Ignition Switch and other wiring issues

Hi,

I am currently rewiring my commando.

Is it possible, that the ignition switch only works in one position? The warning light assimilator only lights up when the Key is fully on (i.e ignition + lights).

After much experimenting to get the lights working i finally found the configuration which seems to function. What stumped me was that i couldn't get the pilot light and the Headlight to both work until i put blue/yello (headlight) and brown/green (pilot/ instruments) on the same connector (position 3) leaving position 4 completely free! the pilot light lights up permanently (key fully on) and i can turn the headlight off using the switch on the headlight.

If i arrange as on the wiring diagram with blue/yellow on position 4, then i only get pilot and instrument lights. Anybody have an explanation for this.



As you can see it is one of those switches, that doesn't have numbers on it. It does have the hole in the casing above position 1.
It is not possible to remove the Key in any other position than "off".

My next Issue:
Does anyone know where the brake light earth wire actually earths?
The Double Red wires that normally goes to the rectifier on a 2 phase bike is "redundant" on my 3 Phase System so i have earthed this to the battery tray just to be on the safe side. I also checked the earth at the head steady, and this did turn out to be dodgy. For a reliable earth at this point i made an additional double red earth wire leading from the same bolt on the head steady back to the good earth at the battery tray.

Still i get no earth at the back light. Any ideas why?
(The back light and brake light both work - checked that using an additional earth wire back to the battery tray!)

Have you performed a continuity test on the switch? To see exactly what terminals are activated in what position? The switch appears to be an aftermarket switch, is it supposed to be a direct replacement ? Or a "universal fit" deal?

Its the switch which came with the bike. Its probably not an unknown type though with the hole on the side by terminal 1 but yeah, i think its a cheap pattern part.

timsha said:

i think its a cheap pattern part.

Click to expand...

Yes, it is a later switch.

Pattern switches do not always have same switch functions and often have a different terminal layout to the original switch.

Does it have number stamped on it?

No, it has no markings whatsoever, other than the hole in the side.

Any Ideas about the back brake earth ...its a brand new andover harness?

concours said:

Have you performed a continuity test on the switch? To see exactly what terminals are activated in what position? The switch appears to be an aftermarket switch, is it supposed to be a direct replacement ? Or a "universal fit" deal?

Click to expand...

I agree. Number the terminals, make a logic chart, find out what is connected to what in the various key positions. Looks like you have an OE type harness, so you should be able to determine what wire colors connect to what elsewhere; you can verify this by looking for continuity at the headlight and at the tail light from the key switch wires. One position should supply power to the coils, brake light and horn, possible the high beam pass function. Another position should provide power to all the above plus the headlight switch; the final position supplies power to the parking light bulbs (tail and head), in the off position nothing gets power. You didn't say what year your Norton is, but if it has an additional switch in the headlight shell that gets power in the second key switch position and permits you to run with the headlight, without the headlight or with the pilot bulb; I think I got that right, I do better with the issue, literally, when it is in hand.

As a final note: do not connect the battery and turn the switch on, you might let all the smoke out. Instead, with battery out, turn the switch through its positions and check to see if the negative battery wire shows zero ohms to a ground, in the ignition (coils on) position you should be able to measure your primary resistance, you can add the various appliances' resistance, but at no time should you read zero.

Use the scientific method

Bill.

timsha said:

No, it has no markings whatsoever, other than the hole in the side.

Click to expand...

OK, well it looks as if it might be the 35351 switch that dealers often sell as a replacement for the original?
If so, then I think you may have the blue/yellow and brown/green connected to terminal 1, and brown/blue on T3.
If you were to swap those wires over, then one click clockwise from OFF would be ignition (T1 - T2) and another click clockwise should give ignition and lights (T1 - T2 -T3)?

If so, then T4 can't be used.

timsha said:

Any Ideas about the back brake earth ...its a brand new andover harness?

Click to expand...

No, I don't know, but I would guess it would be one of the three red wires that either goes to the battery or to the head steady.

ok, swapped them over and, as you say, i now have ignition and ignition plus light!
Thanks for your help

You asked about the ground wire to the tail light assembly. From the tail light, the ground wire (i.e. red wire) travels to the rectifier. From the rectifier it branches over to 2MC capacitor. Then it branches down to the Zener diode and finally goes back up to the battery.

You said that the red wire to the rectifier is 'redundant' because you are using a 3 phase system now. But that isn't true. The 3 phase rectifier needs a return path just the same as a single phase rectifier. Instead of hooking the red wires to the battery tray, I would change the push on terminal to a 1/4 inch ring terminal and put connect the red wires under the mounting stud of the rectifier. That gives the rectifier a much better path to the battery. As a matter of fact I would run a red ground wire to your left hand zener diode just like the right hand zener diode is wired and then connect to the 1/4 inch ring terminal of the rectifier ground as well.

Pete

timsha said:

No, it has no markings whatsoever, other than the hole in the side.

Any Ideas about the back brake earth ...its a brand new andover harness?

Click to expand...

You should run earth wires from every devise, back to the battery. No exceptions.
Dereck