relay wiring

[oldyam80sg]

I know its been talked about on this forum but how do you wire the headlight relay so you can turn the headlights on and off.I'm not an electrical genius so any info would help.Thanks

[SiP]

Hey oldyam80sg,

The supply to the relay comes in on the white wire and grounds on the black. The red - ish wire is the supply to the switched contacts of the relay that when closed lights the headlight. Ie: 12v on red thru closed contact and out on blue to the bulb.

Firstly make sure that the relay has:
1. 12v on the red to light the bulb.
2. 12v when engine running on the white that would energise the relay.
If you have those then the relay is bad.
If you don't have 12v on the white then there is a break or you're not charging properly.
If you don't have 12v on the red then the bulb will never light no matter how good the relay is.
You now have a couple of choices.
A quick check is to take a piece of wire and insert it in the connector to join the red and blue wires - the headlight should now work with just the ignition on. By the way - this is how I'm running mine since I don't have the ignition on for long without starting the engine anyway.
If you really want it to be auto or manually controlled then either 1. Put an oil pressure switch on with a normally open contact that when pressure builds (engine running) it closes and puts 12v to the white wire of the relay or 2. run a constant 12v to a switch (positioned wherever is convenient to you) that when put "on" puts 12v to the white wire of the relay.
Hope that helps.

[oldyam80sg]

Thank You for that info.Last week my boss at work loaned me a multimeter.It never changed no matter where i took a reading.It turns out the battery was bad in his multimeter.I will check it tomorrow after work.My wiring harness looks like a bird nest especially near the part where the coil wires are.My new harness should be here tomorrow.Thanks again.

[SiP]

np - but just quickly short the relay out and see if the light comes on with ignition. It's a quick easy check as to whether the light is good and the constant supply is at the relay, plus if it is then leave the short in and you can ride until you sort it properly

[oldyam80sg]

I jumped the wires as you said and now have gauge lights as well as headlights,but when i turn off the key,the gauge lights go off and so does the headlight.I then have to jump the wires again-so what is wrong or defective?It doesn't work if i don't jump anything.

[SiP]

By jump I mean to leave the piece of wire in there. Sorry I didn't make that clear.
If you just connect it so the lights come on and then remove it the next time you turn the key off it'll de-energise the relay.
I stripped a little bit of each wire just behind the connector then wrapped between 4/16" and 8/16" of my jumper wire tightly around the stripped bit and taped it up nice and tight.
All your doing is electrically removing the relay from the circuit and it'll work straight from the key.
I personally think that relay is a waste of time - as I said I don't have the ignition on for any length of time without starting the engine anyway - and if sometime in the future I did want to, it's as simple as removing the tape and taking the jumper out.

[oldyam80sg]

Ok so i leave the wire in there but what does this mean-is something bad?please explain also i didn't have gauge lights and now i do.I thought that the gauge lights come on when you turn the key and that the taillights and gauge lights are wired up together?

[skids]

Re: relay wiring

Here is a set of directions:
http://home.comcast.net/~sidhansen/relay/relay.htm

Originally posted by oldyam80sg
I know its been talked about on this forum but how do you wire the headlight relay so you can turn the headlights on and off.I'm not an electrical genius so any info would help.Thanks

[SiP]

Yes something is bad - you've proved that it is not the headlight as that works when you jumper it.

Do you have 12v on the white wire when the engine is running?

If so - the relay is bad.
If not then the supply to the relay from the generator circuit is absent or there's a brak in that wire (follow the diagram in your manual to trace it).