Researve lighting unit

[Flyinfool]

Does anyone have a bad Reserve Lighting Unit laying around for an 88 Venture?

It is my understanding that the MKI and MKII are different. At least the connector is different.

 

My request is 2 fold.

 

1. I want to see what is inside of that box to see if it can be modified to suit my needs before I destroy my good one.

 

2. If it can not be disassembled and modified then I can use the wire harness and connector to make my own unit that will do what I need.

 

Next question;

Has anyone identified the connector on the RLU so I could just buy that.

I just hate to butcher a perfectly good RLU if I don't have to.

[GeorgeS]

In the event the one you have fails. Not good, on the road !!!

 

You can also work up a by-pass circuit. Use a Double pole switch, to power the " low beam " from a seperate " new " fused circuit. The second side of switch would cut off the stock circuit voltage supply.

 

SO: Throw the new switch, stock voltage to bulb is cut off, and new supply to bulb is turned on.

 

I have done this on my 89. So if Stock wireing, or Reserve light unit fails, I just throw the switch, and my low beam is powered by a completly seperate circuit.

( of course the warning light will now flash ) but at least I have a head light.

 

I also have the right side " rear tail light bulb " powered by a completly seperate circuit, and fuse. Add an in-line fuse, and new wire back to just the right side bulb.

Now you have at least one tail light if the " signal " fuse circuit fails.

[dingy]

Opening up the RLU is next to impossible.

 

All the components in it are encased in a hard plastic like substance.

 

I tried opening mine up a few months ago.

 

Checked the p/n in the fiche. Same # is used on all 1st gens, 10M-84308-00-00

 

Check thread linked below.

 

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=51347

 

I have a schematic I will email you showing how to add 2 relays to bypass all of the light gauge wiring in the harness related to the headlight power circuit. Also eliminates RLU.

 

I don't want to put it online here as it has some non stock wiring in it. My concern is that at some point someone may get it and try to use it thinking it is a stock wiring diagram.

 

Gary

[GeorgeS]

Yes: not much you can do with the thing, thats exactly why I worked up the " by-pass" circuit.

 

I would suggest just finding a spare, and carry it with you, OR, wire up a by-pass circuit if you are really worried about failure of the headlight , out on a trip.

[Flyinfool]

My RLU is already disconnected, It must be disconnected to install the HID, I just need the connector to be able to add a custom control for the headlight. All of the wires that I need to tap into are at the RLU connector. I would rather not butcher up the stock wire harness on the bike, or chop up a good RLU.

That is why I am looking for a bad one. Just to cut it apart for the connector with its short wire harness, and my curiosity as to what is inside it.

[greg_in_london]

Hi there Flyinfool.

 

I just installed a hid conversion this evening without thinking about the reserve lighting circuit.

 

What did you do to bypass the unit ? I'm assuming that just pulling the plug on it will ncut the lights. I had been thinking about disconnecting the low beam wire to it and connecting that to a live, so the unit thinks the bulb is on, but don't actually power the low beam circuit and confuse the hi/lo relay.

 

But if you've thought about it more an have a better way... ?

 

Greg

[dingy]

Here is a picture of what you need to do to stop CMU warnings.

 

I believe Saltydog made this up.

 

The reed switch contacts on the high & low beam circuits need a jumper soldered across them on the non-component side of the board.

 

Please note that this info pertains to a non-royale style of CMU.

 

Gary

[greg_in_london]

That looks great, but more than I want to do when I'm getting ready for a trip - that's for sure. Admittedly the computer fault monitor isn't a real issue for me as it flashes all the time because I've changed the front master cylinder and the battery to an AGM ( no sensor) and the headlight (nearly) always gave a fault sign anyway. That red light stops flashing after a while.

 

Flyinfool's comment about just bypassing it seems sensible - maybe I was trying to overcomplicate things, so I'm going to try just undoing the block connector and connecting the bue/black (l/b) to the blue/white (l/w) and see if I get success.

 

I'll just live without the high beam warning for now (or maybe wire an LED in somewhere else.)

