Wiring dilemma

Hello forum of infinite XJ650 wisdom!

All pictures referred to in this text can be found here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/brz1dcmzec10jmc/AAC6wLEPysZf4-zb5pcOVdDba?dl=0

I have got myself in a bit of a pickle. Last year I decided to rip the wiring loom of my bike as I want to do the whole wiring system all over again. One point is to learn how this works, another point is that the connectors and wires are shit. Well, I have come to the point where the engine is reassembled and I want to do the first test start of it. To do this, basic electrics should be in place. Due to this, I am trying to wire just the basics of what I need to fire up the old girl. I believe this is:

1. Battery (Duh!)

2. Solenoid and starter circuit

3. TCI

4. Rectifier/Regulator

5. Coils

6. Diode (Why I don’t understand, but it’s a part of the starter circuit?)


So this is where I am at the moment:

1. The starter motor is working, and when I short circuit the solenoid with a screw driver, it runs.

2. Regulator/Rectifier and TCI are connected

3. Red/White (R/W) and Orange wire to one coil, Light blue and R/W to another coil


My wiring so far

Battery:

Now this is where things are getting tricky. Picture 1 shows the battery. On the battery, the following are connected:

Negative:
Engine block earth and negative wire to the 8-pin connector of the regulator/rectifier (See picture 9)

Positive:
Solenoid and red positive wire to the 8-pin connector of the regulator/rectifier (See picture 9)

Rectifier/Regulator and 8-pin connector, Refer to pictures 9 and 10.

In the 8-pin connector connecting with the regulator/rectifier, the red and black cables are explained above (Positive and negative on battery).

The three white wires go to a cable coming from the alternator and may have something to do with recharging the battery or running the system?

The green and brown cables come from a two-pin connector coming from the alternator (Picture 11). The brown cable splits and seem to power the main lights (going through the fuse box).

Port number 8 is unused.


Timing Control Unit (TCI), Refer to picture 8

Bottom 6 pin connector

Four cables. Brown, Black, Orange and Grey. These obviously control timing and are all connected to the pickup coil.

Top 4 pin connector

Four cables. Black, R/W, Orange and Grey.

The black wire is connected to a negative wire loom which is a bundle of cables all attached to the negative cable connected to the battery. In other words, this cable ultimately ends up at the battery’s negative pole (Earth wire).

The three other cables are routed around the frame and goes to the ignition coils (Picture 3). The Red/White cable bifurcates into five separate cables. One for each ignition coil (power cable?), one connects to a four-pin connector which I believe is the starter circuit cut off relay (picture 4), and two are hanging loose. I believe one of these are meant to go to the start button and kill switch through the fuse box, and the other one goes to the oil level warning light.

The starter circuit cut of relay is then meant to feed back to the solenoid.


Solenoid

Now out from the solenoid, there are two cables. One R/W which should connect to the corresponding one from the ignition circuit, and one Blue/White (B/W). The B/W cable bifurcates, and one end should go to the starter button, and the other to the diode. From the diode, there are two additional cables. One of them goes to the oil sensor cable from the motor, and the other one I suspect goes to the oil sensor light of the dashboard.

Can anyone tell me what the diode does?


Ok, that was a mouth full, I hope you guys (with the help of the pictures) can visualise what I am talking about. Next step is power this machine up. As there are no carburettors, I don’t really care about the coils at the moment, but my issue is: When I try to connect one of the three R/W cables from the starter circuit to the B/W cable from the solenoid, nothing happens. However, if I short circuit the solenoid, the starter motor starts. Next problem is, when I connect a cable directly between the R/W and the B/W cables on the solenoid (short circuiting the system), again nothing happens. Can anyone explain this?

 

Hi guys,

I did find the problem.

Majority of you guys will know this, but for those newbies out there like me, B/W cable from solenoid goes to ground, R/W connects to a power source (positive on battery). That started the starter motor up right away