Head light issues

[donebysunday]

Done,

As Mike said, check the wiring before you bin the RLU.

The High/Low switch itself could be dirty or have a broken/cracked solder connection. Make absolutely sure both filaments in the headlight bulb itself are good and its socket is clean and tight. Don't get mad at the RLU if there's an intermittent filament in the bulb or its socket is loose/dirty.

Another trouble spot is the Yellow or Green headlight High/Low wires in the switch connector on the left side of the frame under the tank. Make sure the connections are clean and tight. When the Yellow or Green wire connection gets corroded it'll start to burn and the RLU will treat it as a headlight filament failure, kick over to the other filament and light the warning light.

Turning the handlebars or just riding and moving the bike can flex the wires enough to temporarily break through the corrosion in the connector and the headlight will work normally until it happens again. Eventually you'll be able to see where the connector has been slow cooked and it'll be really easy to see the problem but harder to fix.

Nailed it, took a bit but with the head light on and the kill switch off I checked that plug. Twisted this way and that, head light still on, pulled on the wiring, RLU lights up, all the wires seem fine ?
I bend the plug this way and that and the RLU comes on again, was not making good contact inside the plug. Pulled the plug apart pushed back together tight when twisted now the RLU comes on again. Look at the female side can't see a way to tighten so with a needle nose I slightly squash the males, plug goes back together tight and I can't make the RLU come on again.
Head light function good ! More dielectric grease on all plugs under the tank.

I also in my twisting got it to duplicate the slight dimming I had too.

Thought I'd try that head light relay again but still no go with that one, it closes when the engine starts does not turn the head light on at all and opens as soon as the engine dies.

Thanks Guys !!!!! Done };~)

[3Phase]

Nailed it

Way to go, hopefully you saved it!

Keep an eye on it for a while because if the connector pins get too hot they turn into mild saute'd steel instead of spring steel. I didn't catch mine in time and after cleaning and 'tweaking' the connectors a few times they finally baked. Now there are four connectors: the two OEM plus two separate crimp-ons for the Green and Yellow wires.


My opinion about the headlight relay: Take it for what it's worth and I hope you won't have to wash too many dishes to get a cup of coffee!

I'm not entirely certain you should fix the headlight relay. When it works it's a nifty-keen factory feature and all that but I had to bypass it one night after the relay had failed sometime during the day. The normal dim glow from the "Head" warning light and the instrument lights is hard to see during the day and I didn't notice when it quit. By the time my head came out of the clouds and it started to get dark enough to notice the lights weren't on I'd been riding around for who knows how long with no headlight.

Later that night I had a brainstorm and I sat down and redesigned the 'Head' warning light circuit so it would come on full brightness any time the ignition switch was on but the headlight relay failed and when the relay worked the warning light would work with RLU as it was originally designed.

I ended up just laughing at myself for trying to design a "headlight failure indicator, failure indicator" and left the relay bypassed and had a beer.

I don't miss the relay. Yes, I could leave the key on and run down the battery with the headlight and it would be nice to have a manual switch on the handlebar or something so that I could shut off the lights if I wanted to but it'd be more trouble than it's worth. I'd forget my own head if it wasn't tightly cross-threaded onto my neck. Sooner or later I'd forget to turn the headlight on and get myself in trouble with the law or the law of physics or both.

[donebysunday]

Thank You !

You Got me going on the right track !!!!!

Out of over 60 bikes I've done in the last 15 years,,,, would you believe I've never had a problem with a head light relay or one of the plugs like this one. I've found and fixed soldered joints in ign. switches, fixed loose single plugs, soldered switch gear etc.. But never these things never ! I think that the bike was submerged or left in the weather. Found many things that did not make contact or were corroded, dirty, played with for the same reason. No wonder, it had 12360 mi. when I got it.
All you said noted and !

Thank You ! Done };~)

Way to go, hopefully you saved it!

Keep an eye on it for a while because if the connector pins get too hot they turn into mild saute'd steel instead of spring steel. I didn't catch mine in time and after cleaning and 'tweaking' the connectors a few times they finally baked. Now there are four connectors: the two OEM plus two separate crimp-ons for the Green and Yellow wires.


My opinion about the headlight relay: Take it for what it's worth and I hope you won't have to wash too many dishes to get a cup of coffee!

I'm not entirely certain you should fix the headlight relay. When it works it's a nifty-keen factory feature and all that but I had to bypass it one night after the relay had failed sometime during the day. The normal dim glow from the "Head" warning light and the instrument lights is hard to see during the day and I didn't notice when it quit. By the time my head came out of the clouds and it started to get dark enough to notice the lights weren't on I'd been riding around for who knows how long with no headlight.

Later that night I had a brainstorm and I sat down and redesigned the 'Head' warning light circuit so it would come on full brightness any time the ignition switch was on but the headlight relay failed and when the relay worked the warning light would work with RLU as it was originally designed.

I ended up just laughing at myself for trying to design a "headlight failure indicator, failure indicator" and left the relay bypassed and had a beer.

I don't miss the relay. Yes, I could leave the key on and run down the battery with the headlight and it would be nice to have a manual switch on the handlebar or something so that I could shut off the lights if I wanted to but it'd be more trouble than it's worth. I'd forget my own head if it wasn't tightly cross-threaded onto my neck. Sooner or later I'd forget to turn the headlight on and get myself in trouble with the law or the law of physics or both.

[donebysunday]

relay

Hi Don !

Thank You Very Much for the head light relay, you should have sent it cheaper than Pri. mail. But Thank You !
All is working as it should with your relay ! Never got around to putting a switch in and since it's working like Yamaha intended I think I'll leave it stock.

I'm blessed to have found all you guys !

Now let's see ? What's next ?

Done };~)

Based upon the fact you have 12 volts at the red/yellow, and jumping that to the blue/black gives you fill functioning headlight and dash lights, yes you have a bad relay.

Since it is a latching type relay, it stays closed once it closes until it loses power to the both sides. Meaning, under normal operation, once the headlight comes on, it will stay on until you turn the key switch off, or you pull the fuse to the headlight to kill the power to that red/yellow wire.

Once it is open again, it will not close until it gets power to the white wire of the relay, which happens when the alternator puts out power, then engine is running.

You could simply leave the jumper in place between the red/yellow and blue/black wires (in a "permanent" manner with some protective covering), or you can replace the relay. The reason for the relay is to take that headlight load off your battery when it is starting the engine.

[DGXSER]

Glad its working for you!!