Passing light running lights

[usedcyclesales]

1997 Royal star I have checked continuity and everything is a go from the main headlight wire fuse and all switch works everythin. but I can't seem to be getting any power to them and I don't know how to check for power also all fuses are perfect and ther is ZERO and I mean ZERO corrosian some rich guy owned this and it was kepst in a heated garage up north and a temp controlled carpeted one in Naples florida wires connection are all LIKE NEW HELP!!! the service manual has nothing on passing lights

[Jonesboy]

I take it you have pulled the headlight off the bucket and checked all wiring in there. Also there is a toggle switch on one of the passing lamp housings, it may have gone bad in the open position.....

[mbrood]

If you don't have or know how to use a voltmeter... grab a light bulb from the tail light or turn signal and a few feet of insulated wire. Strip about 3 inched off one end of the wire and wrap it around the copper shaft on the bulb and twist it to itself. Then strip a 1/4 inch from the other end of the wire. Now, holding a solder pin on the base of the bulb to a good ground, any junction you touch with the 1/4' stripped end that has 12 V will make the bulb light... handy even for roadside checks.

 

The other side of that testing is to put the solder pin of the bulb onto the battery hot terminal and probe the bulb socket in question to see if the ground pin actually is providing a good ground.

[usedcyclesales]

I take it you have pulled the headlight off the bucket and checked all wiring in there. Also there is a toggle switch on one of the passing lamp housings, it may have gone bad in the open position.....

 

Yes I've checked the continuity with switch open an closed it works and yes I checked the connection in the headlight it looks as though this was a factory connection not an after market connection all wiring looks brand new no corrosion and I guess what i really need to know is how do I check to see if there is power to that line that's connected to the lamps from the connection in the headlight. Also where does that power come from I've looked at fuse box every fuse pulled and checked and nothing loose I'm baffled

[M61A1MECH]

Thought: If the Running / Passing Lamps were factory wired, and some were because some models were delivered from the factory with the lights installed, then the passing lights only work when the headlight is in either low or high beam mode , not both, and I cannot remember which way they wired it, so have you checked for passing lamp operation with the headight in both the high and low beam mode?

 

Question: You say you have checked continuity, does that mean you have a Volt Ohm Meter, or are you using a"buzz" box type of set up?

 

If you have a VOM and know where the passing lamps are supposed to get power from, such as the head light circuit, set the meter to any Volts range greater than 12 VDC and check for the presence of voltage from that connection to ground. If you have it at the first junction trace the wire to the next junction and check again, working down to the passing lamps, but if you have continuity you should have voltage, so maybe I am not understanding the issue fully.

Edited March 4, 2012 by M61A1MECH
Speling corrections

[usedcyclesales]

Thought: If the Running / Passing Lamps were factory wired, and some were because some models were delivered from the factory with the lights installed, then the passing lights only work when the headlight is in either low or high beam mode , not both, and I cannot remember which way they wired it, so have you checked for passing lamp operation with the headight in both the high and low beam mode?

 

Question: You say you have checked continuity, does that mean you have a Volt Ohm Meter, or are you using a"buzz" box type of set up?

 

If you have a VOM and know where the passing lamps are supposed to get power from, such as the head light circuit, set the meter to any Volts range greater than 12 VDC and check for the presence of voltage from that connection to ground. If you have it at the first junction trace the wire to the next junction and check again, working down to the passing lamps, but if you have continuity you should have voltage, so maybe I am not understanding the issue fully.

 

EXACTLY you are understanding me right!!! Continuity but no power!!! So I'm going to try to check voltage I've never done that so I'm assuming red prong to power wire and black to negative point and set VM to any voltage at 12 or under

[M61A1MECH]

Yes red to positive Black to ground.

 

When trouble shooting for voltge issues always start at the highest voltage on your meter and work down the voltage range until you get a reading that is in the midle 2/3rds of the rang range, testing voltage with the range set lower than the expected max voltage can damage the meter.

 

Also make sure your ground wires are also good and also tight, with our a path back to ground nothing will happen in an electric circuit.

 

Good luck.

Edited March 4, 2012 by M61A1MECH
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[Flyinfool]

EXACTLY you are understanding me right!!! Continuity but no power!!! So I'm going to try to check voltage I've never done that so I'm assuming red prong to power wire and black to negative point and set VM to any voltage at 12 or under

 

Noooooooo........

You will let the magic blue smoke out of your meter.

You must set VM to any range 12Vdc or HIGHER.

 

I always start at the symptom.

In this it means the lights that are not lighting.

Check the two wires at the light.

Connect your meter from the battery positive to each of the wires, one at a time, One of them should show 12V. Then connect your meter from battery negative to the other wire. it should show 12V. If either of these tests do not work then you at least know which side of the bulb the problem is on.

 

Dumb question part, but it is required just because none mentioned it yet.

Did you check to be sure the bulbs are not burned out?

[usedcyclesales]

Noooooooo........

You will let the magic blue smoke out of your meter.

You must set VM to any range 12Vdc or HIGHER.

 

I always start at the symptom.

In this it means the lights that are not lighting.

Check the two wires at the light.

Connect your meter from the battery positive to each of the wires, one at a time, One of them should show 12V. Then connect your meter from battery negative to the other wire. it should show 12V. If either of these tests do not work then you at least know which side of the bulb the problem is on.

