Topic: CB550 - lifeless

[pattyvanny]

I beg your patience with the newbie questions, but would appreciate some help. I'll give as detailed an explanation as I can.

I just bought a 75 CB550, and after running it fine for about a week, going on little local neighborhood rides (still on the temporary permit...), the battery died out on me when I performed a battery test (measuring output with high beams on while engine not running, per the manual). So I brough the battery to a local auto garage, where they used a trickle charger to recharge it. Slapped the battery back in the bike, hit start, and the starter was working fine. Engine fired a couple of times and I let go the starter button, but it didn't catch. When I hit the starter button again, dead: no electrical on the bike whatsoever, no lights, no nothing. I thought I might have heard a slight click from around the left side cover, but not sure.

The battery was turning the starter fine right up to the second the bike went dead, so I am discounting it as the culprit. I've tried turning the key, giving it a jiggle. I also swapped the main fuse with the backup (although potentially the backup is no good). Any suggestions?

[mlinder]

Check the battery again with a multimeter.
Sometimes they just pecker out.

Replace your fuses with new ones.

If battery is not the culprit, and neither are the fuses, then you can start your electrical gremlin diagnostic.

[cbass*gxc]

Ya you may have some bare wire touching the frame and it is shorting out when it hits the right way.

[Chicago550]

You could have a number of issues. I had a similar problem with my 550 when I switched to a new halogen bulb. The fuses would blow when I tried starting her up with the headlight switched on. After you check the battery and fuses try starting up w/ lights off. You'll need to buy a battery tender for you bike regardless. These bikes require regular trickle charging. I'd steer clear of taking a bike battery to an auto place.

[pattyvanny]

If battery is not the culprit, and neither are the fuses, then you can start your electrical gremlin diagnostic.

Like I said: I'm a newbie. Is there a good electrical troubleshooting guide that I can check?

Re: the battery, would it be normal for the battery to go from triggering the starter well to absolute zero in the turn of a key, with no slow fade?

Sorry to drag it on: I would have thought that the fact that the bike has ZERO electricals would make it easier to figure out - no?

[TwoTired]

I just bought a 75 CB550, and after running it fine for about a week, going on little local neighborhood rides (still on the temporary permit...), the battery died out on me when I performed a battery test (measuring output with high beams on while engine not running, per the manual). So I brough the battery to a local auto garage, where they used a trickle charger to recharge it. Slapped the battery back in the bike, hit start, and the starter was working fine. Engine fired a couple of times and I let go the starter button, but it didn't catch. When I hit the starter button again, dead: no electrical on the bike whatsoever, no lights, no nothing. I thought I might have heard a slight click from around the left side cover, but not sure.

The battery was turning the starter fine right up to the second the bike went dead, so I am discounting it as the culprit. I've tried turning the key, giving it a jiggle. I also swapped the main fuse with the backup (although potentially the backup is no good). Any suggestions?

1- Recheck battery voltage, under load if possible (old batteries CAN fail suddenly and you'll feel foolish doing more troubleshooting with a bad battery)
2- check/affirm battery connections
3- check/replace main fuse.
4- Check connector at the back of the ignition switch.

Cheers,