[caseclosed713]

I have a 1979 T140E that just had the top end redone. I finally got the motor back in and have been anxious to get it on the road again. However, I popped the headlight off to replace the dried out rubber grommets and was greeted by a bundled up mess of wires. Some wires were cut and just hanging out going to nowhere and a bunch were just taped together. I guess that explains why my right handlebar switch never worked. Its a mess in there and I dont know where to start. I bought a manual and looking at the wiring diagram is like Im trying to decypher some type of extraterrestrial code. Im so frustrated. Can someone take a couple pictures of the inside of their headlamp showing what goes to what? I can even Paypal a couple bucks to anyone who is willing to help me, I just want this thing done.

 

[tribsa1954]

Hi when I put my bike together I made a list of the connectors and where they went as I had to replace both handlebar switches, mine is 1979 T140E with 3 phase alternator, rectifier and single Zener, and the clocks are in a pod so no switch on the headlamp or warning lights in the headlamp shell. I will list my connections and hopefully they should be pretty close to what you have, but, I would advise cross checking with the manual as well, just in case there are any differences. If you have a multi meter then that will really help.

Left hand switch;
Blue/Yellow -> Blue/Yellow of right hand switch
Blue/Red -> Blue/Red -> dip beam
Blue/White -> Blue/White -> main beam
(Blue/White -> Blue/White -> main beam warning light I think but can't be 100%)
Green/Red -> Green/Red from loom (left hand indicator)
Green/White -> Green/White from loom (right hand indicator)
Blue/Purple -> Blue/Purple from loom (horn)
Brown/Green -> Light green from loom (pilot light from ignition switch)
White -> White from loom

Right Hand Switch;
Blue/Yellow -> Blue/Yellow of left hand switch
Blue/White -> Blue from loom (from ignition switch)
White -> White from loom
White/Yellow -> White/Yellow from loom (kill switch-> coil)

Hope this helps, but I can't stress enough check and check again in case you have different wiring or if its been modified over the years...or if mine has...

 

[JohnA]

Hey Caseclosed, sorry I can't help as mine was in a similar state to yours by the sound sof it, and I got just as frustrated - last thing needing doing before I could use my bike but no way of figuring out how the hell to do it! In the end I got an auto electrician to sort it out for me. What looked like an unsolveable puzzle to me made perfect sense to him and he had it all sorted in 2 or 3 hours. Cost me a few quid but well worth it to save my head exploding!

He used non-standard colours and non-standard connectors (better than originals, like Jap multi-pin ones), hence no point in showing you what it looks like. Good luck with yours.

 

[tribsa1954]

Lucas wiring

If you do make some mistakes and get smoke coming out of the loom here is a useful link that might help...I think its been on here before ha ha - (only a bit of fun )

http://www3.telus.net/bc_triumph_registry/smoke.htm

 

[caseclosed713]

tribsa1954: Thanks for the help I greatly appreciate it. Unfortunately my wiring harness is way to messed up and it still doesn't make any sense to me.

JohnA: I'm glad I'm not alone here! I'm about to just break down and take it to the shop where I got the motor work done. I spent a good chunk of change getting the motor done and I was hoping I could do this...looks like I'm gonna have to get my wallet out again.

I made the mistake of not labeling anything when I took it apart because I thought I could remember. Now I don't even know what wires the points wires (black/white, black/yellow) connect to. I'm losing my mind.

 

[caseclosed713]

If you do make some mistakes and get smoke coming out of the loom here is a useful link that might help...I think its been on here before ha ha - (only a bit of fun )

http://www3.telus.net/bc_triumph_registry/smoke.htm

LOL! No smoke coming from the wiring yet, probably just smoke coming out of my ears from my brain boiling

 

[JohnA]

Its a bit late for this tip, but here it is anyway: take loads of pics from every angle of all the wiring connectors (close-ups and further away so that if months go by before you look at those pics the long shots tell you what the close-ups are of). Wish I'd thought of this before I started mine! Mind you, it was such a bodge it needed redoing properly anyway.

Again, good luck!

 

[Caulky]

If the loom is too bad, replace it.
This may sound daft, but as you needed to replace the big grommet, remove the headlamp shell.
Remove the fuse.
Label each wire using masking tape from the handle-bar switches as per the wiring diagram.
Make a copy of the wiring diagram and tick-off each wire as they are labeled.
Also, the switches need to be continuity checked for correct operation.
I.E. Lt. Gn. from flasher unit goes to the wiper of the 3-pole handlebar switch. (centre not-connected is OFF)
The Gn/Red goes to a 3-way splitter link, one goes to the rear left turn indicator and one to the front left turn indicator, the other to the turn warning light.
Similarly the Gn/Wt for the right-hand side.
Take each function in a methodical way.
Re-route the wires through the grommet and wire it up.
Yours is negative earth [black wires]

 

[Triumph5ta]

It will take time and patience:
Here is what I did:
Get a roll of masking tape and a pen.
Remove the headlamp so you just have the bowl there and all the wires hanging out.
Take each wire in turn and identify it.
You do this by looking at the wiring diagram and using a multi-meter.
For example a brown/blue should be 12v from the ignition switch when the switch is "on".
Use the meter to make sure this is correct.
Fold a bit of tape around the wire and write "switched 12v from ign switch" or whatever on it.
Get a multi-meter with a "buzzer" in it, its a quick way of checking continuity without having to look at the meter.
If the loom looks bad just get a new one. Its still a good idea to label up a new one too just to get familiar with what goes where and what does what.
Better still make your own!

 

[Caulky]

If you use a multimeter `buzzer`, remove the bulbs.
It will `buzz` all over the place via earth, bulbs are low resistance.
Better to use ohms x 10 and check there`s no resistance.