Is there something wrong here?-Electrical

[crazy steve]

Let me clarify that a bit (I know what you're trying to say Cy, but it's a bit confusing)...

Your RLU (reserve lighting unit) looks for a burned-out headlight, either high or low beam. If the high beam burns out, it automatically switches to low beam and turns on the 'headlight' light; note that if the handlebar switch is on 'high', the 'high beam' light should be lit also. If low beam burns out, it will switch to the high beam, but reduce power to the light so you don't blind oncoming traffic. Again, the 'headlight' light will come on (but not the 'high beam').

Now, if the PO got the wires to the high/low beams switched in the bucket and the 'high' filament is out, when you turn on 'high', that's actually the low beam. When you switch to low, it reduces power (thinking it's the high beam out), making the light dimmer. At this point, the 'headlight' light should come on, but if it's burned out or not hooked up, you won't know but will have exactly these symtoms. So check both the headlight and the 'headlight' indicator bulb...

[crazy steve]

Ok, one more thing it could be.... a bad RLU. I finally got my SG running after dinking with the carbs for several days, and the third time I started it, the 'headlight' indicator came on, as did the 'high beam' light, and it's on low beam. Switch to high, and only the 'high' light goes out. Now, this isn't a wiring problem as all this was just gone through and checked for proper function, and was all working. I'll dig into it more later (got a funeral to go to tomorrow), but that may pay to check....

[petejw]

I finally got my SG running after dinking with the carbs for several days.

dont leave us hanging steve, what was the issue with the carbs?

[crazy steve]

dont leave us hanging steve, what was the issue with the carbs?

LOL! I posted to the original thread....

[petejw]

must have missed it, ill check it out.

[b.walker5]

.... If low beam burns out, it will switch to the high beam, but reduce power to the light so you don't blind oncoming traffic. Again, the 'headlight' light will come on (but not the 'high beam').

I didn't realise it was smart enough to do that... I guess it's true, you really can learn something new every day.

[Nubian]

That means that the headlight high beam is burned out OR the wiring for high beam has a problem, check the bulb first, it's the most likely and easiest to check, and if the headlight indicator comes on that means the RLU has detected a burned out bulb and has switched to the OTHER half of the bulb at reduced brightness, this is by design so you don't end up with NO light when the headlight bulb burns out as it almost always goes out 1/2 at a time. Get a silverstar, costs a bit more, but a LOT more light for the same draw, it might not last as long, but I can handle replacing the bulb every 5 years or so without bothering me a bit.

Which model # silverstar? Is it the 9003?
The one on the bike now is the Philips x-treme h4 12342 which i'm having a hard time crossing over to a silverstar ultra model.

[cywelchjr]

Which model # silverstar? Is it the 9003?
The one on the bike now is the Philips x-treme h4 12342 which i'm having a hard time crossing over to a silverstar ultra model.

I picked up a silverstar H4 bulb at wallyworld, even came in a single pack. IIRC I went with the mid silverstar, as the higher on the brightness scale you go the lower the life is on them, so I went for the middle rated one and I'm pretty happy with it, and it's been in there for almost 2 years now. That said, IIRC 9003 is the same thing as H4 but I'm not certain and when I was looking wallyworld had silverstars in both H4 and 9003 so I got the H4.

[crazy steve]

Ok, one more thing it could be.... a bad RLU. I finally got my SG running after dinking with the carbs for several days, and the third time I started it, the 'headlight' indicator came on, as did the 'high beam' light, and it's on low beam. Switch to high, and only the 'high' light goes out. Now, this isn't a wiring problem as all this was just gone through and checked for proper function, and was all working....

OK, so mine wasn't a bad RLU. Seems a poor connection on one of the wires where the controls plug into the main harness was the culprit. After messing with that, it all went back to working properly. So check there too....