How To Diagnose An Electrical Issue - CB750 Wiring Repair!

[@forkdevil83]

You attacked this problem logically and methodically. You are an awesome teacher. You instructed your viewers to be patient and thorough. It is a joy to watch you work on bikes. Thanks for providing such practical and great content.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Well I very much appreciate that. Thank you much 🙏

[@mikeopenshaw9128]

Ha - for once I hope people (in the UK) don't learn too much from this video - I'm an auto electrician!! Great video as always though my friend!

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Haha stealing business from ya! I appreciate it Mike

[@katywalker8322]

Tracing electrical problems can be fun! Wires broken in the loom is a pain. Had one bike where the rear right indicator wasn’t working. Turned out the earth had failed. Soldered a new earth to the old and pulled the new wire through the loom. Then could inspect the old wire. It had a load of points where it got narrow, where the wire inside had broken!

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thats a good fix! Definitely can be fun

[@Vulcanier65]

Great explanation to hunt down these kind of gremlins with a wiring diagram. Very educational.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thank you! Always hard to explain so I'm glad this was able to capture it well

[@Silent-Lucidity]

This was a great demonstration of tracing down a circuit path! You took a complex subject and broke it down for non-technical folks!

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

I was very happy it worked out like it did as these things are so hard to demonstrate in an understandable way. Glad you found it to be clear

[@blazesboylan7947]

In a perfect world this video wouldn’t be necessary. I’m glad you highlighted an electrical issue because they can be particularly troublesome and even spooky, even for otherwise experienced mechanics. In the heat of things it’s easy to forget that if you do a bit of homework and approach the problem methodically, you’ll figure it out. Thanks for more great content.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Agreed 100%. Thank you much

[@richiebainbridge2608]

Your best tuition video yet ! Electrical issues are the ones people shy away from so this will be a great tool in the toolbox. Cheers Richie.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thank you much Richie!

[@petebird7171]

You are one of the best tutors/teachers I have come across, keep them videos coming 👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Much appreciated Pete 🙏

[@djantix1200]

Great vid! Way to show how to read the wiring diagram. Multi-meter is a must if you are working on bikes. Helping folks fix their bike without actually having the bike sitting in front of you is pointless! Your advice about getting a manual and multi-meter is spot on. Thanks for posting all these problem diagnosing vids. They will help some people by giving them a starting point. I stopped bringing by bikes to mechanics long ago after getting ripped off a bunch of times. I have them to thank though, because that led me to start fixing everything myself. Now I'm doing full engine rebuilds and feel confident in my work. I just finished rebuilding a '76 XL175 and my KTM 500exc is getting a full engine rebuild as we speak. Cheers BJ. Off to go rip my XL on this beautiful fall morning!

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Agreed and I learned by being in a similar situation with not being able to pay people to build my stuff. Had to teach myself. Enjoy the ride!

[@leebenson4874]

He should of add, how to read a wring dia. you first need to know what all the symbols stand for.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

@@leebenson4874 that's not a bad video idea

[@murraykriner9425]

The electrical portion screws folks up almost as easily as rebuilding and Syncing the carbs on most machines. Most people can get out a pressure washer, and polish the Hell out of old corroded parts, but asking them to wrap their head around principles that just takes a little time is like pulling teeth from a Bengal Tiger. Get so many rider's hitting me up about sorting out their messed up bikes, that I just turn them flatly down. I would never see a centerline on the blacktop if I did as they requested, and hardly see more than a thanks as they rode away. Wish they would buy some tools at least, as I'm weary of seeing electrical tape and wire nuts in harnesses all the time. Nice quick fix my friend. I would have cut that connection completely out before even trying to clean, and resolder as it's likely to fail again with just a little moisture or vibration.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Agreed. Electrical seems to be daunting to people but becomes much easier once you just start doing it. Its just wires and simply understanding that you are looking for a flow path like water helps simplify it IMO. Witht he original connection I believe the way it was crimped simply expanded slightly causing that bit of play. It's filled in now for sure and we will see how it lasts but Im confident in it.

