T250 Lost All Electrics

[Tripleking]

After running aftermarket lights on the rear of my 71 T250, I painted and installed OEM turn signals. After installing my right rear signal, I had light to the right front, but none to the right rear. Thinking I had a bad light, I tried a test light which barely glowed and then I lost all electrics and I mean everything. No headlight, no spark nothing. I checked the fuse under the left side cover and it appears fine. Just to be sure, I directly connected the fuse wires and still nothing. There was no smoking, nothing. One minute I had power and the next I had nothing. What am I missing?

Additional: I was checking the bullet connectors with the test light and when I hit one of the lines I had lights. So I buttoned it up and I had no electric. I then checked the bullet connectors again and boom, I had electric. Again, I buttoned things up. I had electric then I didn't. Now nothing will get the power back. Here is something funny: I connected the test light to positive batter terminal with the ignition off and the test light lights. I turn the key on and the light will not light off the positive battery terminal.

Short, rectifier? I don't know.

[Coyote]

I am clueless. If you have a glass fuse and an ancient holder, that's where I would look first. Remove the fuse and check and clean the fuse contacts. Replace the fuse. If it suddenly works, it's time to upgrade to a modern blade fuse. Those old fuse holders can be a problem all by themselves. Good Luck!!

[Tripleking]

I am clueless. If you have a glass fuse and an ancient holder, that's where I would look first. Remove the fuse and check and clean the fuse contacts. Replace the fuse. If it suddenly works, it's time to upgrade to a modern blade fuse. Those old fuse holders can be a problem all by themselves. Good Luck!!

Even when I bypass the fuse it does no good. I removed the rear signals and now the test light stays on when I turn the key, but still not electrics. I think positive is shorting into the frame somehow.

[Coyote]

A dead short SHOULD blow the fuse.

[titan performance]

Electrical problems can be a pain.....check your battery terminals are clean and tight, and your earth/ground is clean. If that's all good, I would start by checking the ignition switch is working. With 40+ year old wiring, it could be a broken wire or poor connection somewhere....it's just a matter of methodically working through it.

[Tripleking]

What is frustrating is that it the bike was running perfectly be for I installed OEM turn signals. Now I don't have power with or without.

[Tripleking]

OK, I went and cleaned all connections and ground and still nothing. Then I played with the connection by the fuse and the lights would come on and if you moved the wire it would go out then come on and go off. Logically, I put all new wire and connections. Still behaved the same way. When I got the lights to come on, I left it on and the lights would dim until they went off. Now the won't come on and the battery is definitely good. The latest is that a problem I had yesterday has resurfaced.

I get power in the red wire from the rectifier to the fuse. When I turn the key to "on" the power to that wire (from the rectifier to the fuse) goes off. When I turn the key to off, the power comes back. I have power going to the key. I am thinking either ignition switch or rectifier. What is puzzling is that how turning the key on turns the power off from the rectifier to the fuse. I am thinking that either teh rectifier diodes are working in reverse or the ignition switch is shorting. I am lost here.

Also, how do you remove the ignition switch on the T250? I don't see any attaching hardware.

[Coyote]

This may sound crazy, but disconnect the wires from the flasher and see how it acts.

[Tripleking]

Ok, but would that short out the entire system? Also, how do you remove the ignition switch/lock?

[Coyote]

Removing the leads from the flasher shouldn't cause a short. Can't help with the switch removal. Never had a T250. All the ones I have dealt with are held on with a ring nut -- right around the key hole.

[Tripleking]

OK, that might be a ring nut. I did not want to force the issue. I was not stating that removing the flashers would do it, but that it was the flasher which would short the entire system. Here is the latest.

Went out for 5 hours with the battery on the tender. When I returned home, it was again fulling charged. I installed an inline blade fuse setup and turned the key. My circuits were acting normally, I.E. not killing power from the battery when the key is on. To clarify. If I attach my test light to battery positive and ground it to frame, my light was going off when turning the key on.

However, when I returned home, it was working normally. Ok I thought: I will install the new fuse. I did that and removed the flasher and connected the two wires with a jumper. My lights lit up and slowly faded. Now I , back to no power, battery killed when the key is on. Grr.

[Coyote]

I didn't suggest to jumper the flasher wire together. Just remove them to get the flasher out of the circuit as it sounds like that is the problem area.
Tail lights can cause all kinds of issues also, although they normally will blow the fuse.
How old is your battery? It should not be able to discharge that quickly as you describe. Should last a couple of hours at least under load

[Tripleking]

It was the flasher. I put another used one I had in my shop and it works normally. Good call. Thx!


Edit: I button everything back up and the lights look a little weak and stop flashing. I start it up and she flashes at idle. When I rev, I get a steady beam. When i let it go back to idle, she flashes. Turned the bike off and let it sit for a 1/2 hour and turned the key, very weak lights then they die. I put my trickle charger on and I get some lights. I am thinking battery is shot too, but all was fine until I put the side cover on. Having it charging overnight to see if that makes a difference. Probably time for a new battery, but thinking it is something more.

[Coyote]

The battery has to be shot if things are going away that quickly. Do you have a voltmeter? If so, charge the battery and check the voltage Let the battery sit a couple of hours with no load. Come back and check the voltage again. If it is way lower than your original reading, the battery has an internal short or a bad cell. These old bikes are very sensitive to a good battery - properly charged. It's not just a good idea. It's imperative. But keep in mind, I don't know anything about a T250

[silverstone]

Had a similar problem try renewing all your bullet connections, male and female, and the earth wire inside the indicator bowl has a good connection