Right handbar switch's and wiring replacement

[Harvy A Rabbit]

I have a 2005 Gl1800, 2 of the switch's have failed in the right hand switch assembly. I am going to purchase a new harness assembly. I would like to know how deep into the bike I need to go to find where the harness is plugged in. Has any on tackled this?
Thanks
Phil

[GoldWingrGreg]

I've done many. Replacing the kill switch assembly is so common, for all years, I stock all 3 part numbers. To replace yours, do the following:
- loosen the throttle barrel nut at the throttle
- remove the shelter
- remove the fork cover and the harness bracket under it
- remove the harness cover on the underside of the handlebar
- remove the brake lever
- remove the 2 screws on the underside of the switch assy
- remove both throttle cables ends from the throttle grip and pull the one free
- unplug the switch assy and pull the harness free, pay attention to harness and throttle cable routing
- unscrew the switches bracket from the underside
- release the other cables lock nut, and untwist the other cable. Be sure to count your turns as you untwist the cable

Before reinstalling, look at the lineup hole in the top of handle bar, and the nipple on the new switch. For proper line-up, the nipple must fall into the hole.

[Harvy A Rabbit]

Thanks for the info. I did muttle thru removing the assembly yesterday. My next question, forgot to take note of the correct position for the 4 pins on the brake lever swith. Happen to know which wire goes on which pin?

Regards:
Phil

[GoldWingrGreg]

It's fail safe ... there are 2 small harness there. One with big connectors for big spades, and one with little connectors for little spades. Other than that, nothing else is important ... how you mix up the big too big, and the little too little, does not matter.

[Harvy A Rabbit]

Great. Thanks for your help. Will let you know after I get things put back together.
Regards
Phil

[Harvy A Rabbit]

Have the bike back together. Cruise control, reverse all working normally. I also installed new speakers front and rear. Sounds great, UNTIL, I put the bike in gear and let the clutch out. With it in gear, clutch in, I have sound. Let the clutch out, no sound. Makes no sense to me.
Greg, hopefully you or someone out there knows about this problem. Beats my knowledge as to how the radio and transmission / clutch lever can be tied together.
Regards
Phil

[WingAdmin]

Have the bike back together. Cruise control, reverse all working normally. I also installed new speakers front and rear. Sounds great, UNTIL, I put the bike in gear and let the clutch out. With it in gear, clutch in, I have sound. Let the clutch out, no sound. Makes no sense to me.
Greg, hopefully you or someone out there knows about this problem. Beats my knowledge as to how the radio and transmission / clutch lever can be tied together.
Regards
Phil

My universal rule of electrical problem diagnoses: When two completely unrelated systems on your bike are affecting one another, 99% of the time the problem is a bad ground.

When you squeeze the clutch lever, it grounds through the sidestand switch:

Clutch Switch

So here's a question: Do you get sound if the kickstand is down, regardless of whether you pull the clutch in? I suspect you will only get sound if the kickstand is UP and you squeeze the clutch lever. If so, then for sure you have a bad ground - and the radio is instead using the clutch for a ground (the electrical system will find a ground anywhere it can).

Notice that the clutch grounds to ground point G1. Let's look at the audio system:

Audio ground

It also grounds to G1. So no coincidence that the clutch lever is affecting the radio if the radio has a bad ground.

If the radio stays on, but the sound just cuts out, it's likely the ground for the power amplifier. So if we look at the power amplifier...

Power amplifier ground

You got it, G1 again.

So check the G1 ground point:

G1

If you don't see it there, rather than hunting down an elusive ground issue, I would go to the amplifier, and run a new ground from its ground wires to G1 directly.

[Harvy A Rabbit]

WingAdmin:
I did more research and found someone who had the same problem, (exact same problem). It turns out there is a white wire that
runs from the CSC conversion kit to the battery. This wire is a ground. When it is put on the positive battery terminal this problem comes up.
I moved the wire to the ground, it all works properly. Who would have thunk? Someone had taken all the extra addon wires going to the battery and bundled them up in a little 4 pin block, so only one extra wire was attached to the battery. OOPS.
Figure that!!!
Thanks for your input.
Regards
Phil

[WingAdmin]

WingAdmin:
I did more research and found someone who had the same problem, (exact same problem). It turns out there is a white wire that
runs from the CSC conversion kit to the battery. This wire is a ground. When it is put on the positive battery terminal this problem comes up.
I moved the wire to the ground, it all works properly. Who would have thunk? Someone had taken all the extra addon wires going to the battery and bundled them up in a little 4 pin block, so only one extra wire was attached to the battery. OOPS.
Figure that!!!
Thanks for your input.
Regards
Phil

Good thing it didn't blow something! But yeah, if something is a reference between +12V and ground, and it's supposed to be ground, but is getting +12V instead...you've by definition got a bad ground. Glad you got it fixed!