[Flyinfool]

Garys info will get you thru the CMU mods to make the warning go away, The HID will still function correctly without the CMU mods, you just have to look at the headlight warning all of the time.

 

The reserve lighting Mod MUST be done or you will destroy your HID bulb.

I did a thread on what all I had to do for my HID Install here;

http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=45603

 

It is not nearly as bad as it sounds, I was posting as I went along and a lot of it was before I had figured out exactly what I had to do.

 

Now that I have had the HID all summer, I'll never go back to incandescent.

[mrich12000]

one avalable on fleabay.

 

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Yamaha-Venture-XVZ1200-1200-RESERVE-LIGHTING-DEVICE-/350100206781?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&hash=item51839934bd

[Dragonslayer]

I've got one PM me

[greg_in_london]

I posted about the quick and dirty by-pass I did on the other thread on this, but 400 miles in it's working fine and looking good.

[JoeKanuck]

I posted this in a thread in the watering hole as well.

 

 

I just did an hid mod on my 86. It was a bear of a job getting the cmu out. The 86 unit does look different than the one pictured but it still has 4 of the things which need shorting. Jumpered all 4 while I was in there.

 

The RLU is slightly different as well. I jumpered the plug as pictured and everything worked except that the headlight lamp went on with the highbeam and not the highbeam indicator. It seems I don't have a blue/green wire...just green. No problem. I just swapped bulbs in the dash. It works great and nobody would ever guess.

 

It is a job worth doing but it is not a straight swap. Maybe someone can work out a way to avoid the warnings without rewiring but for now it will take a bit of mechanicking.

 

Totally worth it tho. The light is so bright that road signs are like car hi beams on brite.

[GeorgeS]

I simply used a Double Pole Double throw switch. I mounted it on Inst. Panel.

 

Tap into the Low beam socket about 6 inches from socket, run to center of on side of switch. thru switch, then back to socket.

 

On second side of switch, feed voltage from new circuit ( use a new In-line fuse ) to center of switch, then run opposit side of switch to the low beam socket.

 

Now when you throw the switch the Main circuit is disconnected, and the new circuit feeds the low beam. This new supply, completly bypass's the Inst panel, and Reserve Lighting Unit.

 

Of Course, use western Union splices, and heat shrink insullation on all the places you spliced into the stock cable.

Be sure to Solder all splices, and solder wires to your new switch.

 

 

Is this all " Paronoid, OverKill " ?? Yes--

[JoeKanuck]

My reserve lighting unit(s) are my fog lights. They don't light down the road a long way but they push out more than enough light for me to drive safely at night at legal speeds.

[mspookw]

Hey F/F. I've got a RLD I took off an '86' VR Don't know if it works but If you want it you can have it. Plug end alittle F/U but it's all there.

 

Mike

[Flyinfool]

Yes I am interested.

It is the plug that I am after.

Is the plug still usable?

I do not care if the RLU itself works or not.

[MasterGuns]

Exactly where is the Reserve Lighting Unit mounted anyway? I know where I can get a spare to carry with me, even though I have driving lights I could use in the event of a RLU malfunction. And, what is a fair price to pay for this thing?

[Flyinfool]

It is about the size of a pack of cigarettes and is located just under the dash cover, right on top, easy to get to once you remove the windshield and the dash cover. I have seen them go on ebay for $10-$30.

 

As far a possible failure modes for the RLU. (in no particular order)

1. no headlight at all.

2. low beam stuck on (would still give you high and low together if High selected).

3. High stuck on, (would still give you high and low together if low selected).

4. High and LOW on all of the time.

 

I would think that any time high and low were on at the same time there would be issues of wires not handling the current, and/or possibly blown fuses.

 

 

I just want one to tear apart to see whats in it, and to get the connector for another project.

[greg_in_london]

Well 2,500 miles on and back from a three and a bit week tour, I'm still very happy with the conversion. Whether I bother rewiring the reserve lighting unit is a question for the distant future.