Jessica posted "Thanks Jon, this was very helpful."
You are certainly welcome.
Jessica added "I'm not sure why I didn't think of this before I posted, but I happen to be lucky enough to have a "parts bike" as well as the one I ride".
Outstanding, that buys you some time to find parts for the other bike.
Jessica furthered "I took at look at the other rectifier and it looked like it was brand new so I swapped it out with the cruddy one on my bike and voila! It was running. And running better than normal, I might add. But I wasn't satisfied with that. Not only was my rectifier all corroded and scary looking, but the wires that it plugs into were also not too hot. So I stole those off the other bike today and so far so good."
That is good news. A cooked rectifier can happen because the battery or bike wiring is shorted, or because the rectifier itself fails internally. Sounds like yours failed internally. Good plan on replacing the wires and connectors. Heat not only melts the insulation and connector plastic, it will also bake the copper wire into a hard or brittle mess that blocks electricity flow.
Jessica mentioned "I took your advice and turned on the ignition to see what lights would work without the bike running, and although the battery seemed low (probably from the bad rectifier, based on how you said that the battery gets charged through it) but all the lights were (dimly) lit up. I'm hoping that after a night on the charger I'll be good to go. I'll try to remember to post in a couple days to let you know how things worked out."
Good plan to charge the battery and re-test.
Jessica tagged "Thanks again for your help! If this works, it will feel like such an accomplishment - my first scooter repair!"
Your victory motivates everyone to learn and try new things. This group is loaded with helpful members that appreciate the satisfaction from making repairs on your own. Good job.
Jon Pardue
Sarasota, Florida
1970-73 C70 Honda Service Manual: http://tinyurl.com/6ebwtw
1970-73 C70 Troubleshooting Guide:
http://tinyurl.com/6ebwtw (scroll to sec.7.1 page 101.jpg)
1980-83 C70 Honda Service Manual: http://tinyurl.com/hu42c
1980-81 C70 Troubleshooting Guide:
http://tinyurl.com/hu42c (scroll to sec.18-1 page 170.jpg)
1982-83 C70 Troubleshooting Guide:
http://tinyurl.com/hu42c (scroll to sec. 20-28 page 205.jpg)
1980-81 C70 Maintenance Schedule: http://tinyurl.com/z4zn6
1982-83 C70 Maintenance Schedule: http://tinyurl.com/hw35c
More resources for C70 Passports and Cubs:
http://www.shlaes.com/Vehicles/Scooter.htm
http://www.velodrome.com/HondaC70/HondaC70.html
