fuses / headlight

[barend]

Two questions:

 

One! after riding through a downpour at night my headlight quit. I replaced the fuse and saw a "flash" when I turned the ignition on. Headlight still worked on low beam but high beam is dim and brings on the headlight warning light and the CM blinks, the fuse is fine. Could this just be the bulb being bad (it looks OK)?

 

Two! Trying to find a possible bad contact for the above I pulled the headlight, apparently the PO had a "accesory" hooked into a tan #10 wire under the panel. the accesory wire wasn't capped or taped of when he cut it, and it hit the headlight frame. Nothing works!!, All fuses in the fuse panel are OK, I know there should be some other fuse somewhere, but I can't find it. Do I need to pull the entire fairing? Do I need to look for something else? Oh, that was bright! Found that one on top of the battery! For some reason I thought it was down under the fairing! so that answers that, next question though is: Where do I get a new one??

Edited November 23, 2009 by barend
partial answer

[dingy]

Attached is the simplified wiring diagram for the 83.

 

Same as what I have and it is different from the 84-85 models in many places.

 

The headlight circuit goes in and out of the CPU unit. Also the reserve lighting is tied in.

 

The #10 Tan wire is probably the Br wire coming out of the main switch.

 

I know of no fuse that would affect the high beam and not the low beam in a stock wiring setup.

 

There is a write up at link below for working on CPU unit.

 

[ame=http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=33328]Information Display Repair - VentureRider.Org[/ame]

 

 

I had a similar problem with my 83 two years ago. My solution was to remove the CPU and reserve lighting unit from the headlight circuitry. This left me with the red warning light flashing (which I blacked out) and the headlight icon lit on CPU.

 

Gary

[skydoc_17]

Hey Barend,

You might try some contact cleaner, or even better pull the Hi/LOW headlight switch apart on the left handlebar and clean with contact cleaner and add some dielectric grease to the contacts. When my headlight went bad, it was the reserve lighting unit. I have one if you need it. PM me.

Hope this helps,

Earl

[barend]

Hey Barend,

You might try some contact cleaner, or even better pull the Hi/LOW headlight switch apart on the left handlebar and clean with contact cleaner and add some dielectric grease to the contacts. When my headlight went bad, it was the reserve lighting unit. I have one if you need it. PM me.

Hope this helps,

Earl

How can you tell if the reserve lighting unit is bad?

I'll look into the switch.

The CMU was fixed previously (last summer), I think it would still be OK.

[hdroyer]

Barend,

 

My 83 just started doing all most the same thing, but the low beam is dim and brings on the headlight warning. The high beam works fine and no warning, let me know if you find the cause. Gail got off to go to Tybee Island and then got sick so we didn't go.

Two questions:

 

One! after riding through a downpour at night my headlight quit. I replaced the fuse and saw a "flash" when I turned the ignition on. Headlight still worked on low beam but high beam is dim and brings on the headlight warning light and the CM blinks, the fuse is fine. Could this just be the bulb being bad (it looks OK)?

 

Two! Trying to find a possible bad contact for the above I pulled the headlight, apparently the PO had a "accesory" hooked into a tan #10 wire under the panel. the accesory wire wasn't capped or taped of when he cut it, and it hit the headlight frame. Nothing works!!, All fuses in the fuse panel are OK, I know there should be some other fuse somewhere, but I can't find it. Do I need to pull the entire fairing? Do I need to look for something else? Oh, that was bright! Found that one on top of the battery! For some reason I thought it was down under the fairing! so that answers that, next question though is: Where do I get a new one??

[sgn]

My 83 had cold joints in the CMU - same repair type as CLASS system.

 

Redid the joints and now I have Hi-Beam again.

 

As a side note the previous "butcher made a mess for a work around to even get the low beam to work.

 

Steve

[barend]

Barend,

 

My 83 just started doing all most the same thing, but the low beam is dim and brings on the headlight warning. The high beam works fine and no warning, let me know if you find the cause. Gail got off to go to Tybee Island and then got sick so we didn't go.

 

Hey Dale!! Figured you weren't going when I didn't hear back from you. No biggie, I'll have to drag you away some other time. Hope Gail's doing better!!

 

Pull you computer display and get the contacts resoldered. After you get it out and look at the contacts you may see a definite 'crater' around the post, or there may be a very fine circle around it. Either way, once you get it out just re-do all the contact points and you should be good for another 26 yrears!

[GaryZ]

Two questions:

 

One! after riding through a downpour at night my headlight quit. I replaced the fuse and saw a "flash" when I turned the ignition on. Headlight still worked on low beam but high beam is dim and brings on the headlight warning light and the CM blinks, the fuse is fine. Could this just be the bulb being bad (it looks OK)?

 

Two! Trying to find a possible bad contact for the above I pulled the headlight, apparently the PO had a "accesory" hooked into a tan #10 wire under the panel. the accesory wire wasn't capped or taped of when he cut it, and it hit the headlight frame. Nothing works!!, All fuses in the fuse panel are OK, I know there should be some other fuse somewhere, but I can't find it. Do I need to pull the entire fairing? Do I need to look for something else? Oh, that was bright! Found that one on top of the battery! For some reason I thought it was down under the fairing! so that answers that, next question though is: Where do I get a new one??

 

Fuseable link can be purchased at the dealer.

I drew a picture of the thing (looks like a little open-end wrench) and sent my wife to the dealer. She brought home the right part and an extra one. Maybe 50 cents apiece . . .

[barend]

Found a 30 Amp fuse at the dealer, largest they had, I'll see if I can find the right size later, for now I'll try the 30 so I can continue my project:D

 

Next question:confused:: I've got all the lights on the sidecar wired in, the correct LED tail lights (bike) are on the way, but for now I still have the 1157's. Here's the rub: without the tail/stop light plug plugged in I have a brake light on the sidecar, when I plug up the bikes tail/stop light I don't. :think: Are the 1157's pulling too much power for the LED stop lights on the chair to work? What else could cause the LED stop lights to not light up? :scratchchin: (they do kind of "blink")

 

I'd really like to get this taken care off, tommorrow (wednesday) so I can button everything back up and maybe go for a ride on turkey day!!:cool10:

[warthogcrewchief]

I am, by no means, an expert with electricity, but I do know enough to get myself into (and sometimes out of) trouble.

 

From what I have dealt with in my job (USAF fighter aircraft mechanic), I've seen LED flashlights that start blinking like a strobe just before the batteries die. We change out the batteries and they work perfect. I'm thinking that maybe you have a connection that isn't tight or maybe you need a better ground...

 

Just my .

[barend]

Temporary fix is in (I hope) I removed one of the bikes 1157 bulbs and by sidecar brakelight works. Now keeping my fingers crossed that when I swap the bikes tail lights out to LED's that would solve the problem