Wiring question

Hello everyone. I just joined after buying my new winter project. It's a 1981 XJ550 Maxim.

So first things first, I'm trying to get the electrical situation sorted. It wasn't running when I bought it. The lights and everything seemed to work but wouldn't turn over with the start button but would turn over if I jumped the relay. It was also missing the ignitor. They really gutted a bunch from under the seat. No air box, battery box, or side covers. I bought a used ignitor from ebay and a new starter relay.

I plug everything in, hook up the battery and switch on the key. Running, brake, and signal lights work but nothing on the dash lights up now. The starter button causes the oil light to come on but does nothing else.

I checked fuses, replaced one bad one that was cracked from being so old, not burned out, and checked resistance in the other three.

I didn't try bridging the new starter relay but I don't have any reason to suspect it wouldn't spin the starter again.

Any ideas on what to try next?

 

do you have a repair manual?

oil light comes on when starter button pushed ,it is a test.
have you checked the bulbs in the dash?
red oil, green neutral blue high beam, yellow directional. then two bulbs as back lights on the speedo and tach.

does starter spin?
there is a sidestand saftey switch, sidestand safety relay which will prevent the bike from starting pull the relay it is under seat near fender bike will turn over with relay removed.
clutch safety switch will not allow bike to start in gear with clutch lever released.


replace glass fuses with blade fuse box or inline fuses.
i use this as a test lead


http://lumien.se/stuff/xj550/XJ550ElectricalDiagram.html

 

Thanks for the reply.
I don't have a manual yet but I did pull the wiring diagram from another thread. all the lights were working a week ago with the exception of the high beam blue light. I'll test and replace them all as needed. I'll check the relays tonight and order a new fuse box. Hopefully I can chase down the issues this evening. Thanks!

 

check your inbox top right of page

 

Well I must have had a bad connection somewhere I turned the key on tonight to start chasing the different circuits and everything worked fine. I hooked up the fuel line turned on the choke and it fired right up on the first pull! I guess I'll just clean up all the connectors while I'm fixing everything else up. Thanks again for all the help. I'm sure I'll run into some more issues in the next few months and be posting again.

 

Electrical problems don't fix themselves. Keep looking until you find what caused the problem.

 

there is a black connector under the gas tank near the coil pack. the starter button ground runs through it.
it gave me a lot of trouble with intermitant connections it needs to be cleaned
you could also have a failing clutch safety switch if it fails open bike will only start in neutral if it fails closed bike will start in gear with out pulling in clutch lever

 

Yeah, I'm well aware. I had an 84 civic back in the day I had to punch the dash to get the tail lights on. haha. This was just step one, getting it running. I plan to tear it down to bare frame over the winter, clean up everything and replace any parts that could be a safety issue if they haven't been replaced in 35 years and tune it up. It only has 3000 miles on the odometer so I'm guessing the brakes are original for example.

 

Cool, I'll check that out. I'll end up cleaning every connector once I pull the wiring harness off the frame. I do think that clutch switch is out. I guess I didn't mention it in the other post but it did lurch forward when I check that. I'm surprised the harness is in such good shape. I have a 93 nissan 300 ZX and it's connectors turn to dust if I try to unplug them.