Topic: Neutral Indicator Light stays on

[Popwood]

Just installed a new sub harness on ‘75 750. It handles the wiring that runs to alternator and neutral switch, etc. On brief test ride noticed the neutral indicator light stays on constantly. Previously, never the case. I see on wiring diagram the neutral switch wire is light green/red and is covered in a white sheath when it exits the sub harness wires. The wire then goes to the starter motor safety switch with a branch going to neutral indicator light. Any ideas what I should look for- clearly something has been switched around, possibly in the multi connector from main harness to sub harness?

[scottly]

When the bike is in neutral, the switch grounds the light green/red wire, and when in gear, the ground is removed. First thing I would try is unplugging the starter safety unit, and if the light stays on, disconnect that wire from the switch itself. If the light is still on, something is grounding the light green/red wire in the sub harness. There is a solid green ground wire that goes to the alternator field coil in the same harness, and also a blue/red wire for the oil pressure switch, but it's not normally grounded when the engine is running.

[Popwood]

Thanks, Scottly, I”ll try that. I just checked to make sure all the wire colors in multi-connector are connecting to like colors and they are. Would I be assuming correctly that the three yellow wires in the harness are interchangeable without causing any problems? The bike is charging just fine.

[scottly]

Yes, the three yellow stator wires are interchangeable.

[HondaMan]

Watch for this: on some of these aftermarket sub-harnesses, there is not enough insulation over the crimp end of the lug that screws into the Neutral Switch. This can let its shank rest against the outer edge of that switch, grounding the wire. That will also make the light stay ON. I've slipped a short piece of tubing over that connector so the shank stays away from the rim of that switch on nearly every one of the aftermarket harnesses I've installed. The Honda version (NLA) has insulation on the ring connector itself, the aftermarket ones often don't.

[Popwood]

Unplugged the multi-connector for the starter safety switch and light stayed on. Hondaman, I think you are on to something there about the connection to the switch. I’m gonna look into that tomorrow. The connector on this sub harness is a ring with a screw that holds it the switch. On the sub harness I removed, there was insulation all the way up to the ring and the crimp connection was completely insulated. To test this possible solution could I simply bend the crimp part up and away from the outer ring?

[scottly]

To test this possible solution could I simply bend the crimp part up and away from the outer ring?

Yes.

[Popwood]

Problem solved! Just bent the crimp connector a tad so not contacting the outer ring of the switch and that did it. Thanks Hondaman and Scottly. Think I”ll contact seller of the sub harness and let them know of this issue. Could take a person hours and hours to track this issue down and maybe never figure it out without help from folks like you all on this Forum.