[@wayne3340]

Great! Now I need to go find your total cost video. For mine the purchase price was $750 Canadian. Unfortunately, after duties my new header cost more than the bike. With new tires on order, new brakes, new seat cover, used shocks, handlebar, sparkplugs, it's at $2,800C, roughly $2000 Murkin. Very happy with the little bike.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

You should be able to see it within this playlist

[@SamWilliams78]

Just want to say thanks for all the motivation. I have owned my 1972 CB350 for about 6 years. Its been about for 5.9 years. This year I finally bought another parts bike and got my bike going. I finished rebuilding the starter this week and it runs great. Can’t wait to get it on the road and registered soon. Thanks for what you do for this community!

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Well thats awesome to hear and I really appreciate that Sam!

[@andymiller5611]

Perfect video showing the logical steps needed to narrow down where the issue occurred! Wiring diagrams are daunting but with your help they don't feel as scary as before! Keep it up and stay safe! 🍻🤘💜

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Very much appreciate that Andy!

[@Cochise6-6-6]

What a great real world application, diagnosing is major part in mechanics, great explanation and problem solving, thanks for the interesting video.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Glad you found it helpful and interesting as this is common in the real world. Definitely a question I get a lot

[@DavidSweeney-qm8ey]

Just ordered my clymer and I have a voltmeter. This is great advice I am having some issues with the electrical. Thank you for your content

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

@@DavidSweeney-qm8ey You can't go wrong with having too much information 🤘

[@trekOCLVone]

Excellent example of troubleshooting. The first thing I acquired was a shop manual. The current manuals are huge and cost $75 - $100. But just get one as it is invaluable down the road. (no pun intended)

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

As you saw in this video I cant stress the importance of a service manual enough. Well worth the cost

[@leebenson4874]

I think you did a great job on a hard to explain subject.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thank you. There is never enough that can be said but this was a great way to show what your thought process should be.

[@preez77]

Great video!! Many folks are intimidated by electrical, while it’s really fairly simple on these bikes. Year correct wiring diagram and multimeter are an absolute must! 4 into 1 alone shouldn’t need re-jetting, but I recommend dropping in a k&n filter and going up 1-2 sizes in jets. It will transform this bike! Some people claim that regular aftermarket air filters are more restrictive than OEM. I recently switched to k&n and couldn’t believe the difference it made.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thank ya! Exhaust wise changing the primary diameter and now having a 4 pipe scavenge will definitely affect the flow. It probably won't need a drastic change but a change regardless. I do want to see how far off the sync may or may not be.

[@daveco1270]

Thanks for walking us though the problem and solution. There was an open female bullet on that 4 wire connector. Does that mean you could have put a male bullet on that soldered wire and used the open female... rather then soldering it again? Your way is the better way...doing it like the factory had it.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

There was an open spot yes but the issue itself was the solder ball. The actual connection point that goes to the headlight circuit. No other way to fix it

[@KakuiKujira]

I am not very mechanically minded, so I just watched as my brother and uncle were trying to find out where to put the oil into a quad bike. For twenty minutes. "Where's the manual?" I said. My uncle pointed to the box it was in. In less than a minute, I was on the other side of the vehicle than there were looking at, with a picture open with the oil input clearly labelled and obvious on the quad. I am not very mechanically minded, but I am a technical writer who writes manuals (albeit for software/business processes, not vehicles). RTFM, people: Read The Fooking Manual. The answer is there.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Agreed 100% on RTFM. I think it can be attributed partially to the "guy" thing we do with not asking for directions, reading instructions, blah blah blah. People need to get over that mindset.

[@Justk75]

In my experience wiring diagram and scenario of fault .you should be able to pinpoint your areas for checking before going near the issue. Understand the circuit you then will have a good chance of finding the fault

[@mikehonchoboi]

Thanks for your videos man! You helped me with my GS550 a while back.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thank you and glad they were helpful!

[@johnwdavisjr]

Thanks for this video. It will help me with my electrical gremlins on my 75 cb550k1

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Very welcome. Its all about how you approach the issue

[@victorgonza4528]

Very good explanation , power flow up to the junction B+ to both head light and tail light .

