WIRING LOOM REPLACEMENT

HI ALL, spent my split shift downtime on the xj600 1986 yesterday, the more i delve into this restoration the more worried i become!
The wiring is worrying, only the main fuse in the fusebox, no other wiring leading to it and two blade fuses in a connector next to it, battery mounted on wooden blocks................
white wire leading from headlight through to wiring from tailight soldered on to it..............
what a mess, oh and some lamp flex used to make up a gap for the indicators..................
Should I try and persevere or just attempt to fit a new loom altogether?
Something I have never done and frightens me for sure, to me electrickery is all smoke and mirrors!! 8O
help........!
Grizzly

 

Sorry mate, your best bet from the abortion you describe is to replace the loom. That and get yourself boned up on basic electricity. A good book (I recommend Begining Electronics by Forrest Mims) will show you how to use your meter and test the various parts of your machine. I expect a manual for your year would also come in quite handy.

 

Penrith, you say?

Hmmmm.. Have you ever run into a chap by the name of 'Withnail' there? Doesn't have a bike but drives a nice vintage Jag. Or am I thinking of the wrong place? :wink:

 

grizzly, bike wiring is really simple, just wires going point to point between different items on the bike. You don't even have to know anything about electricity, just how to make good connections, although it doesn't hurt if you do. All you need is a cheap DVM to use for ohming out the wiring and a copy of the wiring diagram from the manual (along with some wire, tape, connectors, cutters, stripper, crimping tool, etc. to make repairs). Untape all the bundles then use your ohmmeter to check that each wire goes where it's supposed to go and if it doesn't fix it so it does. Bike connectors can be hard to find for replacements if they are damaged so I got some crimp on lugs that cost $5.00 per hundred and a few terminal strips and when I need to replace a bad connector I just cut off the old connectors and crimp lugs on all the wire ends and fasten them to the terminal strips instead, connecting the correct colors together. That also makes it easier to troubleshoot since you can get to the terminals easier to check voltages or move connections around and the pins won't corrode.
After you get all the wiring checked and repaired tape it all up again and you're good to go.

 

While I will agree, an in-depth knowledge is not manditory, it seems odd that "no knowledge" would allow someone to use a meter. In order to use a meter, you must first understand what it does. This implies a basic knowledge of electricity.

See above.

I can help with that. Err...rather Mike can. Mike's XS page ( http://www.mikesxs.com/ ), $3+ (more depending on connector) a copy for connector and applicable connector contacts.

This is great and truly does simplify troubleshooting (which would also require some electrical knowledge), BUT this sadly does not protect the wiring from the corrosion (remember, wire wicks moisture up under the insulation and studs suffer with capillary action) issues that plague us all. I would not recommend the use of terminal strips or crimp lugs on any vehicle that leaves the confines of the most perfect weather Mother Nature thoughtfully provides us once in a while. I will make one exception and that is if the terminal strip and connectors are sealed inside of a sealed plastic or metal box.

I truly hope so. Please understand that it is because of the need to source parts, tools and knowledge that I recommended a replacement harness. From the sounds of it (and this is my first assumption), there is some extensive hidden damage to the pre-existing harness (witness the white wire from headlight to tail light). Further explaination (this is my second assumption) from Grizzly indicated that he is not experienced with electrical troubleshooting. My answer was to simplify the number of factors that he would have to deal with in looking for the easiest fix. Now I'll agree that this problem could be fixed given time and a little education and I'm willing to help as much as I can but that choice needs to be weighed out by Grizzly. Does he have the time and/or inclination to pursue it?
And to finish it off ArizonaSteve, I'll agree with you for encouraging others to try and fix things themselves, I think that is why we are here after all. I hope that our chum takes this opportunity to expand his knowledge.