Small electrical gremlin - any thoughts?

[11Rider]

Hi guys, all electonics work perfectly on Beastly with one exception. When the Hi/Low beam switch is on "Low", the high beam is on, and the hi beam indicator comes on full power (the blue light). When the switch is on "Hi", the beam is low and the hi beam indicator still glows but dimmer. Neither the hi, nor the low beams themselves are very bright either. I stink at electrical stuff, any thoughts?

[CatatonicBug]

Sounds like you have a wire swapped in a connector somewhere. Try swapping the 2 non-ground leads at the headlight bulb and see if that changes anything.

[crazy steve]

Just had the exact same problem; it's a bad connection at either the RLU or where the handlebar control plugs into the main harness...

[cywelchjr]

Hi guys, all electonics work perfectly on Beastly with one exception. When the Hi/Low beam switch is on "Low", the high beam is on, and the hi beam indicator comes on full power (the blue light). When the switch is on "Hi", the beam is low and the hi beam indicator still glows but dimmer. Neither the hi, nor the low beams themselves are very bright either. I stink at electrical stuff, any thoughts?

In either position does the headlamp light come on? If so, check the headlight bulb, that can be one of the symptoms of the headlight bulb being partially burned out and the RLU kicking in to keep the headlight on at all times.

[11Rider]

Just had the exact same problem; it's a bad connection at either the RLU or where the handlebar control plugs into the main harness...

I'm sure I should know this, but what is the RLU?

[11Rider]

In either position does the headlamp light come on? If so, check the headlight bulb, that can be one of the symptoms of the headlight bulb being partially burned out and the RLU kicking in to keep the headlight on at all times.

I was wondering about the bulb because the light pattern doesn't seem right. I'll check into this too. Thank you!

[crazy steve]

I'm sure I should know this, but what is the RLU?

Reserve Lighting Unit; the black box mounted next to the regulator...

[11Rider]

Oh, thank you!

[clcorbin]

Just to clarify: the Reserve Lighting Unit is a bit of electronics in the lighting harness that will turn on the low beam on even if the high beam is burned out, and the same for a burned out low beam, it also turns on a white indicator to let you know a filament is burned out. It's purpose was to make sure that you had SOME light if one of the filaments was burned out. Riding at night in the country at 80 mph in the dark can probably get real interesting real fast...

[cywelchjr]

Either wiring or the bulb can cause it to trigger, so check both, but especially if the headlamp light is lit, check the bulb, cause many times people run around checking everything in the world EXCEPT the bulb in these cases in finally check the bulb and find it to be burned out. So check both.

[11Rider]

I will check the bulb abd I suspect it's the culprit since the light pattern doesn't seem right. A sixteen hour work day put the kabosh on any detective work today though

[CatatonicBug]

Just to clarify: the Reserve Lighting Unit is a bit of electronics in the lighting harness that will turn on the low beam on even if the high beam is burned out, and the same for a burned out low beam, it also turns on a white indicator to let you know a filament is burned out. It's purpose was to make sure that you had SOME light if one of the filaments was burned out.

Actually, it only goes one way. If the low beam dies, it turns the high beam on at a reduced wattage and lights the idiot light on the dash. It does not sense if the high beam goes out.

[crazy steve]

Sorry 'bug, but the RLU does both the low and high beam... if yours doesn't, it's not working right..

[CatatonicBug]

Sorry 'bug, but the RLU does both the low and high beam... if yours doesn't, it's not working right..

Well, mine is bypassed now since I have the HID setup. But when it was still in the circuit, it didn't do anything if the high beam filament went out. It just used the seldom-used high beam to replace the low beam when it died, lighting it at a lower wattage (actually much lower than the regular low beam).

[crazy steve]

Well, mine is bypassed now since I have the HID setup. But when it was still in the circuit, it didn't do anything if the high beam filament went out. It just used the seldom-used high beam to replace the low beam when it died, lighting it at a lower wattage (actually much lower than the regular low beam).

There is/was something wrong with yours then. I tested mine when assembling the SG, and if either filament wasn't connected the RLU would switch to the other and light the indicator. You are right about the high-as-low beam, as the RLU dims the high beam quite a bit... but some light is better than no light...