No dash or head lights, fuse ok, help?

[BauersXS11SF]

was out cruising tonight just before dark and I realized that my gauge lights, as well as my head light were out, they worked last night, and I checked all the fuses and wiring and it seemed okay. I have a windjammer fairing if that helps any. I know its kinda a stupid question, but clymers only tells me what to do with a factory bike, and that fairing done screwed everything up. If anybody can give me some advice, id greatly appreciate it.

Thanks.

[scalded dog]

Did you check the fuse on the left side under the cover, encased inside a black rubber cover? Later 'Dog

[Ken Talbot]

Try the fuses again, but be very careful when you remove them. The old-style glass fuses can lose connection under the metal end caps and you won't be able to tell without removing the fuse and giving the caps a tug. This might also help is there is a bit of corrosion between the fuse and the holder. If things check out okay there, start looking for loose or corroded connections all the way from the battery to the dead bulbs. Welcome to 25-year old electrics....

[BauersXS11SF]

yeh, checked the fuses and connections, all check out.

The thing that pisses me off is this damn fairing, I love the windshield or else I would ditch it, the wires are tucked so far up in the pouches that I cant get to the last connection to pull it apart, but wiggling it has no effect either, and you'd think that since it worked last night, at least wiggling it, would get it to work for a little bit.

[scalded dog]

Check the ballast and the reserve lighting unit, some folks have had trouble with them. Later 'Dog

[randy]

Losing guage lights AND headlight leads me to suspect the headlight relay. The reserve lighting unit does not control the guage lights, it only controls the headlight.

Are you sure you're charging? you might as well check.
The headlight relay gets it's juice directly from the alternator, same line as the tach signal. If your tach is also dead, go troubleshoot your charging system.

[BauersXS11SF]

Ive got a tach signal, and the battery is charging, but still no lights.

[John]

Check the blue wire leading from the ignition switch. It should be energized when the key is on or in the park position. Acorrding to my Clymers manual, that is where the lighting circuits get their power from. The gauge lights are an un-fused circuit drawn directly from the switch, up stream of the lighting circuit fuse. Years ago I had a problm with a dirty ignition switch. I had to disassemble it to clean the slip ring. It wasn't really all that hard to do.

[BauersXS11SF]

guess it was the fuse, it was blown way up under the metal end cap so it was virtually impossible to see, after checking and rechecking, I decided to check yet once more and found it, oy yoi yi, talk about a headache that it gave me.


Thanks for the help, now I know what to look for next time its NOT the fuse

[DiverRay]

That's why I ALSWAYS check fuses with a VOM. No resistance, good fuse, open or high resistance, bad fuse.
That and my old eyes...

[randy]

Or, you can leave the fuses in place, meter NEG on frame, test both sides of fuse for hot with key on. A simple test light will work, too.

[DiverRay]

You don't have to take the fuses out to test with a meter. If the key is off, you should not have a complete circut. put one lead on each end of the fuse, and test!