Instrument lights....... or not

[Badger]

Hi all, my xs 1.1 is a beautiful old thing, I call it the tractor [one of them] cause it has lots of power but doesn't go very fast [ by todays standards.....actually plenty fast enough for me!......and the sheep......]

I'd like any hints on why my instrument lights aren't working, everything else does. I've checked the earth at the globes in the instrument binacles, and they are earthed, [and the globes are ok] they just aren't getting any juice. I've checked the switch, and all seems to be in order there......somewhere between the two......the tail light and the parking light works, so is there a junction somewhere where they all should meet, or is it more complicated than that?

I cant recall, when using the parking lock and lights, do the instrument lights go on, or do they stay out of that? If so, how does that happen.

[randy]

Badger,

Pull apart the connectors that join inside the headlight shell and clean 'em good. Then apply some dielectric grease when you put them back together. That should clear it up. Good luck, and let us know how it works out.

Randy

[Badger]

Randy, thanks for your response. I've been through every connector I could find, using water dispersing/lubricating spray [to help get them apart in the first place], I lubricated the blocks and worked them a couple of times to try to ensure connection.
I'm reticent to use grease because I live in a dusty environment.
I got my tail-lights back on the first go, but no joy after that for the speedo-tacho lights.

I also played around with a multi-meter, and established that there is a good earth for both sets and that there were no volts available on the loom side of the blocks in either of the blue wires that feed the backlighting, so I fear the problem lies further into the loom.

Thanks again

[randy]

Try to get yourself a good automotive test light, the kind that has a very sharp tip to poke through the insulation. I've found that it can speed up the troubleshooting process, especially with bundles of wiring. They're very cheap, but if you can't find one in your area, let me know and i'll get one out to you, mate.


Randy.

[Ken Talbot]

Badger, you might have to go another step in cleaning those pesky connectors. I posted a short article on electrical gremlins a while back that illustrates how bad the corrosion can get right down inside the connector block. Sometime you have to remove the metal bits from the block to get them properly clean. Look at how ugly this one was:



If you had to do quite a bit of work just to get the blocks apart, the hard part may still be ahead of you....

[greatwhiteshark]

have you checked to see if your headlight is not working as well because the headlight and insrument lights are on the same circuit . I had a similar problem , I had no headlight or instrument lights and it ended up being a loose connection in the plug going to the aux. lighting relay under the tank. you may have to follow some wires around with a tester but you will find it ........hope this helps............mark

[Badger]

Relay/thingy?

I've been poking around a fair bit following the instrument lights power wire [blue], and came to what looks a bit like a relay, though its a bit bigger and heavier than what one would expect for a relay.
It sits in a rubber bracket directly above the coils [on my 1980 XS 1.1] the plug/socket is black plastic with six wires connecting in it. One [black] is earth, one is the afformentioned blue, and I think the others are white with various stripes.

I'm very interested in this thing because the plain white wire gets power from the switch, and the three other whites, one with a brown, one a blue and the third a yellow stripe get power after the relay [?] in the circuit when the light switch [right handle bar] is turned on, [either position, park or headlights].

When I introduce current into the blue wire, hey presto, the instrument lights come on, so what does the doo-dad on the end of this plug do? Or more precisely, what is it meant to do?

Before anyone says 'reserve lighting unit' it's not, that's further along under the tank near the regulator, with the words
'reserve lighting unit' embosssed on it!

Over to you.

[John]

It sounds like you are describing the headlight relay. The White wire should come from the voltage regulator (one phase of the alternator) to energize the relay when the engine is running. The blue wire with a black stripe goes to the reserve lighting unit, and the headlight. The white/ with brown stripe wire should be from the fuse panel. So basically, the white wire controls the relay, and the white/brown wire brings the power in from the fuse, then through the contacts of the relay that are being controlled by the white wire, and the power exits the relay through the blue/w black tracer (stripe) wire. From there, the blue/black wire splits, and power is sent to the reserve unit, and on to the meter lights. The power is sent to the reserve unit and on to the headlight dimmer switch from the reserve unit via a blue w/dark blue tracer wire. From the headlight dimmer switch power is routed through a green (low beam) or yellow (high beam) wire. That is how the schematic is drawn in my Clymer manual, for the 80-81 Standard. I would think that your 1.1 should be the same.
I hope that helps.

