headlights went out, where to start?

[delkampg]

GRRRR, electrical scares the crap outta me, one wrong connection and i could burn everything up. so being scared of it i have no idea how to even start to diagnose this problem, i have nothing so im asking what i need to start to diagnose and track this bad boy down.

like i said i dont really know anything but the basics so i dont expect to get much help with what could be wrong just yet but ill give it a shot.

since i bought my bike the low beams have never worked unless it was on high then both lights would be on, i dont drive at night because i only have a permit so im not exactly sure how long they have both been out. also the highbeam indicator doesnt work but the little light works, above the head lights (running light i think its called)

ive checked fuses and the connections at the hbeam/lbeam switch and thats all i know to cheack. im hoping with the indiator light dead but the running light working this leaves a small gap of where the problem could be.

[ICEG]

check the connection to the headlight

the socket might be lose thats what happened with mine

[arsenic]

it's a bulb!!!

[squiggy]

1) bulb

2) socket

3) fuse

4) battery

5) headlight wiring harness

6) headlight switch

7) mechanic

[arsenic]

no, it's a bulb, you can stop at #1

[crazyaussie]

Chris, how typical is it that both headlights would go out at the exact same time (both bulbs, not both filaments in one bulb)? I'm curious because my highbeams quite working and I've traced all the wiring and fuses and they're all good. I have a hard time believing that both bulbs would burn out at the exact same time. Would one being blown cause the other to overload and burn out shortly thereafter? Thanks

[arsenic]

sure would. I've NEVER seen a dual headlight bike with just 1 light out.

[delkampg]

well i checked the headlights and tried with all my might and it didnt budge so i looked closer and noticed the socket was melted, i had to pry it apart with a knife. the second one was even worse it was melted to the point where when i tried to pry it apart the platic just fell apart, i searched the headlights on google and it said they're car headlights. im going to find who sold me this bike and kill them!

[kat_kitten]

i searched the headlights on google and it said they're car headlights.

that sucks dude

[Newbie2it]

They are car headlights in the bikes. So long as they aren't over the manual specs for power draw, then you have nothing agianst the PO. The kats have cheap wiring. Just a little thinner. Kats were price targetted. My 93 was melted too at 6 K replaced the end and used the right bulb since. At 26k it burned out the low beam, I went to replace it and noticed the bulb end was melted a bit. Thats 21k more than the original.

However, lets take that into perspective.
Production date. 08/92
Sale to me date. 05/06
Miles in said timespan 5,827
Years of ownership.13

Sold to me at. 5,827 on 05/06
Present milage. 28,953
years of ownership. 2.2

Bulb burned out at 26,000
Doesnt mean to say the PO put in a higher wattage bulb, since what I pulled out was a factory rated bulb.

[SweetLou]

I was gona say it was your wiring harness. I had the same issue with mine, and had the harness replaced. Make sure you have the right bulbs in there, and they are not over specs, unless you plan on upgrading your harness.

Look at it this way tho, at least it is a easy fix!

[delkampg]

i replaced the socket and still nothing so i went and got what looks like this http://www.northerntool.com/images/p.../163100_lg.jpg but i ant read a wireing diagram to save my life so imma need help ill post pictures and you guys can show me what to check with it

ok i took some pics of the wiring harness (i think) i just need to know which holes to check for electricity, like the first post says my headlights are out i guess if you wanna take one of the pics and mark it with red or tell me where to which way to count...

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll244/delkampg/PICT0240.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll244/delkampg/PICT0244.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll244/delkampg/Picture001-2.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll244/delkampg/Picture002-2.jpg

http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll244/delkampg/Picture003-1.jpg

[squiggy]

Those plugs are for the handle bar controls. Look for a semi-clear plug in the center area of the headlight, or there abouts.

These pics are when my headlight plug fried itself.










Found another pic, in the center below the center clip for the winshield is the headlight plug.

[The CyberPoet]

CyberPoet's Electrical Headlight Problems Web-page.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[delkampg]

as far as i can tell this problem has come to an end. it was the wiring harness that melted and corroded the connector in both the clear harness like shown above and then also the black harness coming from speedo had a small short in it from the same reason. both of which i had to cut from the harness and bybass it cause the conectors were melted to the harness and i couldnt get them out.