Blue/ black wire...

[yamyam]

At the front end of my '79 xs400F there is a blue and black wire that alone with a solid black wire, provide power to the tach and speedo backlights... My question is when the key is turned to "on" I have no power at that blue/ black wire. Is this normal? Or does the bike have to be running to get power to this wire?

Any help is appreciated.

Cheers

 

[xschris]

The speedo/tach lights only light up when the bike is running.

 

[njcafe84]

My speedo and tach light up when I have the key in the "on" position, engine not running....Did I hook up the wires wrong when I reinstalled them?

 

[bcware]

I just did my friend's cb360 and it definitely had gauge lights go on with the key in the on position with the engine off (I had to replace the bulbs).

I can't remember if the xs400 does or not. There is also a light on/off switch; I always leave it on, but it may control those lights. I never bothered to check!

 

[yamyam]

On my '79, there is no power to the headlight and backlights of the speedo and tach unless the bike is running, or you turn the motor over either by the electric start or kick start and it will think the bike started and trip the switch providing power to the devices. I'm assuming its a was to save the battery if the bike isn't running.

 

[xschris]

The lights in the speedo-tach should only light up when the engine is running or when you kick it over. There is a lighting relay that keep the power off to these things(also the head light) to save power. Some models have a switch on the right side under the kill switch that was used before the relay was (77-78) the (79-82) had them. First pic before kick second after.

 

[njcafe84]

I never heard of a lighting relay on my bike. It's a 78, does this mean I don't have one or its broken?

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[xschris]

Its one of these things. Pre-79 bikes had a light on off switch.