[Badger]

Mysterious bit

Thanks for your response John, but it's not the headlight relay, the headlight works without this mystery box being plugged in, [and with out the motor running, but they all do don't they?].

This plug has six wires, black [earth], blue [to the instrument lights, and some how to the tail/parklight], white [from the right handlebar light switch], and blue, brown and yellow striped white wires which turn up in a connecter of their own in the headlight shell going into the speedo.

I wonder if they are part of the flasher cancel set-up. There are two connector blocks going to the speedo in the headlight shell, one with three wires[blue, brown and yellow striped whites], and a four wire -blue, black, white striped black, and a green striped white in the other.

I've also found that one of them has power, but only if the plug to the speedo in the headlight is connected, so somehow it [I think the yellow stripe] gets power as a return from either the brown or blue.

So, Mysterious box unplugged and checking the wires at the loom end of the now vacant plug, ignition on, healight switch [right handle bar] off, nothing, black is still earth of course.

Headlight switch to park [or headlight] gets power to the plain white wire. Plugging the box in again gets power to the brown and blue striped whites, and if the three wire plug that goes into the speedo [in the headlight shell] is plugged in, the yellow striped [white wire] one gets power as well.

All the while, the blue has nothing, and I wonder if this is how it is meant to be, given that when I introduce the positive of twelve volts to the blue at this junction block, I get instrument lights.........[but not tail or parker]


All this is wonderful, but .......what does it mean? other than that my guages are still dark in the dark........I don't know.

I dont recall, when the steering is locked, and the taillight/parker is turned on, do the instrument lights come on?


It would be helpful to know if the instrument lights are in the same circuit as the taillight/parkers [same coloured wire, blue....]

[Badger]

Sharp tester

Randy,
Your offer prompted me to solder a sewing needle onto a piece of wire so I could go probing with my multi-meter, works great.

Thanks

[randy]

I heard you guys (excuse me, blokes) from down-under were resourceful. Apperently so. Glad you worked that out. Nice trick. Thank you for the tip. Now I can use it in a pinch!

Randy

[mitch]

Pictures and parts listing

Hey Badger,
Go to
http://parts.yamaha-motor.com
you can find the whole system there it list what the parts are. HTH........................MITCH

[mitch]

Parts

Click on parts then parts catalogue then electrical 2 , it will show all the switches and everything as well as a list with names ...........................MITCH

[pgg]

Maybe your relay thingy is the "crash and arse off bike/ engine kill switch" thingy.

[Badger]

Closer

Thanks for the repsonses guys, PPG, no it's not the upside down switch, thats just behind and below this thing.

Mitch that Yamaha site is great, I just wish Yamaha Aust had one so helpful. As far as I can tell from your 'electrical 2' [it blows me away how that stuff is available on line], the box in question is either the flasher cancel unit listed as # 9[though the shape is wrong], or an unspecified relay # 7 which shows the right shape, but not the short loom and plug with it as # 9 has.

Given that this thing has wires going to the speedo, [other than the intsrument lights] I think it must be the flasher cancel unit.
What I need to do now is to find another XS and see how the wires in one that's working behave.

By the way, I've not heard anyone refer to the model that I have, which just has 1.1 on the side covers. Short handle bars with two-tone grey and sliver tank [which holds about 22 litres I think], and black motor and rim inners.

So perhaps the 1.1's were sent to Europe and Aust only

Randy, is the story of 'The Swamp Thing' on site somewhere?

Thanks again..........back to the fence erecting.......[the flies are bloody relentless, but the weather's nice]