What happened here?

[Big T]

So, I ride my 78 to Cars N Coffee Sat AM, then planning a 200 mile ride for the day

I gear up to leave C n C, no power. Attempt bump start, nothing. No dash or headlights or anything else

I get home and check the fuses, everything is intact there and fuses are good. Go to remove known problematic fuse panel and check the connections on the back and found this: (see photo)

Male part of the connector goes to the fuse panel.IMG_20180721_174802807.jpgIMG_20180721_174802807.jpg

[Big T]

The fuse panel is fine and all of the fuses are intact

IMG_20180724_145839892.jpg

Just that one connection caused this?

[Nessism]

Orange = power

Short?

[BigD_83]

Day-um...

hard to believe a fuse didn't blow when that much heat was generated.

A short in the connector itself? The burn pattern looks suspiciously like it is tracking through just one connection where the orange (?) wire runs through.

That main lead wire in the second photo looks a little crispy, though it might just be dirt.

[Big T]

Ed,

It's been 1,000 degrees in the garage, and I need to strip the tank (which I just filled up) and fairing to check the ends of that circuit.

That said, that burned connector fits in the rubber pouch behind the battery, and nothing else there is melted, so I'm thinking - shorted elsewhere, this was the weak/corroded link in the circuit?

[Big T]

D - that big red wire is the main power feed from the battery to the fuse box. It's got a woven cover on it that is dirty after 40 years of use.

Yeah, it's the orange/green wire on the Signal circuit.

[mvalenti]

it may not be a short, it could be a bad connection that builds up heat over time due to the increasing resistance. I have had stranded wire that corroded to the point where only 1/2 of the strands were carrying the current and yes, they got hot.

[Guest]

looks like the smoke got let out....

[mvalenti]

Angry Pixies....

[posplayr]

Orange = power

Short?

Dirty contacts that overheat. You need current (but notnecessarilyy a short). Clearly, those contacts were getting hot ,everywhere something was crimped).


Get some DeoXit

[posplayr]

it may not be a short, it could be a bad connection that builds up heat over time due to the increasing resistance. I have had stranded wire that corroded to the point where only 1/2 of the strands were carrying the current and yes, they got hot.

+1 Bingo .........