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'83 xj550 Headlight troubles

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by xHoser, Jul 27, 2026 at 4:28 PM.

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How to troubleshoot headlight problems

  1. Try more headlight relays

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  2. connect relay to battery and see where voltage comes out

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  1. xHoser

    xHoser New Member

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    Everything works fairly well on my xj550, except for the headlight. I tried just replacing the headlight but that didn't work. Then I used a multimeter to find that voltage only reached to the headlight relay according to the electrical diagram. After that I tried replacing the relay with one from ebay but that didn't solve the issue with either the old or new headlight.

    Does anyone know how to properly test the relay? Is there a way to test the wire to see if it's just the connecting wire that's bad? I'm tired of only making small trips to the grocery store and back :(
     
    xHoser, Jul 27, 2026 at 4:28 PM
    #1
  2. Rooster53

    Rooster53 Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    There is a white wire on the headlight relay harness that must go to 12v to energize the relay. That 12V originates at the AC Generator and is routed through the diode block to the headlight relay.

    Once you get 12V at that white wire the headlight relay will latch and stay on until the key is turned off. So, a bit of voltage chasing is in order to isolate the point of failure.

    Note, if the bike is not charging normally that will cause no headlight as the relay will never energize.
     
    Rooster53, Jul 27, 2026 at 5:16 PM
    #2
    Timbox likes this.

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