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thank you, glad it was clear

[@brianwells5258]

Great upload BJ...! May I also add..,concur and emphasise some logical and lateral thinking to the "problem".. Eg....,I just solved an electrical problem "I thought I had" on my latest uploaded Suzuki build... I "thought" my rear tail light was stuck on., and my rear brake light was not working..?......,when in fact it was actually the "brake light" stuck on (drowning out the tail light) This as a result of the rear brake light 'switch' off the foot lever not adjusted correctly fooled me into thinking I had a problem that didn't actually exist. I backed it off.,adjusting it properly and., hey presto everything is working as it should. Thinking through an "issue" and tracing the source 'logically' is arguably The most valuable tool to have in your armoury.. Well done my friend.....,content like this is truly what sets your chanel apart.. BG.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Perfect example Brian! So many people throw parts at a problem and just get further from a fix. All too common people will abandon projects completely because of this stuff and its sad to see.

[@bobcarry4820]

I thought it was just a low headlight fluid level. (ha ha). You did a great job at explaining your method and thinking. Great video. It should help many of us. Thanks. The manual covers a whole lot more than electrical like the clutch you are going to replace. The multi meter will even help diagnose other electrical issues like appliances.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

I did check the fluid first! I appreciate it though and agree 100% on the manual/multimeter aspect. They are very useful and exist for a reason

[@roamingearth915]

Nice to hear your out riding and enjoying life. Great watch, I like how you work BJ. You have made a difference for me in understanding in many of your videos. Thank you for your time, very best. 👍

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thank you much! Happy to know the videos have been helpful

[@gorgon9786]

This is a real helpful teaching class, sir!.. Some years ago I had a bike which would blow the fuse when I turned the headlight switch on.. Really a frustrating problem.. Also more frustrating is that I can't remember how I did it fixed!.. ☺️.. Maybe some short to ground?.. writing down my issues then would have helped me forward today.. lesson learned..

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Well I'm glad you think so! Thank you

[@franknile]

Thanks for the electrical diagnostic video never understood the diagram and fault finding before you did a good job in your method of diagnoses Cheers 👍

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thanks Frank!

[@miguelpagansr6128]

Thanks for sharing that with us, you’re right about the information that’s out there I think that some folks are not likely to take their time to read in general. The repair manuals are very helpful and I believe that, I’m glad I have my factory manual for my Honda scooter. Catch you on the next one ride safe.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Agreed Miguel!

[@aaronullom4965]

Love it! Had to do something similar on my cx500, and now I own a multimeter.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Such a worth while tool to have. Just not a "fun" thing to buy

[@angelo_af]

Glad to see someone else with a flat battery on their multimeter!

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Happens to the best of us

[@stewartclark1847]

All the bikes I have or owned I always buy a service manual. Had same problem with a CB750 I used to have. A wire had broken with no visible damage to the casing.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

First thing I buy when I get a bike. An internally broken wire was what I suspected and would have required the multimeter but lucked out this time.

[@duvis9]

God I love your cb750 videos, you have no idea how helpful they all are! So good to see you get it out on the roads often, given how you found it

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Very happy you find them helpful as that is the main goal. I just hope people take this one to heart when it comes to electrical.

[@tonyfurneaux3399]

Hi BJ, great vid as always. I will be getting a manual and multi meter. Many thanks for sharing your knowhow. Take care .

[@upsidedowndog1256]

I have found that with old Japanese cars, trucks, and motorcycles that having the factory service manual is best. Clymer and Haynes are second best, but Chilton manuals have a lot of mistakes when dealing with electrical issues. Fortunately I don't think they make motorcycle manuals. My wife's 93 Civic EX had a bad ecm, our Haynes and Chilton's manuals did not agree on troubleshooting but she found a factory manual section online that did also not agree with the other 2 books but was correct and fixed the problem. I have all 3 available books for my 750 turbo bike, and the factory one for my SV1000S. In the end it is usually an issue like you found here which NO manual would cover. Common sense trumps!

