Screw up on Baron's Tach Install

[pastorgumby]

Hi folks! First the good news: I've successfully installed all my mods in the following order (2 day project):
1. debaffle
2. kuryakyn iso grips
3. Cobra Fi2000
4. Stebel Nautilus Compact Tuning Air Horn w/ wiring harness kit (not as compact as it appears in the picture! - In fact it is bigger than my WOLOs)
5. Mustang Tank Bib
6. Kuryakyn Contoured iso throttle boss
7. Baron's Tachometer
8. Quick release hardbag bolts
9. Grasshopper back rest

With the Baron's Tach i made a few grave mistakes. First i ordered the wrong size part... the 1.25" mount- is TOO BIG - I didn't know our handlebars were 1". :(" title="" border="0"/> I used a black foam handlebar grip leftover to make it fit.

I followed Gadget's installation advice which did not work out for me (i.e., going into the headlight assembly). I prematurely cut the RED wire thinking it will be plugged into the headlight- but then spent hours fixing my errors. I wound up following the simple, unclear instructions that came with the tach from Baron's... it works, but the backlight does not come on! :(" title="" border="0"/> I'm sure I screwed up.

Does anyone know where the BLUE wire goes? I plugged both the RED & GREEN wires into the left side Ignition Coils-both negative & positive- using a piggy-back spade connector - but the BLUE is not plugged in anywhere. ???

Now i need to prepare for an AIR MOD

peace.

[cactusjack]

According to Baron's installation manual, the blue wire is the illumination (backlight) for the tach. You would want to connect it to a switched power supply. It's likely LEDs or a small bulb, so you could locate your running light wire in the headlight bucket and splice into that.

Oh, and not to rub salt into the wound - but if you had looked in the tech section under mechanical, there is a list of bar sizes: handlebars, front and rear crash bars, for the 1600 Nomad.

[pastorgumby]

Thank you. Yeah, i definitely missed that memo on 1" bars.

What color wire is a switchable one in the headlight bucket?

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by PastorGumby

Thank you. Yeah, i definitely missed that memo on 1" bars.

What color wire is a switchable one in the headlight bucket?

I don't know, I'm at work and forgot to bring my service manual today ::)

If you look inside the headlight bucket, you'll find 2 sets of 3 connectors bundled together. One set of three goes to each front turn signal. One wire is ground (black/yellow), one is running light and the other is turn. Turn your ignition switch to "on", use a voltmeter or test light and find which wire has +12v. That's your running light circuit. If it's pulsing (on-off-on-off), then your turn signal is on and you don't want to use that wire. Left or right side, doesn't matter.

[pastorgumby]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

I don't know, I'm at work and forgot to bring my service manual today ::)

If you look inside the headlight bucket, you'll find 2 sets of 3 connectors bundled together. One set of three goes to each front turn signal. One wire is ground (black/yellow), one is running light and the other is turn. Turn your ignition switch to "on", use a voltmeter or test light and find which wire has +12v. That's your running light circuit. If it's pulsing (on-off-on-off), then your turn signal is on and you don't want to use that wire. Left or right side, doesn't matter.

Thanks again! I just spoke w/ a Baron's tech rep- and he said i should splice the BLUE with the RED - since the Red wire gives power to the unit. :)

[ringadingh]

Thanks again! I just spoke w/ a Baron's tech rep- and he said i should splice the BLUE with the RED - since the Red wire gives power to the unit. :)

That will accomplish what you want just fine. your tach backlight will come on and off with the key.

[Todd]

Here ya go....note that I mis-labeled the "86" terminal and put it twice..but easy to figure out and this will give you the info you need.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by PastorGumby

Thanks again! I just spoke w/ a Baron's tech rep- and he said i should splice the BLUE with the RED - since the Red wire gives power to the unit. :)

That would also work, red would be a switched circuit.

[oldbikers]

Todd that sure is pretty work did CJ do that for you? ;)

[pastorgumby]

I blue connected/ spliced the 2 wires together (i don't know what you call it)- and STILL no lights! Such a crammed space... makes me nuts! However, I'm not too concerned as I probably won't do a lot of night riding... though i'm a bit bummed. I will try one more different approach. (Maybe i didnt' get the wire properly spliced?)

