Bad relay switch

[alvald83]

I installed a set of driving lights about 6 months ago. I wired them independently, with a relay and switch. The lights have recently started going out and coming back on at random times. When i installed them i made sure to have very good ground connections to avoid ground problems later.

My question is, could a bad relay act this way? I have already replaced the switch, and since the switch is a lighted switch, i can see when the lights go out. When they do go out after i shut down my bike for awhile, i try them and they work. I think it could be the relay.

When i replace it what should i look for? Im sorry, electrical circuits are not my strength.

[dingy]

Any mechanical/electrical component can fail.

 

Is the failure a complete type failure or are they flickering? By this I mean do they go out for a period of time then pop back on. Does cycling the switch have any effect on lights when failing?

 

The switch light is probably not going out when the lights go out, am I correct. Do yo know if the switch has three wires going to it. If it does, then one of these wires is a ground to make the switch indicator light function. What happens downstream in the circuit won't then show up at this indicator light.

 

If the failure is intermittent, I would suspect some connection past the switch, assuming indicator light is consistent. Reason being, I have opened up the common auto style relay, and it would seem if this device were to fail it would be a permanent type failure.

 

Did you solder the connections or use a crimp type connections?

 

Try wiggling each wire and connection while observing the lamp, if one makes it flicker, it needs attention.

 

Gary

[alvald83]

When the lights go out, the light in the switch goes out as well. They never flicker, they just go out completely. The switch is a 3 wire lighted switch that goes out when the lights go out. On some rides they'll go out then come on awhile later.

Edited July 3, 2011 by alvald

[Grisolm1]

Had a similar problem with my gen1 but was more than driving lights being affected. Turned out to be bad ground from engine to frame. Ran a 2nd ground from battery to frame, 10 min fix for a problem that had plagued me for weeks, and all was well. Just a short large gauge wire from ground to a self tapping screw up near the steering head was all I did. Worth checking on yours.

[dingy]

When the lights go out, the light in the switch goes out as well. They never flicker, they just go out completely. The switch is a 3 wire lighted switch that goes out when the lights go out. On some rides they'll go out then come on awhile later.

 

Since the light on the switch is going out and it is the 3 wire style, I would believe that the problem is between the power source that feeds the switch and the switch itself, on the positive side.

 

It could be a bad fuse, try a different one. Or connection to battery, fuse that I would hope you have or connection to the switch.

 

The light in the switch going out at the same time, seems to rule out anything downstream of the switch being the cause of the failure.

 

Gary

[MiCarl]

The light in the switch going out at the same time, seems to rule out anything downstream of the switch being the cause of the failure.