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

That hasn't been my experience with the manuals. I have a $160 FSM for my CBX and there is not even a single wiring diagram in the book which angers me. Seriously NOT EVEN ONE! Since I need manuals for everything I simply can't afford that cost for every bike. These have always worked for me I guess

[@upsidedowndog1256]

@@BrickHouseBuilds Any manual is just for giving clues in the end. Aircraft manuals can be especially maddening. Beechcraft Bonanza/Baron landing gear sections especially. They were written as a factory new installation guide and have nothing about maintenance later. Great system but it is as complex as a watch. Just one little thing out of tolerance and the whole mechanism can get out of whack. "Common sense" in the end. It took me almost 2 years to figure that mess out!

[@GrievenceCapitolist]

Thanks for wiring class . Refreshers are nice .

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Glad you liked it!

[@andrewashman3333]

A really helpful well presented clip. Thanks again from Gloucester - England.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

🙏🙏

[@tylermegehe]

Good video. You should come down for the Harvest Classic this year in Lukenbach. This year is the last one.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thats unfortunate that it wont be happening any longer.

[@dukie1616]

Straight forward explanation and execution👏 Keep up the good work

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thank you. Always trying to demystify these things

[@Retirement_Life]

Great explanation, BJ. As always, a great video…👏👏👏 I still envy your owning Pati!

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thanks John!

[@christophercummins4946]

You mean someone actually told you that you needed your tires inflated for a short in your headlight man what is joke. I love what you doing buddy keep up the good work

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

No but I see comments not far off of that on Facebook pages. People want to jump on and just shout something they think is correct when they haven't even read the post

[@jimclarke1108]

Got it!, i see the light💡

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

I felt it was a very illuminating video 😉

[@bigjoe4020]

Great video to show how you fixed your issue. How did you know where that bad connector was ? Is the location mentioned on the wiring diagram ? rsm8

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Well having wired the bars already i knew thats where it was. Also just visually inspecting it and seeing where the wires go. Its the main connection area in most bikes

[@MotoMango]

Bj giving the people what they need! Appreciate this bro

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thank you sir! Just hope many find it helpful and a bit of a kick in the butt to figure it out themselves

[@MotoMango]

@@BrickHouseBuilds I can't imagine trying to work on a bike without the repair/shop manual lol people are silly xD

[@jamestobler8473]

It's a gremlin! You must keep them dry and never feed them after midnight ?

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

100% 😅

[@bradrennick2919]

fantastic vid BJ, this is super helpful

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thanks Brad! Glad its helpful!

[@kencreten7308]

Fantastic information. Thank you. My method for electrical problems in the past has been, check a few things... not find it, get bored, and start throwing parts at it. I think doing it right, like you here, is probably more efficient. hehehe (Seat torn! Heh, just heard that). I do have a question though... I have this bike, and I thought it would be a lot more of a chick magnet. What's wrong with it? heheh

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thank you! In regards to your problem I think you had a snakeoil salesman. They really attract older guys who had them when young. Be prepared for MANY conversations when riding

[@DocJonesGarage]

Great video BJ!

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Many thanks Doc!

[@dannybear3121]

I really like that service manual. Where did you get it so that I can get one?

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

You can just order them online from Amazon, ebay, any real motorcycle website. You will have options for factory, Clymer, or Haynes so just do a search on what you may want.

[@jamiestanley8774]

I'm at about 3months now trying to fix wiring. Wiring diagram multimeter new selection of connectors from vintage ( I in NEWZEALAND) BATTERY GOOD . BUT I GET NOTHING NOT EVEN THE HORN . WHAT HAVE I BLOWN OUT . ?

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

@@jamiestanley8774 You have to check for voltage and work your way out to see where it stops

[@jamiestanley8774]

How critical is the correct amp for fuses. I have 2/30 amp 1/15 . Everything use to work .now I cant get main taillight or left indicator.?

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Pretty important. The fuse is intended to pop before the wiring or components melt.

