Headlight Quits

I started my bike up to make the 12mi trip home from work after dark, and noticed that my low beam was not on. I turned the bike off and started it up again, no go. Since I still had my high beam, I figured I'd just ride it home and apologize in my head to everyone I passed, intending to take it somewhere in the morning. As I start out, the high beam flickers, then goes out. Wtf?? Fine. I left the bike in a parking lot at work and caught a ride home elsewhere. Turn signals all work, though sometimes they stay steady instead of blink.
So my question is: for the non-electrically inclined, should I try to fix something like this myself? I suppose it could be a short or a battery issue, though it is brand new & newly-charged.
Thank you!

 

do you still have the original glass fuse panel under the seat?

Check for loose/rusty fuse connections as well as headlight connector (behind the lens/bulb) that is the EASY stuff.

 

As far as I know it is the original, yes. I did check the fuses and they're good. I should have said that before, sorry. Also, the high beam indicator light works just fine. I pushed around the cables behind the headlight assembly, but I had poor light and no tools. As I pushed some of the cables around, that's when I noticed that my turn signals would stop flashing and stay steady.

 

It sound to me like you have some loose/corroded connectors inside the headlight bucket. What I prefer to call the bowl of spaghetti. Check and make sure that all connectors are clean, and tight.

Ghost

 

Sounds to me that you might have a poor earth somewhere, This could be causing the signal issue as well. Btw ,did you check to see that the globe is not blown.

 

It could also be in the hi-low beam switch itself.

I would start by checking the switch for corrosion and loose connections, just to eliminate the possibility, then move to the headlight bucket.

But you definitely have problems in the bucket if you move the wires and the signals stop working.

 

If your moving wires around going into the headlight and now your flashers stopped, thats a good clue where to look. Pull the head light and check all of the connectors in there. I bet you'll find some bad connections.

MN

 

Thanks, guys. Time for stupid questions: How to get into "bowl of spaghetti" without damaging anything? Two bolts on the side, one on the bottom, pull casing off?

 

Two screws around chrome ring - remove

Remove Chrome ring

bulb is now removable - remove and unplug

Have a beer while you say to the invisible person to your right, "Where the hell do I start?"

 

You remove the TWO screws that are at the 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions on the shell, then pull the rim from the bottom. It "hooks on" at the top. Then unplug the headlight pigtail from its connector or from the back of the headlight proper.

Once you clean, "sort" and train the wiring it won't be a "bucket of spaghetti." Doesn't need to be anyway.

 

Thanks again. I am hoping this is an easy push-this-back-in sort of thing. I'm a little daunted by wiring, and I'd hate to make matters worse.

 

Don't be. Unless hacked by a PO, the wiring in the headlight bucket all has unique ("idiot proof") connectors except the turn signals.

Here's a pic of a 550 Seca shell opened up; and the Seca has more connectors because of the fuel and voltmeters.

(Ignore the red plug labeling, this pic is from a different article.) The headlamp pigtail has already been unplugged from the connector marked "HL."

 

Some basic tools/supplies to buy/have for this project:

Pliers: In case you need to GENTLY crimp a round female bullet connector a LITTLE closed to make a tighter connection

Electric Contact Cleaner Spray can: Can get at most any auto/home repair center

Sandpaper: To gently sand any male connectors that are VERY rusty/crusty that the cleaner spray did not take care of

Dielectric grease: A lube/sealant meant for electrical connections. Should be in same general area as contact cleaner.

Camera + Pen/Paper: In case PO did hack up the plugs and added non-standard colored wire extensions. Other wise the colors typically match each other. Keep an eye out for STRIPED wires. IE blue with a white stripe vs. plain blue.

Patience and a deep breath

The high/low switch can be disassembled with a screw driver and you can spray it with the cleaner as well.

Good fuses or not, consider GENTLY remove each one and spraying the contacts and sanding/greasing the fuses as needed (don't put to much grease on!)

 

FITZ. Thanks.
Metal_Bob - Any need for soldering? I suppose that depends on what I find, huh?

 

please check the bulb for continuity before you go any further. Its not uncommon for a popped low beam to cause the high beam to fail almost immediately after.

Look at the way the plug goes onto the light, to determine which pins on the bulb correspond to the black (ground), Yellow (high beam) green (low bean). Test continuity across black-green and black-yellow.

If your headlight and your turn signals are wonky, its probably still a good idea to go through all your wiring regardless, but If Im reading the schematic correctly the green wire on the headlight also provides 12v to the turn signal switch. that could be your culprit.

 

Okay. I've got the headlight cover off. Connection all look okay. Is there anythin specific I need to be looking for? Is there an easy way to get the lamp itself out? I wiggled all wires and cannot reproduce the turn signal issue.

 

Diagram

Once the chrome ring is off there are 2 screws (number 10 in the diagram) that need to be removed to separate the rim from the mounting ring.

Then 3 bolts (#13) and the adjustment screw (#15) and the bulb can be removed/replaced.

However, this isn't necessary to remove the bulb assembly to get to the wiring. You only need to remove the two outer screws (#4) and unplug the bulb to remover the entire bulb assembly.

You will need to look for loose connectors, loose wiring, frayed wiring, bare spots, etc.

Just need to go over the wiring with a fine tooth comb.

Multimeter or continuity tester is very helpful.

 

Finally got the lamp out. It's totally blown. Yay! Well, not 'yay,' but yay that it wasn't something more.
New question: Does the lamp come out of the housing-with-rubber-boot setup? Or is that the whole thing? I'm going to hit Chacal up for a new guy.

 

I know this thread is old now, but I though I'd update. The headlight issue that I was having was indeed the product of a much larger one: my fuse box had broken-off fuse clips, which meant that fuses could bounce off of one another. Hence the giant melted hole in my fuse box cover. A problem from the PO, it seems, since there was a hack repair. It worked, but only for a little while. So! I bought a shiny new fuse box from Chacal (A+, as usual) and now everything works and I feel safer.
Small photo, but still a photo.

/

 

After you get back to normal, ...
Stop-by a Bike Salvage Joint and grab a Spare Bulb.
Mini-Bubble-wrap it.
Seal the Bubble cocoon with Plastic Baggie.
Seal the Baggie with Duct Tape.
Tuck the Spare Bulb Sarcophagus in the Headlamp Bucket.
Badda-bing; badda-boom.

 

I would also consider switching to the blade type fuses on your fusebox. They are so much easier and more up to date. I know once I changed mine, I haven't had a problem with any of my wiring and it is not a real expensive upgrade. Just a little time consuming. You will be glad you did it afterwards.

 

that is a blade fuse box isn't it? Nice install. Just curious if you noticed that all of your lights got brighter with the new fuse box - that happened to me. So much corrosion on those old flimsy clips that it caused some resistance. Once my new fuse box was in everything got brighter!

 

M4- yep! Sure is blade-style! And I had to go check my headlight since you mentioned that, and yes, it is a bit brighter. Nice!!