 

Dumb question part, but it is required just because none mentioned it yet.

Did you check to be sure the bulbs are not burned out?

T answer the dumb question first yes the lights work I just went out to do the voltage test and believe it or not they came on when I started the bike. stayed on briefly then went out so I wiggled wires tapped on case etc and nothing. Now I'm thinking a short or maybe a FAULTY fuse

[dacheedah]

If they were wired according to factory directions there is a small switch by the cigarette lighter with an inline fuse on it and they should only be on with low beams. I would look at the connections including the fuse and be sure they are clean, add some di electric grease to the connections

[usedcyclesales]

If they were wired according to factory directions there is a small switch by the cigarette lighter with an inline fuse on it and they should only be on with low beams. I would look at the connections including the fuse and be sure they are clean, add some di electric grease to the connections

 

Hey thanks for the input but this is a 1997 royal star, no lighter just that the light set up is basically the same as venture , I had a 2004 1700 roadstar and the factory wiring for that was the same as the 1997

[djh3]

2 things I can think of. 1:is there a relay by chance involved? Possibly the relay has corroded contacts inside. 2:Did you say there is an inline fuse holder? Depending on type I have had them with the screw together type and the button on one end or the other has broken off the wire it was soldered to. It would ocasionaly make contact and drive me nuts. I would guess if they are passing lights they may only work in low beam. Are they like the light bar type lights on the RSV?

[M61A1MECH]

What you describe sounds more like a loose wire, could be power or ground, if it were a short (that is power going to ground without a load) you would have a blown fuse somewhere.

 

Could be the infamous bad / weak ignition switch that Royals are known to have.

[usedcyclesales]

2 things I can think of. 1:is there a relay by chance involved? Possibly the relay has corroded contacts inside. 2:Did you say there is an inline fuse holder? Depending on type I have had them with the screw together type and the button on one end or the other has broken off the wire it was soldered to. It would ocasionaly make contact and drive me nuts. I would guess if they are passing lights they may only work in low beam. Are they like the light bar type lights on the RSV?

 

EVERY THING as far as connections are PERFECT ZERO corrosion that was the first thing I checked

[usedcyclesales]

What you describe sounds more like a loose wire, could be power or ground, if it were a short (that is power going to ground without a load) you would have a blown fuse somewhere.

 

Could be the infamous bad / weak ignition switch that Royals are known to have.

 

So far I think YOU might be on to something. It's not a venture but Yamaha has utilized many of the same parts in a lot of different models. After testing most everything I put a charger on the battery to make sure it was at full capacity . I then went out about 2 hrs later and started the bike up( charger showed battery fully charged) the lights came on. after about a minute they went out, thats when I thought maybe a short or a loose connection and wiggled all the wires . I guess I'll just start from square one tomorrow

[darthandy]

If the passing lights were dealer installed rather than factory installed, they probably used one of those little blue power taps with a blade type connection and a hinged cap that snaps closed over the wires. Those types of taps are well known for failing in odd ways, including working for a few seconds then cutting out. I would check to see if you have one and if you do, then take it off, strip some insulation from the wires and solder them. Even if it doesn't cure the problem, it will ensure that a different problem doesn't show up later.

 

Andy

[Flyinfool]

You still need to go back and do the tests I explained, while it is misbehaving to determine witch direction to start looking.

 

If it was a short it would blow a fuse instantly, so you can rule that out.

[wes0778]

1st off unless you see the magic smoke or have a blown fuse you don't have a "short". Now that being said I wonder since the lights work for a short time and go out, has someone installed a circuit breaker in the wiring for the passing lights? THAT could explain why the lights are on then off. After a certain period of time the circuit breaker resets. If it is there it could be too small to run the lights or be weak.

Do you have voltage to the switch, in the left passing light housing? If so is there power to the "switched" side of the switch? If so, is there power to the light bulbs? If so turn off the key and check continuity to ground on the grounded side of the bulb(s).

Now if there is NO power to the toggle switch, start physically following the switch's power wire back to see where it goes for power. As mentioned there is probably a Scotch-loc connector tapping one of the headlight wires.

Oh, to digress a bit, some bikes are wired so the passing lights are only on on low beam. Some are wired to be on only on high beam and some are wired to be on anytime the ignition switch is on. Have you tried both positions of the dimmer switch?

 

Have you actually had the passing light bulbs out of the buckets? One of the passing lights on my bike started going out occasionally. When I pulled the bulb out I found the ground wire lug broken, where it is riveted to the bucket.

So what I'm saying, to troubleshoot this problem, it would be best done bu either starting where you DO have 12V and going forward to where you don't, OR starting at the bulbs, where there is not 12V and tracing the wires back to where you FIND 12V.

Good luck!!!

[playboy]

Just curious Alan you say 97 royal star but your profile says 99 venture you lucky enough to own both. Wondering what bike your working on.

[ragtop69gs]

Don't know if you fixed your lights yet. I had the same thing happen and found it to be the scotch lock wire connector that was the problem. I got rid of it and soldered the connection and installed a relay, now the passing lamps draw power from the battery and are brighter.

 

Yamaha didn't include a relay with the install kit but should have. Without one you are powering the lamps with one 16 gauge wire. I have 55 watt sealed beams in my lamps.