Help from those that are electrically inclined

[84xj1100]

In the last couple of weeks I have been getting an intermittant warning light on the computer display telling me that there is a problem with my headlight (?high beam?). When I switch to low beam the indicator goes out, once I turn the high beam on it comes back (sometimes with a delay, sometimes with the flick of the switch). The headlight is actually on for both high and low beam. It seems that the longer I ride the warning will become less intermittantant and eventually remains off.

 

Any ideas???

 

I'm thinking lose ground somewhere or the "?reserve headlight unit?". As mentioned the headlight remains on the entire time so my thought process would be somewhere in the sensor circuitry.

 

Advise please......I hate little red warning lights

[Blue Giant]

I think you are on the right track in thinking bad ground or failing reserve lighting unit. Have you replaced the bulb just to see if it might be a faulty bulb. Even though it stays on high beam could have too little resistance for the system to see?

[bongobobny]

Ummmm, could be a corroded contact on the headlight connector itself. Make up some baking soda paste and use an old toothbrush to clean up both the connector on the bulb and the harness. Rinse with plain water, let dry thoroughly or hit up with a hair drier, and see if that fixes it.

 

The fact that it becomes less of a problem the longer it's on tends to make me think that with use, the resistance from crud and corrosion starts to break down and work normally...

[84xj1100]

Thanks folks,

 

I did replace the bulb.........I'll try the contact cleansing

[LilBeaver]

Don't forget to check the headlight fluid...

 

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Lots of good help here, Good luck.

[Blue Giant]

Thanks folks,

 

I did replace the bulb.........I'll try the contact cleansing

 

Wouldn't hurt to take a look at the contacts in the handle bar switch as well!

 

[Yammer Dan]

I was almost afraid to look at this from the title but I think Bob could be right. If it works use a little Dielectric Grease on the connections.

[GeorgeS]

If after cleaning the bulb socket, Also follow the wire's from the headlight to a Pull Apart Plug. Open it, and clean the pins.

 

Use electrical Contact cleaning fluid, ( airisol can type stuff ) on the Plugs, and the Hi-Low switch.

 

If problem still there, might just be a glitch in the Warning circuit, on the Circuit Board located inside of the Instrument Panel. That board might need some resoldering.

 

False warnings, are not un-common.

 

If you do remove and open up the Instrument panel, be sure to Lubricate the Spedometer Unit. ( Where the drive cable feeds the unit )

 

also, replace all the Inst Panel light bulbs if you open it up.

 

also, if you remove the Inst Panel, you have access to about 25 other Electrical plugs. Open All of them and Apply Electrical contact cleaner, as long as you now have easy access. ( and there are about 6 Relays in there, pull plugs off them, and clean the contacts also. )

 

I KNOW!! You did not want to hear all of that, sorry.

[KarlS]

My headlight on my 83 started doing silly things also before it went out. After doing everything already mentioned above it ended up to be the fuse block. I'm glad I did everything else to prevent future problems.

[86er]

Another cause of this sort of thing is in the computer module. If you are going to crack the fairing, pull the computer board out and resolder all of the joints. Yamaha is bad about cold solder joints!

 

Right now my 86 shows the headlight icon when I hit the high beams. I'm going to resolder the next time in the fairing!

 

For now................I'm just living with it.

 

 

[84xj1100]

Well I cracked it open again (checked the headlight fluid why didn't I think of that) and cleaned the connections to the headlight and reserve lighting unit. It didn't work BUT I started moving wires around and found that where the 3 wires from the headlight go into the harness had an influence on the blinking. In other words, it seems to me that the wires may be partially broken????? By manipulating them I was able to get the warning light to stop flashing.

 

As for going any futher I think I'll wait till I put her to bed for the winter and tear everything down. I'll see if I can't isolate the ?partial break? in the wire and probably pull the panel and do everything that has been suggested (replace bulbs, clean all connections and resolder the board)

 

Thanks so much for your input folks hopefully I'll get it isolated, fixed and do some preventive work.

[rez]

I had a similar problem this summer....headlight warning icon would come on intermittently for both high and low beam but headlight was always working properly. I suspected cold solder joints...so pulled dash circuit board and resoldered some joints that looked questionable. I also found the 3 prong headlight connector terminals very loose...and 'tightened' them. After this the problem was gone and has been fine since.

Edited October 28, 2009 by rez
poor sentence

[Stoutman]

If you don't have any electrical contact cleaning fluid, ( airisol can type stuff ) like George mentioned you can use an old fashion pencil eraser on the headlight contacts and wherever else the eraser will fit. The airirsol stuff is worth getting though. It makes cleaning the hard to reach stuff much easier.

 

The other thing I've used is some 400 grit wet and dry sand paper, again, where it will reach. I've glued it onto a popsicle stick to get into tight places. Use compressed air or a soft cotton cloth to clean up any grit that is left behind. It is tempting to pucker up and just blow the dust away, but that can get moisture back on the contact, make a mess, lead to more corrosion.