[@robertadams4415]

All information is apiecated and yes I have service manuals and a multimeter

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Many people don't buy them because its not a "fun" thing to pay for. I cant drive home their importance enough

[@mohawkdriver4155]

I'd have more luck deciphering Egyptian Heiroglyphs than electrical diagrams.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Well thats what this video is for. I show you how to do exactly that

[@behrouzgodazandeh6235]

Hey 👋 I have a Honda cb 750 RC 42 with a RC17E engine. 30000km on the clock. It starts to hard shifting gears, specially on downshifts. I've changed the oil, no improvements. Shifter ratchet is ok. Can you help me? Thanks

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Start with a base cable adjustment. Your service manual will tell you how to do a base adjustment. There are many many threads online with others who may be experiencing what you are. You could reference those threads to get ideas for what may be your issue or how to test.

[@morfarklarealtglistrup9294]

Great video. 👍

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thank you!

[@NVK85]

That was interesting, thx.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Hopefully helpful as well!

[@firestorm755]

Great vid.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Thank ya Phil!

[@chema1546]

ok 👍👌

[@xxblxxdxx]

Thank you for helping me as one would easily explain it to a child #simpleworks

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Happy to help!

[@xxblxxdxx]

The one thing is I got the harness out and can tell where it’s burnt but I need to use most of it components so I hoping to rewire it my starter switch button broke in the process and thinking of putting a flick switch

[@jorgedanielenriquez2191]

Thank you against!

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

👍👍

[@john_syf2748]

🔥🔥

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

🤘🤘

[@LETME-kl9jg]

Issues are specific to each bike, and each persons knowledge and abilities. Invest in a full sized book manual the print is small,.... and you will still need a magnifying glass to see wiring diagrams and see the colors. And some manuals are the size of a novel, while the print is big and easy to read the diagrams are very small? But most problems are not in any book,....so you need to think outside the book. A good Multi-Meter,....and watch Biker Stuff's channel she shows you how to test all bike parts.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

I show all of those things. This isn't my only diag video. Most problems ARE in the book in some way but yes you need to also be able to think outside of it. Asking someone to tell you what your problem is does not get you further in this understanding. You have to invest the time to understand how things work. I have some fundamental videos on here for wiring if interested.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Here is a recent electrical video kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJzFl6qhmtyjpac

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Another kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGKyZZeAgK-NndE

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

This entire playlist is about diagnosing this bikes running issue and thinking outside the box Custom Suzuki GS450 Scrambler Repair: kzbin.info/aero/PLerq_C5Llt2yvpZbBrdS5Q24zdF4CagYJ

[@willhorsley2105]

A job for a Wago connector

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

I do have some wagos but felt my repair was good.

[@jamestobler8473]

It's fun. Easter egg hunt. Mystery solved learn wire colors play with fire and liquid metal.what could go wrong.electricity is fun.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Can absolutely be fun but can absolutely also be a nightmare.

[@RATsnak3]

The worst issues are the ones that are intermittent. Then u don't know if you fixed it till a few miles down the road lol.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Absolutely. I had definitely THOUGHT I fixed this when it first happened and I tightened up a couple connectors not even on the brown/white wires but I simply happened to jiggle everything in the right way to get it working temporarily. Good to go now though

[@passinthru4328]

Yeah guys, please, get a service manual(s) for your bike(s) and a multimeter and stop wasting this guy’s time.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Im all for helping but I have to draw a line somewhere

[@patbeattie1989]

Teach a person to fish and feed them for life, right?

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Exactly! When I just tell you an answer you didn't learn anything

[@Badenhawk]

Come on man. Everyone knows the proper fix is to put an NWT X21 on that machine.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

True lol

[@Badenhawk]

@@BrickHouseBuilds for real though, this cost you $0 to fix. This is an excellent video and great example of "dude just look it up in the manual and poke around". On another note, if someone did get an X21, I'm sure NWT would help them diagnose other issues they may have, they are incredibly helpful.

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

Oh of course. NWT questions are different all together. Most questions outside of that simply stem from not wanting to invest time in learning about it.

[@Anglosaxon69]

Intermittent electrical problems 🤪

[@BrickHouseBuilds]

They will definitely test your sanity

[@Anglosaxon69]

@@BrickHouseBuilds yes 👍