| Author | Message | ||
     W_s_logan |
Today both my headlights went out and the High Beam indicator light is stuck on. Everything else is working properly. I have checked fuses, the hot wires, the ground, the light bulbs, the switch housing and all of the switch contacts, as well as everything in the service manual with a multimeter. I'm really confused because the BOTH lamps are still getting 12 volts according to the voltmeter regardless of what position the high beam switch and passing light switch are in, but they wont come on. I tested the bulbs on a 12vdc source and they are good. I'm out of ideas. I read a few others had the same problem, but never posted a solution. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you. (Message edited by W_S_Logan on March 30, 2007) | ||
| Fulgur |
Wow....sounds a good one????? So if you have the ignition on and unplug the connector from the back of the lights you have 12V on both the high and low beam wires no matter what position the high beam or pass switches are in and the blue high beam indicator light is on? Have you unplugged the switch gear to see if the blue high beam indicator light goes off and you can also check to see of the switch works correctly with a continuity test? I would think that if the blue high beam indicator light goes off when you unplug the switch gear and it tests OK then you may have a short somewhere on your wire loom. Dose the blue high beam indicator lamp stay on if you also unplug both lights? What about a fault in your headlight housings? Maybe try unplugging everything (involved with the lights) you can and test and plug stuff in till you track down the issue. If you have a wiring diagram you can follow that would be a big help. Good luck......Fulgur. | ||
| W_s_logan |
Believe it or not I have done all that... wilt the wiring diagram and all. It's getting really frustrating. I love my Buell, but I think it's time to sell it. This board was kinda my last hope, but I can't seem to track down the bug. lol. | ||
| Vanvideo |
Logan, you sent me a PM, and the fix is - I let the harley mechanics work on mine. It works fine now. I wouldn't sell your Buell just yet. | ||
| Sparky |
It sounds like there is a break in the ground wire going to the headlight connector(s) somewhere. Each headlight has an independent ground wire but at some point they are joined and the wire eventually goes to a grounding pin in the wire harness, I believe. Without a good ground connection, the low beam can provide 12 VDC to the high beam and the result is neither bulb lights up or may be really dim. Check the ground pin at both headlight connectors for continuity to the chassis while wiggling the wire harness under there. If there is any discontinuity, you have narrowed the problem. Also, there should be zero volts on the ground wire with the ignition on. | ||
| W_s_logan |
Vanvideo.... that didn't by chance tell you what the problem was, did they? Thanks for the info sparky, I'll give it a try. | ||
| Tom_s |
I got the same problem tonight. Both headlights out, high beam indicator light on. Good thing my '06 Uly has aux lights. Sure enough, the ground, black wire, terminal that connects to the common connector that feeds both headlights does not have continuity to chassis or battery ground. Thanks for that tip Sparky. The manual shows this ground wire going to "GRD5". The wire runs off into a large group that goes... somewhere? The question is, does anyone know exactly where this 'ground 5' is? Or what route that wire takes? I looked at all the grounds I could find under the seat so far, all good. I have searched this board, and the manual with no luck. I think my '96 S1 manual is a lot better. The S1 is sure a lot easier to work on! W_s_logan, did you find the problem? I am going to PM you this post. Going to cross post to the XB12X forum too. | ||
| Tom_s |
I found the ground. And Rays added some info here while I was working/fixing it. http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/142 838/373336.html?1215183163 Thanks Rays! Looks like I fixed it & wrote this before I saw your post. I'll have to eyeball that rubber tab you mentioned. ************************************************** ******************** I found the ground. Below the triple trees, right up front, left side of bike. Poked around some more & saw it. Pulled up a loose wire. Kind of a pain to get the ground lug off without removing the headlights. Hard to get a torx in there. When I did get it off, surprise, there were two broken ground wires. Eventually did pull the headlights just to get enough space to pull the wires out enough to solder them back together. Then the lug came right off of the third wire that was still attached to the lug. The wires were actually broken, not just pulled out of the lug. Very strange as there is very little, if any movement involved when turning the bars lock to lock.  Stripped the ends of all three wires, spread the crimp on the lug, crimped 'em back in there to hold 'em, and soldered the whole mess back together. Fixed the problem with the GPS that the PO had installed, it acted as if it did not get power. (I'd have never put this thing on the bike, but I do like it for the big speedo readout. Location on the right hand bar sucks too, planning a relocate.) Also fixed a problem that I did not know I had before looking for this one. No power to the front Aux Power Outlet. Replaced the torx with a 1/4" hex head bolt. Be easier to get off if I ever have to again. Doubt I will, just re-crimped the other ground lug. Good to go. Thanks again to Sparky for that tip about the high beam indicator to be on when you lose the ground.  | ||
| Drogen |
This has happened on my 2007 Lightning XB12SS(Long)... I cant see the ground wires in the location of your photo... do they ground elsewhere on the Lighting? | ||
| Tom_s |
Drogen, that ground can be a bit hard to find/see at first. Might have to move your headlights to see it. Probably have to do that anyway to fix it. Those pix show the location pretty well, My 2nd pic with the arrow is from the left side of the bike. I have no idea if in the same place on the ‘07 Lightning. BTW, after dealing with this twice & thinking it was fixed & then losing one of the grounds for the 3rd time I added a very long heavy braided stainless wire extension that bolted to the original lug with the multi ground wires & bolted to the head stock. It ain’t pretty, can’t see it anyway, but no flex at the original wires now. | ||
| Drogen |
thanks for that mate. i have gone over my wires and connections and cant see any grounding at the front of the bike. it looks like the wires go back into the conduit and go to the back of the bike. at the back of the bike under the seat i found 2 grounding points, i checked both of them and they look fine. i was thinking i might try and run a grounding wire from the lights to the bolting point on the head stem. | ||
| Tom_s |
Is your high beam indicator light on like ours were on the Uly? (I think you Kiwis have another term for high beam/ bright lights but I can’t think of it.) I assume you checked the bulbs. Can’t you find anyone with a Lightening that had the same problem and might know where the ground is? On another topic, just curious, do you know a guy down there named Toddy? Only met him once but he has been up here a couple times. A friend here that has been there that knows him pretty well says “he lives at the Key that is close to Te Anau.” We are all older guys, middle aged or like me, well past it.  My friend also mentioned someone named Hans, known as the “Mad German” | ||
| Drogen |
my group is "Kiwi Buell Riders" on Facebook, we have 130 members, i don't have any club members called Toddy.  | ||
| Tom_s |
Drogen, you’re a bit late. 4 year old thread!  Didn’t say he had a Buell. He goes by ‘hondav2’ on ADV. Here is his profile. If you check his ‘Statistics’ You can find his threads & posts. http://www.advrider.com/forums/member.php?u=10717 Should be some pics in this 2009 thread by his friend Friar Mike. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42 7309 |
