Starting the bike a few days ago, waiting for it to warm up, I flicked the light switch to high-beam, and instantly the lights dissapearred.

The globe is fine, but I replaced it anyway.

Fiddling with the fuse box, and the lights came back.

Giving the bike a wash the next day, taking care to keep water away from the electrics, and the lights has stopped working again.

I checked on the basics, but no luck yet.

Taking off the light plug, and using a volt meter I do not get a reading at the light plug.....

Any ideas where I should start to try and trace the problem?

Regards,
Gerrit

 

Sounds like your problem lies in a connection at the fuse, thats where I'd start. If this didnt happen I'd maybe start at the hi-beam lo beam switch.
Do all your lights go out(taillight & front marker lights) or just the headlight ?
Lets us know how you make out.

 

All the lights are functional, it is only the Headlight (low - highbeam) that does not function.

 

The headlight circuit consists of the start/stop switch, hi/lo beam switch, a 20amp fuse and the headlite of course.

Since you have running lights you can rule out the start/stop switch as the running lights use this switch also.

You moved stuff around in the fuse box and the lights came on so I'd focus there first. Take a test light(or volt meter) and check to see if you have power at the 20a fuse for the headlight - you should have juice between one leg and ground - if you do have power check the fuse and its connections. I'd check the fuse legs and the connections for corrosion. This sounds like a poor connection.

 

Thanks Bill...I will check it out tonite & let u know what the result is.

 

sorry - so I dont confuse you - you should have power between 1 leg and ground with the fuse out or if the fuse is blown. With a good fuse in you'd get power on both sides. With a bad fuse or a bad connection you'd get power on 1 side - with the fuse in. So take the fuse out to check for power on 1 leg then look at the connections to see if they're corroded or damaged in any way. Then you can work your way up from there.

I kept getting interupted while I was typing that out.... damn work always gets in the way

 

Schweet...4.21pm here, leave the office at 5, home is 5 mins away. will check it out shortly

 

Sounds like you have a dirty contact at the hi-beam switch on the left bar. Take it apart, clean it with some electrical contact cleaner and rags, and generously lube with dia-electric grease.

Tip: during reassembly make sure the plastic pin on the bottom switch housing locks into the small hole on the underside of the clipon.

 

not for nothing, I had the same problem & it was my r/r..............

 

Thanks for all the advice guys....I used a test light on the fuse...there is juice....Using the test light on the actual connector block that goes onto the H4 bulb there is NO juice.

I did open the light switch, all seemed OK, but I will give another once over

Gerrit

 

Nope no luck, just did the switch...still no lights

 

I notice that located in the tail of the bike, just behind the tail-light, there are 2 electrical boxes....what are these?..

Can my problem with the headlights originate from here pehaps?

 

That's the ecm and spark units; nothing to do with the headlights.

Just to make me feel better, try slowly rocking the headlight switch back and forth and tell me what happens.

 

Just done that Doug....no luck.

What puzzles me that I get no light when using a light meter on the actual connector block that attaches onto the H4-Globe, thus no power gets to the headlight...

I have traced the wiring all the way back to the fuse (20amp) and the power is there...

I am stumped.

Gerrit

 

With the fuse in do you have juice on both side of it or just 1 ? Power on only 1 side would indicate a blown fuse or a bad connection.

 

Check your starter button for sticking also. If not that, it's got to be a bad wire or connection somewhere.

 

With the fuse in, power on boyh sides, with the fuse out power on one side only

 

Thats good -- fuse is good - you can move down the line now.


Its gotta be in one of the switches or a connection.

At the handlebar switchs the wire that delivers power to the headlight switch from the fuse is Blue with a White tracer according to my wiring diagram - you can check there to see if you have power at the switch.

You can also check continuity from the hi/lo switch to the headlight.

With power off just take resistance readings to see if you have the proper connections.

Make sure your headlight switch is in the proper position and check from the headlight to the switch. Go from the Blue/White tracer to the appropriate wires at the headlight.

The Blue wire is the high beam and the white wire is the lo beam.

Check continuity to ground from the headlight also -- the green wire is ground. Since you have total failure of both high and low beams you may have a bad ground here.

The prob has to be somewhere on this side - power is at the fuse just not at the switch.

 

Gerrit,

Superbling's all over it. I had the same problem on my '98 last summer. Power at the headlight comes (going back to the battery) in the following order:

headlight
dimmer switch
starter switch
fuse box
battery

My problem was a dirty starter switch. This was discovered after replacing the starter solenoid which is what I thought was sticking. I was wrong and should have looked at the wiring diagram first.

PM me your email address and I'll shoot over a really good wiring diagram to you.

 

Well -- did ya find your gremlin ?

 

Nope...no luck...spent the evening going thru the switches...I get power at the on/off switch, on the indicators, but not on the headlight switch, or at the connector block for the light.

I reckon comes the weekend, I will strip off the fairing and the instrument cluster so that I can get a better squiz at things.

There has to be a loose wire somewhere.

Gerrit

 

Did you check the push button starter switch? It may not be returning back completely. BTDT.

 

Gerrit,

Check the black/red wire for power across ground going into the starter switch. Then check the blue/white wire coming out of the starter switch for power across ground. Let us know what you find.