Todd is that wiriing for your additional lights? That is another mod i'd like to do... down the pike.

[cactusjack]

Man, it's painful sitting here reading about your ordeal. It's like watching a guy with a bag over his head trying to find his way out of a maze. I wish I was nearby, I'd give you hand with this project.

[macmac]

I just wired another brand of tach. It had 4 wires. How many does this Barons have? What colors are they?

My new tach has :
red to 12+
black to ground
green to coil (-)
blue for lamp

Where these went is:

red to 12+ to gang connector in the lamp bucket red w/ blue stock wire
black to ground to black with yellow acc ground
green to coil (-) to the left side seated outter most black wire on coil 1 (-)
blue for lamp to gang connector in the lamp bucket red w/ blue stock wire.

Pastor is you create a like note it would help me a lot.

If the blue wire is temp clipped to any hot wire you picked off with a test light, and the unit is grounded, it just might be a bad light bulb. it happens.

Note in my case untill I decide on how and where to swith the light, it is on anything the marker amber lights are on. So the lamp is on any time I am riding.

I don't understand Todds work and pic, as you don't need a relay for a tach.

Note 2: All the wiring other than a wire to the tach is done inside the lamp bucket. The tach's lead goes there, and all the connections are in there, except the to the coil wire.

[Todd]

Originally Posted by oldbikers

Todd that sure is pretty work did CJ do that for you? ;)

LOL....If CJ helped with it there would have been numerous aluminum cans in the background

Originally Posted by PastorGumby

I blue connected/ spliced the 2 wires together (i don't know what you call it)- and STILL no lights! Such a crammed space... makes me nuts! However, I'm not too concerned as I probably won't do a lot of night riding... though i'm a bit bummed. I will try one more different approach. (Maybe i didnt' get the wire properly spliced?)

Todd is that wiriing for your additional lights? That is another mod i'd like to do... down the pike.

Yes, that is exactly what it is for....it is on the Kawanow tech/tip page...

Originally Posted by macmac

I don't understand Todds work and pic, as you don't need a relay for a tach.

I was just showing him what wires were what in the H/L bucket...that wiring is for my aux. lights.

[macmac]

Well Todd, You know how easy it is to confangle the beguessus outta' me....

Now if I can just get a list of his tach wires and him to check the light bulb... All I can think is he teamed up the light to the coil (-) and frued the bulb with something maybe around around 125 dcv. That will fry a 14 dcv bulb every time.

[pastorgumby]

[Man, it's painful sitting here reading about your ordeal. It's like watching a guy with a bag over his head trying to find his way out of a maze. I wish I was nearby, I'd give you hand with this project.]
Sorry CJ Yeah, i'm no electrical expert. I put on a set of driving lights on my M50- its not working now. I better stick to pastoring!

Originally Posted by macmac

I just wired another brand of tach. It had 4 wires. How many does this Barons have? What colors are they?

My new tach has :
red to 12+
black to ground
green to coil (-)
blue for lamp

Where these went is:

red to 12+ to gang connector in the lamp bucket red w/ blue stock wire
black to ground to black with yellow acc ground
green to coil (-) to the left side seated outter most black wire on coil 1 (-)
blue for lamp to gang connector in the lamp bucket red w/ blue stock wire.

Pastor is you create a like note it would help me a lot.

If the blue wire is temp clipped to any hot wire you picked off with a test light, and the unit is grounded, it just might be a bad light bulb. it happens.

Note in my case untill I decide on how and where to swith the light, it is on anything the marker amber lights are on. So the lamp is on any time I am riding.

Note 2: All the wiring other than a wire to the tach is done inside the lamp bucket. The tach's lead goes there, and all the connections are in there, except the to the coil wire.

macmac - It is quite possible that the bulb is out, and that i fried it. Here is exactly how i wired it, and it has the exact same 4 wires as your tach.

red (to positive coil)
black to ground (directly onto the frame/screw of the whole coil assembly)
green (to negative coil)
blue (crimped onto the red wire which is on the + coil).

I have a multimeter, but really don't know how to use it properly.
The tach works, but no light - i will check the bulb.

Everyone, thank you for all your help.