76 LTD gremlins.... part two: neural light

[rcmatt007]

it always has been on. When I did all the other work I replaced the two diodes as well as the neutral light switch...

it still is on....

[Fred Camper]

Is the little post on the switch stuck up, like I am?

[rcmatt007]

on the neutral switch? it is brand new, or do mean on the clutch switch (cannot see it)

[Fred Camper]

Yes, neutral switch. I know it is new, but that does not mean it is good. What is the continuity when you probe the contact on it? It should be a ground when in neutral and open to ground when in gear.

The clutch switch does let the starter work, but does not change the neutral light indicator.

[rcmatt007]

dumb question, but how do I check that (says the guy who knows how to check prostates)

[Fred Camper]

Get out your trusty Multimeter. Put it on continuity position on the dial. Start with the bike in first gear. Put one probe on the neutral switch contact and one on the engine bolt right next to it. It is a pain to get a probe on the screw in the top of the neutral switch. But I found I can get a probe on it from the front. Put the second probe on the engine bolt just to the left of the switch. It it reads near zero, and not open, then the switch or wiring is reporting the bike is in neutral when it is not. If it reads 1____ then it shows it open and the switch and wiring is not at fault.

[Shadowjack]

The path from the neutral light to the switch is grounded somewhere in between. If the clutch switch works properly, it's grounded before it joins the diode.

[rcmatt007]

The path from the neutral light to the switch is grounded somewhere in between. If the clutch switch works properly, it's grounded before it joins the diode.

could be, after all the wiring is ONLY 40+ years old

[rcmatt007]

well, I did find the wire off the neutral switch was pinched between the radiator and the timing belt covers.... but that wasn't it

[Fred Camper]

Well, easier to keep tracing that wire back up to the cluster than messing with the new neutral switch so I would suggest you just keep at it. But if that pinch was not the only ground, it still needed to be fixed before it did ground out on its own. I would suggest replacing that lead but getting that connector off the neutral switch and a new wire on it would be a bugger to do.

[Oldewing]

I just taped it over.................

[rcmatt007]

Yeah I will cut and splice and run it back where it supposed to be

[Sidecar Bob]

This drawing shows the Starter & Charging circuit, including the neutral light (connectors &c omitted for clarity)

As you can see, if you unplug the starter circuit diode there won't be anything in the neutral light circuit except the light, the switch and some wires & connectors so I'd start by pulling that diode to eliminate the diode and anything on the other side of it (the transmission should be in gear for all of this).
If the problem goes away with the diode unplugged test the diode.
If the problem persists the next step is to disconnect the wire from the neutral switch (yes, I know that's a pain with the engine in the frame)(see if you can find a hex head screw for when you put it back together) and see if the light goes out.
If the light goes out when the wire is disconnected the problem is probably the switch.
If not I'd follow the wire from the engine to the light and unplug each connector it goes through. When the light goes off the problem is between that connector and the one before.

[Fred Camper]

Rodger, did you ever find the issue or is the light still on? Replacing the wire with a new one is the most likely fix.

[rcmatt007]

We were on the road. my plan is to cut the pinched wire to the neutral switch. if the light is still on, the switch is not the problem. I will re route it and make sure the pinched part is insulated.

We were out to southern AZ. and saw several NP's.... follow on facebook