No headlight

[Incubus]

My plan with my new XS11 project is to see if the motor runs before I do anything else. I have no spark, but I haven't brought home the parts bike that has the better ignition parts yet. So I've been messing with the other electrics.

So far everything works, except the headlight. I have blinkers flash, the taillight works, the horn beeps and the brake lights work. The starter turns the motor, albeit with no spakr as yet. But the headlight doesn't work on high or low. I have juice across the headlight fuse, but then it just goes away. I took the left hand switch apart and cleaned the contacts, but that really was irrelevant since no juice is getting in there. I switched out the reserve lighting unit just because I had another, but that was also irrelevant because I could find no live wire there either. I am achieving some very clean contacts anyway.

Which component can be bad and knock out the whole headlight circuit?

I know if could be a bad wire somewhere inside the harness, but I would prefer to try everything else before I start unwinding all those miles fo electrical tape. I will worry about that after it runs when I start cosmetic work.

Thanks, in advance, for any advice.

Patrick

[Geezer]

The headlight doesn't come on until the engine starts.

Geezer

[bikerphil]

Yep, the alternator triggers the headlight relay when the engine starts.

[randy]

You won't have any headlight without the engine running. The headlight relay, which provides the juice to the reserve lighting unit gets it's feed from the alternator. So, no run, no alternator, no headlight. Get the engine running first, then see if you have headlight issues.

[GARTHXS]

check the headlight relay

Pull the plug and see , you should have 7 volts on the yellow wire

[Incubus]

Well that would explain it. Back to the spark.

[oseaghdha]

You can jump out the headlight relay if you want to test the lights.

Red/Yellow<--->Blue/Black

The head and instument lights should come on with the key that way.

[mxmikie]

funny... my headlite wont come on until i turn the headlite switch on

[oldyam80sg]

My SG headlight would turn on with the key but i used to ride until the dead of winter.Not fun at 1am in the morning when you go to hit the start button and headlight is on and sapping power from the battery.Thank God i never got stuck but that's why i had to fix my headlight problem.Also wanted a year ago to return bike to almost stock condition.

[CatatonicBug]

funny... my headlite wont come on until i turn the headlite switch on

Looks like you've got some electrical work to do. It's not supposed to work that way...

[mxmikie]

Looks like you've got some electrical work to do. It's not supposed to work that way...

that is how the 1978 was

[Ivan]

Yep 1979 was the year the feds decided the average biker is not smart enough to turn on his headlight...

[Elevener]

Mine comes on with the key also.

[mxmikie]

that is how the 1978 was

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-k-86MEHno