Headlight/guage cluster issue

so on my 82 maxim 550 the headlight isnt working. the bulb is fine, and the fuses are fine but the headlight doesnt turn on and the guage cluster doesn't light up either. there were a bunch of 20A fuses in the 10A spots but i switched them out but i don't think that would have made a difference anyway. i was going to take the left hand controls apart and see if there is anything going on in there, but otherwise im not sure where to look?

 

The light on these bikes work with a relay. Once the bike starts, the relay is activated and the light comes on. Check the relay input voltage, trigger voltage when bike running, and ground circuits. I have a manual for 81 Maxim at home. I should think they are the same. If you would like circuit schematics, PM me and I will scan and send them tonight (am at work now). You were right to change those 20 amp fuses. That sort of repair can burn up your harness.

 

The headlight relay won't keep the instrument lamps from coming on.

Start in the headlight bucket checking connectors, and work back. Of course, you could have a headlight relay problem PLUS all your instrument lamps have burned out, it is a possibility.

You are correct in that all 3 years of 550 Maxim are the same.

 

According to my schematic, the instrument lighting is also controlled by the headlight relay. The ouput from the Alt goes through the diode block and activates the relay, turning on the headlight and instument lights. My son has my bike right now so I couldn't confirm on the iron.

lopezfr2 check your PM

 

on my 550 it was the connector under the gas tank on the left side,its a big connector.I just cleaned it up and it was ok

 

Check the voltage output of your stator. I had the same problem with my 650 a while back and it ended up being my stator. It might not be the same in your case but that is another possibility.

 

so like i said all the fuses are fine, i checked the voltages at the fuses and i get 11.4V at the headlight fuse, but up at the relay connector i get 0V at everything except the yellow/green which gets 11.4V. i checked out the dimmer switch connector and i get 0V at everything except the pink, which im assuming corresponds to the yellow/green on the relay. there's visible corrosion on the relay connector but would that make all the pins show no voltage? or could it possibly be the crappy old fusebox? it seems weird that the voltage would drop from 12 to 0 in something like 8 inches. what kind of cleaner can i use to try and clean this up a little? also is there any way i can test the relay to see if its bad?

 

hm apparently after looking at the wiring diagram the thing i have pictured isn't the headlight relay but the 'cancelling unit' which i'm not exactly sure what that is or does. if that is the case then everything in the headlight relay is working fine, guess i need to keep going further up the line. all the connections probably just need a really good cleaning

... i went out and pulled the headlight relay and it had a ton of corrosion on the pins. i went to autozone and got some contact cleaner and sprayed down everything in the bucket and any easily accessible connectors and brought the relay inside and scraped the green stuff off and sprayed it down with some contact cleaner. ill check it out tomorrow and hopefully that was the problem and i can move on to some other issues.

 

The "cancelling unit" is for the turn signals. It turns off the signals after a period of time or distance, based on speed. I know this only because mine did not work when new, and I had to hassle the dealer to get it replaced under warranty. I do not think it has ever cancelled a signal since, as I tend to cancel them myself, much sooner than the unit would.

 

well the headlight relay is bad. i connected the blue/black to the red/yellow in the connector and everything lights up perfectly. when the relay is unplugged the starter doesn't work. it seems kind of reckless to have so many vital systems connected through one probably really expensive relay. would it be a problem for me to just completely bypass the relay and connect blue/back to red/yellow and black to white directly? or can i get a replacement relay from pep boys or something without spending a fortune

 

Getting all the green fur off the connectors and flushing them with contact cleaner is a good first step; you may need a little emery cloth or fine sandpaper and another flush too.

That is indeed your turn signal cancelling relay. It gets a signal from a reed switch in the speedo and incorporates a timer, it will turn the turn signals off after a certain time if the bike is moving. (Maybe.)

On the 550s, the headlight relay is located just to the rear of where you found the cancelling unit, hanging from the other end of the same little metal bracket; above the carbs.

 

The relay shouldn't be too expensive. Chacal may have one or if there is a number on it, it can be crossed to a "will fit" device. I have several sources of components for lift trucks that may be of use. When I get my bike back from my son I will check the number and see if I can locate a replacement. He is taking a course and getting his bike license this weekend.

 

i checked on the parts catalog and the relay is $80! wow thats pricey for a little relay. i tried cleaning some of the crud off the back of it to get a look at the numbers on it but ended cleaning the numbers right off. dammit. ill clean up the pins as best i can and see if that helps since the ignition still works its just the headlight since when i bypass the relay it works fine.

 

You may be able to pop the "can" off the relay and clean it up inside, too.

Or troll eBay for a while and pick one up for $10.

I have in my stash a brand new cancelling unit and a brand new flasher relay, both NOS, both list for over or close to $100. I paid $10 each off eBay. (The cancelling unit was listed as being for an XV920 only but pn matches.) Granted, new NOS is less frequent, but used ones come up all the time. I think someone has ALL the relays from a 550 Max up right now for like $15-20.

 

nice find on the ebay man. got the relay for $12. now it just needs to get here. thanks jfstewart for the schematic it was a big help

 

Glad I could help. I have the complete manual if you need any other info.

 

so cleaning the pins on the relay did the trick. i scraped as much off as i could with an exacto knife, then rubbed it with some sandpaper until they shined, then flushed with contact cleaner. i plugged the relay into the bike to see if the guages lit up when i turned the key but no go. so i ordered the relay on ebay, went out and started the bike and low and behold the guages lit up. guess the relay doesnt give power to the lights til the bike starts. oh well guess ill have an extra relay now

 

My friend, if you're in this for "the long haul" you need a parts stash. It's quite convenient to pull open a drawer when you need that odd grommet, bulb, relay, etc. Just keep an eye on eBay, stuff pops up all the time that no one bids on and can be got cheap.

 

The relay is powered by the stator when the bike starts. The voltage goes through the diode block and that energizes the relay and turns the lights on. Once the bike has started the lights will remain on until the key is turned off even if the engine quits..