High And Low Beams and blinker

[mike_dxs]

Just a question. well i bought my xs400 it did not have any handlebar controls, and the guy did a piss poor job on all the wiring i kinda hate the bike because of the wiring.... ill have to post pictures of the bike soon. but anyway my question is can i wire up the headlight, and then to use the high and low beams can i hook that up to a toggle switch? any diagrams would help out, also is there anyway that i can make some kind of wiring harness for the blinkers and hook that up to a toggle switch too.. and diagrams would help.... like i said ill have to post pictures.. one more thing before i forget, all the wiring is messed up like i said the guy did a piss poor job. I was looking at wiring diagrams for the xs400 and i cant figure it out because the guy screwed up all the wiring colors where wires actually go ect...

i dont really want to take the bike apart on the fact i use it to go to work because my job is 26 miles and i use it to save gas.. i just want to fix that damn wiring without taking the whole bike apart..
Any help would be much apperciated THANKS

 

[jmd_forest]

ebay is your friend. There are several xs400 blinker and hi/lo switches currently listed on ebay for as low as $12.95

 

[mike_dxs]

Well I don't have much cash its a low budget build I mean real. Low...
Anyway was messing with some wires today was able to get my parking light to work, and to make the high and low beams on a toggle switch, but when I tried to start the bike it would not start and kept blowing my main fuse. I got so pissed I just unhooked all the wires tried to start the bike started right up ... so while the bike was running I tried hooking up to wires again, killed the bike si now I'm faced with no headlight or brake light

 

[domains]

test light is your friend

 

[mike_dxs]

What's is a test light

 

[JARichmond]

A test light uses two leads connected through a light bulb. When one side is attached to ground and one is attached to a wire of unknown voltage, it lights the bulb indicating a "hot" or live wire. You can usually rig one up at home with a small bulb, a light socket, and two medium gauge wires with a small uninsulated patch at the end

 

[mike_dxs]

OK thanks... well can I rig something up because I need lights..

 

[jmd_forest]

It sounds like you may have a direct short in your headlight and/or blinker circuit. Trace all the wires and check for a stray connection to ground.

 

[mike_dxs]

OK I found a ground wire, wired up everything again had it working.. but when I hook up that ground wire it melts my fuses and kills the bike.. but without that ground the bike wont start. It's pissing me off I don't know what to do

 

[jmd_forest]

You probably have a direct short to ground somewhere it is not supposed to be. You need to get an electrical diagram and compare what you DO have against what you SHOULD have.

Note: a direct short to ground means a wire carrying electricity from the battery "+" to "something" (light bulb, coil, horn, etc.) is somehow getting diverted to ground before it gets to that "something". Switches generally do not count as a "something" since they are generally designed to enable or disable the flow of electricity to some other "something". After electricity passes through the "something" it goes to ground unless it passes thru a switch before going to ground (such as your neutral indicator bulb).

 

[lhaolpa]

Maybe your "ground"wire isn't a ground at all,but a hot wire,otherwise why would a ground wire blow the fuses. Get an ohmmeter and check the "ground",whether it has continuity with ground or hot circuit. When you do this,disconnect the battery,or you'll blow up the ohmmeter's fuse. lha

 

[mike_dxs]

http://m1253.photobucket.com/albumview/albums/mike_d88/IMG040.jpg.html?o=0&newest=1

Here is a link to some photo of the wiring..
there is a picture of a bolt that is where the wire that need to be hooked up to start the bike. Bit with the wires connected it melts and blows dude's

 

[lhaolpa]

I'm not sure what the pic is supposed to show.It shows a bunch of wires,but it looks as though all of the wiring of the light has been changed around and evidently the starter button wire must be the one in question. lha

 

[mike_dxs]

Ya the Guy I got the bike from did a stupid job on wiring

 

[xschris]

That tends to happen a lot

 

[mike_dxs]

LOL well is there any way I can make my own wiring harness and run it to the battery LOL..
I'm tired of dealing with this crap

 

[mike_dxs]

Alright guys I was thinking of buying a whole new wiring harness from mikesxs.com only thing is they all seem to be a xs650, does anyone. Know if they are almost the same wiring? And will xs650 handlebar controls work too?