GL1800 my daily ride and cross country runner

Prior bikes....
1972 Suzuki GT380 I had charge of it for a year in 1973 while my friend was deployed and learned to love street riding....
New CB450 K7 after my friend returned...
New CB750 K5 Planet Blue, demise by ex cousin in law at 9,000 miles...
New CB750 K6 Anteres Red, to replace the totaled K5, I sold this K6 at 45k in 1983, I had heavily modified it, many great memories on it and have missed it greatly.....
1983 GL1100A, 1999 GL1500 SE, 1999 GL1500A