head light not working

[Desertboy13]

need some help notice on my way home that the head light was not working and when i flick the switch to low beam the high beam light on the dash stays on and niether the low beam or high beam are working .light bulb is approximately 8 months old n either way one or the other should work right .any help or advice would really help thanks.

[LeaderDuece]

I replaced the bulb with a sylvania silver light. It lasted about 8 months - too much vibration. You might want to check that before you start checking wiring gremlins.

[limotinted]

yup, get out the test light and see if you have power to the socket before you go chasing other stuff. Always start with the simple solution and work back.

[alanh]

Originally Posted by Desertboy13

need some help notice on my way home that the head light was not working and when i flick the switch to low beam the high beam light on the dash stays on and niether the low beam or high beam are working .light bulb is approximately 8 months old n either way one or the other should work right .any help or advice would really help thanks.

The fact that both the H/L beam isn't working would indicate a poor Grnd connection at the bulb but since the High beam indicator is on constantly (dosen't follow the H/L switch action) i suspect that the bulb has shorted out internally causing the High beam indicator to be On constantly as it's feed from another Grnd in the instrument cluster but i've been wrong before
good luck
______________________

Added: after reviewing the bulb circuit it's possible with a poor Grnd that there is a feed back through the filament causing the indicator to be On constantly - CHECK THE GRND

[Churchkey]

The headlight circuit is inoperative if the engine has not been started.

When checking the headlight circuit start the bike then use the kill switch to shut the engine off. The headlight circuit will remain operational until the ignition is turned off.

[1256day]

DB
I'll be down to La Quinta on Thursday around noon and can drop off my manual if you would like to look at the schematic. I also think AlanH has the schematic in his signature block.

What all the above have stated is the place to start.

G

[arizonawarrior]

Good suggestions above for sure. Plus, based on your earlier post that your '06 has almost 100k on the clock and runs great and also from other posts seeming to indicate the only trouble you've had was a brief bout of rough-idle that corrected itself, I'm going to be surprised if this is anything more than just an odd way for a headlight bulb to have failed. Odd because the high beam indicator is staying lit, and that is interesting so it got me wondering!

So, if its not the bulb itself (or not ONLY the bulb) then it might be handy to know something. The yellow high-beam wire running into the headlight bulb socket branches off into the Green Connector inside the headlight bucket and that feeds the speedo high-beam indicator. I believe that indicator bulb shares the speedo common ground. If that's right then . . .

As it happens, there is also a solid brown 12v power wire in the green connector, so if a new bulb doesn't fix it then if it were me I'd inspect the bulb socket AND that green connector and its wires for mechanical damage. One example, maybe inside or near the green connector that 12v brown wire is somehow feeding the 12v yellow wire. That would illuminate the high beam indicator full-time, and of course it would feed 12v back down the yellow wire to the headlight bulb. The bulb wouldn't survive. And a blown bulb would interrupt the power conflict while leaving the dash lamp lit at the other end of the yellow wire.

This situation seems so remote I almost hate to mention it, but weird things happen and who knows what the bike's prior owner did in the way of mods and repairs before you got the bike.

I'm very interested in what you find, these odd troubles are always an attention-grabber!

Originally Posted by Desertboy13

need some help notice on my way home that the head light was not working and when i flick the switch to low beam the high beam light on the dash stays on and niether the low beam or high beam are working .light bulb is approximately 8 months old n either way one or the other should work right .any help or advice would really help thanks.

[1256day]

I saw Desertboys bike Sunday morning and it is basically stock except for pipes PC111 and heated handgrips. Its hard to believe it has 100K. It really is flawless. Stock decals, stock rear mudflap, turn signals, bars, Stock

Out in the Low Desert, he probaly doesn't need the heated hand grips. It was 70-77 degrees out and perfect. Its pretty chilly in the high desert now. (Barstow).

Maybe, just Maybe, one of the heated grip wires might be causing some problems. I guess it depends on where the power is pulled from and the ground.

But I would Check out what is going on in the headlight bezel 1st.

G

[Desertboy13]

hey guys good news healight works turn out to bad bulb .i swap it out with a old one one that the low beam doesnt work but high beam does and it works also the blue light indicator goes of now .just order new blub will b here in couple of days .thanks for all the advice guys .

[1256day]

Good deal!
G