Headlight out and CMS backlight out - Help!!

[camos]

Stopped at the grocery store after work with everything working normal. Came out, fired up the VR and no headlight and dashlights no CMS backlight. Engine started OK, turn signals, tail light and brake light were working OK too. Checked the fuse box found no blown fuses or weak or corroded holders. Wiggled and pulled the start button. Also checked the headlight bulb which was good.

 

Are the headlight and dash lights connected in some manner or did I win the lottery and get two problems at once? I'm at a loss. Any ideas? I need to ride this thing to work tomorrow morning.

Edited November 15, 2012 by camos

[camos]

This morning when I went to start the bike the headlight and dash lights were still out. As I backed it out of the shop the headlight and dash lights came on with no help from me.

Nice!!

I surmise the problem was the start button since the only thing I did last night was to spray it with electrical cleaner. I never noticed the dash lights went off along with the headlight when starting.

 

Life is indeed a long term learning experience.

[Venturous Randy]

The circuit board in the CMS is a typical problem on the 1st gen Ventures and is well documented and can be intermitten due to it being a cold solder joint problem. But, the start switch may have been it and you may need to take it a part and clean it if it does it again.

RandyA

[camos]

I have read about the CMS headlight issue but don't remember that it also affected the dash lights. It's good to know since I also didn't know the start button turned off the dash lights. I'm planning on taking the start button apart this weekend. This also has encouraged me to get some auxiliary lights that are directly wired through a switch.

 

Thanks for the hint.

[Venturous Randy]

I have read about the CMS headlight issue but don't remember that it also affected the dash lights. It's good to know since I also didn't know the start button turned off the dash lights. I'm planning on taking the start button apart this weekend. This also has encouraged me to get some auxiliary lights that are directly wired through a switch.

 

Thanks for the hint.

 

 

I agree about not seeing the dash lights go out with the CMS problem.

A couple of years ago I blew the main fuse by the battery. I replaced the fuse strip and it has never blown again and I could never find why it blew. But, after I did this, I installed a set of running lights that were wired directly to the battery and run through a fuse and a switched solenoid. After losing everything at once, I decided I did not want to worry about being out at night and loosing all my lights at the same time.

RandyA

Edited November 17, 2012 by Venturous Randy

[KIC]

I have read about the CMS headlight issue but don't remember that it also affected the dash lights. It's good to know since I also didn't know the start button turned off the dash lights. I'm planning on taking the start button apart this weekend. This also has encouraged me to get some auxiliary lights that are directly wired through a switch.

 

Thanks for the hint.

 

There are some great write ups on taking the switches apart. I can't remember which member wrote them ( snaggletooth maybe? ) but I had copied them and attached my copy.

Throttle switch clean.pdf

[camos]

I agree about not seeing the dash lights go out with the CMS problem.

A couple of years ago I blew the main fuse by the battery. I replaced the fuse strip and it has never blown again and I could never find why it blew. But, after I did this, I installed a set of running lights that were wired directly to the battery and run through a fuse and a switched solenoid. After losing everything at once, I decided I did not want to worry about being out a night and loosing all my lights at the same time.

RandyA

That's about it. Losing the headlight, even in the daytime is traumatic to say the least. I'll be working on it tomorrow.

 

There are some great write ups on taking the switches apart. I can't remember which member wrote them ( snaggletooth maybe? ) but I had copied them and attached my copy.

Thanks for the upload, that will help a lot.