I just picked up this '79 last weekend and don't know anything about what has been done in the past but I don't have dash lights, turn signals, or horn. Only the speedo light works on the dash but the headlight and taillight work. The rear brake light has been wired in to bypass the harness so there is a brake light but it is not right.

I started at the ignition switch, which looks like it has been replaced with aftermarket, and in tracing the power from the switch I found that I have 12v into the Accessories Circuit Breaker but nothing coming out. I assume it is bad. But when I tried to use a jumper wire to bypass it and see if I could get power to the accessories I got sparks, like there is a short somewhere.

I unplugged the orange wire in the headlight nacelle and still got sparks, so it doesn't appear to be in that wire. Now I need to trace the orange wire to the rear of the bike and I'm not sure where it is going. Do I need to pull the battery to see where this wire is heading?

Here is a pic of the circuit breaker. I have the factory service manual and parts manual but not the electrical diagnostic. And yes, I know I need to get rid of those silly blue squeeze connectors but I wanted to find the problem first and then will get everything cleaned up.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

There are 3 Circuit Breakers...sometimes 4 depending who has touched it... But It seems you have located the correct one..
Simply remove the output [orange] wire...and see if 12v is coming accross the breaker... without a load [orange wire]
if no 12v... new breaker time.
I'm betting whomever put that Mess together did Not really Know what they were doing... But?????
IMO. it is Still Better than Solder... Flame on!!!

 

I did disconnect the orange wire on the discharge side of the cb and still got nothing, so you confirmed what I thought, that one is dead. It looks like all three of them are the same part number so I will go ahead and order a couple. I see them at J&P. Good source?

The thing that bothered me was when I disconnected the orange wire and used a jumper from the hot into the cb directly to the wire that I pulled off I got serious sparks like there is a short. Am I wrong in thinking there is a short? Was wondering if that is what killed the cb to begin with.

 

#1, I avoid J&P particularly.. My NAPA store is My First Stop... Yes those May all be the same 15 amp breaker... But there is a heavier one somplace [right off the battery on an FX]
#2 probably a bad short someplace, and of course, if ignored...it will ruin any new breaker..
Now the fun starts
You can put a Bolt in place of the breaker and Burn the short Off...Fire Extinguisher Recommended.
Or.. You have your work cut out for you.. I would start by eliminating the flasher unit..

 

Thanks for the help. So any 15 amp circuit breaker will work if it fits?
I plan to start digging into the rear sections tonight and see if I can find anything. It's a pain when the wiring has been hacked up and you have no idea what was done or why.

I am thinking about going ahead and cutting the orange wire just past the circuit breaker if I can't find the short. It splits and goes front and rear and I could at least identify which direction to go. It's not like the harness is pristine anyway.

 

Probably a plan... I am still trying to figure out why it goes 2 places.. but, I am more adept at FX wiring than FLH.
Good luck, Is all I gots
For now..

Edit... The only things accessory going back are the Oil pressure sw, starter relay, Maybe maybe not... the start relay is prolly from the ignition breaker..and rear brake light sw.
I would be tempted to say... you are probably going to have to remove the nachelle, and start at the distribution Block, mounted there..
Unles one of the Rear wires got burned by the Exhaust or some such..

 

FYI, those connectors under your dash are the original wire circuit, not aftermarket. Maybe not pristine anymore but definitely looks to be original and not "hacked". Don't think I would start cutting wires.



On a stock system you will have additional wiring wiring components inside your nacelle




I would strongly suggest disconnecting the battery negative wire and use a volt meter to chase down your wiring issues rather than "trial by spark".

That 15 amp circuit breaker you picture under your dash should have a single red wire going to your switch and three orange wires coming off of it... to the oil idiot light on the dash, the rear stoplight swith (which you say works) and to the dash panel connector in your nacelle. The other 2 circuit breakers are for the iginition and lights. If the motor runs when you start the bike the iginition breaker is probably okay. The fact that you have a head light, tail lamp and speedo light suggests the lights circuit breaker is functioning as well, so need to replace that either.

If you have the factory service manual for 1978-1/2-1984 models it came with the various wiring diagram sheet for those years. Do you not have the 1978-1/2- 1979 FLH wiring diagram? If not I can try and post up a pic you can use.

Those idiot lights on your dash are for oil, nuetral, hi-beam, right & left driectional signals. Those wires trace forward to your dash panel connectors (at your nacelle, and to the directional flashers, 4-way flasher, passing lamp switch and emergency flasher switch.

With the bike in neutral and the ignition switch on, does the neutral light come on?

When you hit your right directional button on the handlebars does the right directional idiot light function? What about the left? The directional switches only function when pressed. They will not stay on by themselves like newer machines.

When you hit the high beam button on your handlebars does the high beam idiot light come on? The high beam is a simple signal switch. In one position is it is regular lights and the other it is high beam (which activavtes the idiot light).

There are six orange wires that tie into your front panel, one each to the right and left handlebars, the directional flasher, 4-way flasher and front and rear stop lamp indicator.

If you do not have directional indicators I would suggest looking first at the directional flasher and/or the 4 way flasher.

No horn first check that you have a good ground wire. The horn has a ground wire and another black wire going to the left handlebar. It is tied in with an orange wire from the handlebar that goes to your front panel. If you have a good ground wire and continuity from the handlebar to the panel, it could be that you have a dead horn.

It is possible that the front panel has a short where it ties in with the orange wires but I have to say I have only seen that on rare occurrences. It is generally the units tied into them (like flasher, and switches).

Re: replacement electrical stuff, I try and stay with OEM/NOS. J&P is import crap that is a last resort (for me anyway).

 

^^^ I knew there were some ScotchLock Connectors in the Bucket of the Superglides... Stock, and I think only in the Turn Signal circuit.
Never thought the FLH had so Damn Many ScotchLocks!!!! Now I do Not feel too bad for using them now and again... still IMO better than Solder, especially in a 3 way splice...

 

Thanks for the input.
The only reason my rear brake light works is because someone ran new wires form the switch to the light and I assume picked up a hot wire somewhere close by, I can't see all of what they did. None of the dash lights work but then I'm not getting any power to the nacelle due to the bad circuit breaker. I picked one up at NAPA today but don't want to install it until I am sure of whether there is a short somewhere. There are several wires loose or cut in the nacelle and I'm not sure yet where they went but since I can't get power there anyway I haven't spent time on them.
My circuit breaker does have a red wire to the ignition switch and then an orange wire that splits and goes into the harnesses going front and rear. This all looks factory. I have the factory manual and wiring diagram for the '78-79 models. I traced the orange wire to the nacelle and didn't see any issues with it but like I said, it is dead until I get the cb installed.

Where is the orange wire to the rear going? Can I pull out the battery and trace it? I would like to confirm that it is not shorted. It also seems like I need to start checking flashers. My hope was that I could unplug the orange wire on each end and then install the circuit breaker and start working my way out from there.

I appreciate everyone's advice and will keep checking in.

 

Like Panz said... I too would Not troubleshoot "hot"
A decent Digital Volt/Ohm meter and pick an Orange wire check for continuity to Ground...and Trace till it is Not Grounded, or you locate the source of the ground!!