A forum for owners of Yamaha TTR250 trail and enduro bikes!

kitkat · Veteran Member

Wiring challenge - bodge or replace?

mossproof · Super Guru

55 quid for plug in and play is by far the quickest, most painless way round it, maintains originality and saves loads of hassle.
Much patience with the test light, soldering iron and heat shrink can make a neat job. I would resolder it myself 'cause I'm a tightwad

How much patience do you have?
Simon.

ttboof · Super Guru

That's a hard one to answer

Is the rest of the harness OK . If it's only the one section maybe fix it .some one will be able to point you to a diagram. Will also depend on your tools and patience

If it's cut in other spots might be a replacement job .not sure of the possible difference in the harnesses but totally ttrs should be able to help

If I was closer I'd fix it for you as its my trade so a fairly easy fix.

kitkat · Veteran Member

Thanks Simon,

It is a real dilemma as instincts tell me that replacing the harness is probably the right thing to do but it would be an all or nothing decision to replace the loom and who knows if there is any material difference between a US loom and UK spec? Then again the bodge route should only mean redoing half a dozen joints......but as you say lots of patience and not fault diagnosed on wiring to this level before.

Dave

kitkat · Veteran Member

ttboof wrote:
That's a hard one to answer
Is the rest of the harness OK . If it's only the one section maybe fix it .some one will be able to point you to a diagram. Will also depend on your tools and patience
If it's cut in other spots might be a replacement job .not sure of the possible difference in the harnesses but totally ttrs should be able to help

If I was closer I'd fix it for you as its my trade so a fairly easy fix.

Thanks for the thoughts. The bike has worked fine but there is quite a lot of insulating tape so suspect further "improvisation" the past. Happy to try most jobs on the bike - every day a school day but bit nervous about the wiring as not had to do fault diagnosis before on electrics just simple replacements

Dave

robs · Senior Member

Give it a go, sometimes things are easier than they first seem. If it all goes tits up then you can always fall back on buying a new wiring loom.

Benjah · Veteran Member

Personally I'd fix it up myself but I a background in electronics. At the end of the day though it's just a bunch of wires. Some soldering, a wire stripper and a bit of heat shrink and maybe a multimeter for continuity checking should be all you need.

kitkat · Veteran Member

I have gathered up all the bits and ready to fix in the new switch but wondered if anyone had a wiring diagram for the standard lightswitch model as I need to cut off the connector and solder in the wires. Have worked out the 3 that are used for dip/main beam but cant get to the other 5 for the indicator & horn.

totallyttrs.com/epages/699105d9-e4cc-4b32-b236-84e72cd67f84.sf/en_GB/ (it is different to the one coming off the bike)

i.e. which wire does what?

Thanks

Dave

KevRed · Member

Have you tried looking at the old switchgear ,pulled apart, operate the indicator and see what wire goes to it...

If you have the headlight wires , then mount the new switch and operate your indicators/ horn, with power on , and touch wires onto the different spare wires , it will all make sense once you find one indicatore wire...

Thats how i fitted a cheap switchgear to my Dommie..... think its black green and blue for headlight wires . the horn is last one left....... it looks harder than it is,,,,, just get the main switchgear

wires aside from any other , and it will all make sense ....

If you solder them its a good connection that wont playup later....if the connections dont match....

And it makes you feel really clever.... ( Im easily pleased...)

TTRfan · Super Guru

There may be variations but the info I have is:

Horn - pink and brown

Indicators - green and brown - earth to both is black

Brian

OE headlight connectors 1.jpg

OE connectors 005.jpg

kitkat · Veteran Member

Thanks Kev,

I am getting closer and have worked out which wires are live when ignition/accessory switch on. I also know which colour wire did what on the old switch but the new switch a bit harder to dissassemble and dont want to mess it up so think I will now cut the old switch wiring out, reconnect new one to loom with some screw terminals and then start the mix n match until it all works then make connections permanent Old US switch has 9 wires whereas new totally ttr one has only 8 so still some head scratching to do

Dave

kitkat · Veteran Member

Hi Brian,

Thanks for you reply - if only my wiring looked like yours!

All the wiring for the switch module (horn, indicators and hi/low beam) has been spliced/soldered into the main loom in 2 places - not a connector in sight!

I have worked out there are 3 live feeds on the + side and I know which colour goes to what part of the old switch module, just got to workout by trial and error what colour wire does what on the new switch module.

Think this might be a 3 cups of tea job

ATB

Dave

TTRfan · Super Guru

Hi Dave

It'll take a bit of patience that's for sure but just be methodical and you'll get there!

This is what a full UK light switch connector looks like.

Original light switch connector.jpg

If we say that the tang is the top of the connector then reading from L to R my colours are:

First row: Green, Pink, Yellow

Second row: Brown/White, Black, Dark Green

Third row: Dark Brown, Red/Yellow, blank (Confusingly the Red/Yellow goes into a Brown wire on the loom!)

If you take the light switch apart you will be able to see the three components and their wires:

Light switch components.jpg

From that I think the wires connect to the bike's ancillaries as follows:

Green, Yellow and Red/Yellow - headlight

Dark Green, Dark Brown and Brown/White - indicators

Pink and Black - horn

Does that help or have you got a different switch?

Brian

PS I am sure anyone restoring an eBay purchase will have found similar bodges - I certainly have! Here is my least favourite:

OE loom2 join.jpg

kitkat · Veteran Member

Thanks Brian,

That last photo certainly puts things in perspective!

My new switch is the one stocked on totally TTRs - same component parts but different colour wires :-0

Dave

TTRfan · Super Guru

The OEM TTR250 switches are interchangeable between years and models the only difference being that later switches don't have the hazard warning switch.

I am 99.99% certain you can take it that the wires at the positions I showed fulfill the same function even if Mr Yamaha decided to change the colours!

Out of interest, which wires are different colours so that we have a complete picture for anyone else using this information in the future?

Brian

kitkat · Veteran Member

Hi Brian,

I will take some pics and document the colours at the weekend

Dave

kitkat · Veteran Member

So, with a help of a friend the new switchgear is on and all working In the end by drawing out all the colours of the wires and their pathways and then testing the circuits before cutting and doing the horn then the headlight then the indicators it all worked out fine Took 3 hours start to finish but a good exercise.

The old switchgear assume original US spec fit ? (pic attached) was connected as follows but as it was all soldered/crimped in and and only had a connector for the headlight I am not sure how representative this would be of another bike.

Dark Green - Horn (+ve feed)

Light Green - Horn

Grey - Indicators (+ve feed)

Light Blue - indicator left

Orange - indicator right

Yellow - headlight ( +ve feed)

White - headlight main beam

Dark Blue - headlight dipped

Thanks for your replies earlier in the post folks - a good bodge has worked fine

Dave

ttboof · Super Guru

Well done sounds like a good fix and you know more about your bike. And your experience can help everyone else.