RLU Question

[oseaghdha]

Ok,
Here's the deal as of last night:
I got mad at the crappy light in my fairing(Windjammer II), so I got a new reflector with an H4 bulb.
The wires to the headlight run through too many connections, so I went with 10GA from the battery through a pair of relays I mounted inside the fairing. One for HI beam, one for LOW beam. I want ALL the volts dammit!

I am pretty sure it's all wired correctly, but the RLU is not sensing a light and I believe has switched to low beam or something. The white light is on. It won't go HI/LOW. I can hear the relays clicking, but the beam stays the same. Either they are both on all the time, or just one. I will see which after work.

So I think I need to put some more resistance in the circuit, since I am only using the outputs for triggers now.

I don't want to take the RLU out completely, because it works ok when the bike is naked. All this kludge will come off with the fairing.

Any wire heads have any input here?

[randy]

The easiest way is to dump the relays, the RLU needs to see 50-55 watts to think there is a bulb there. You'll never do that with a relay coil. and, if you did, you'd just be wasting amps keeping a relay energized.

Why not just wire the new light normally?

[BigDick]

No more reserve lighting unit!

[oseaghdha]

The easiest way is to dump the relays, the RLU needs to see 50-55 watts to think there is a bulb there. You'll never do that with a relay coil. and, if you did, you'd just be wasting amps keeping a relay energized.

Why not just wire the new light normally?

I went with relays to get past the:
1) Skinny wires
2) Connection at the old headlight to the Vetter Harness
3) Connection at the Vetter Bulkhead Plug

It all added up to not getting enough juice to the light.

I like to remove the fairing during the summer without doing an extreme makeover, so I don't want to modify on the stock wiring.

You are right about wasting amps.
Guess I'll look into bypassing the RLU.

[randy]

Bypassing the RLU will not get you more amps at the light, but it will cut out one connection point in the harness (can't hurt). I think you are on the right track with upping the guage on the wires, though. And, making sure the vetter bulkhead connectors are clean and tight. You can replace the molex pins/sockets in the bulkhead.

[BigDick]

clarification

Just so things are crystal, that link I posted is the tech tip to remove said RLU. (I haven't had coffee yet this morning)

[oseaghdha]

Update

I made a jumper out of an old plug and denutted the RLU.
Eveything works as advertised, except now the Light Checker has the Red Light of Death illuminated.

Freaked out and had to check the oil and make sure it was drawing down when started. Tail light works fine, brake light is good too. Hoping it's just the plug, because I was moving it around during the exercise.

At any rate, I now have good lumens down the road, and it's going to be 78 degrees today!

[oseaghdha]

Followed the directions here.

Thing is, when HI is selected, LO is on also.
Which I see agrees with the diagram here.

Thats not really what I want. That will cause near distance dazzle when I want to see downrange, and I have been told that this may cause my H4 60/75W bulb to have a catastrophic failure.

Has anyone got a better solution for RLU bypass?

[Crazcnuk]

I just installed a real HID. 35watt draw and 300% more light than quartz.

My friends insist I drive in front, at night.


I did have to bypass the RLU.

[oseaghdha]

Rlu bypass

OK I cured it.

I eliminated the Y to BLU/GRN connection in the UPATED and the Diagram.

So, I only kept the BLU/BLK to BLU/Y.
This eliminated the LO Beam being on all the time, even on HI Beam. My HI Beam Indicator works fine.

This was also causing XS amp drain.