[KYT]

FIXED!!
Yes the lights would come back on if I flicked the starter button a few times.
Not push it, but just tap it or flick it like a booger.

The starter switch has 4 wires, 1 of which is the yellow/white wire that runs to the dimmer.
The contact for that wire had black goopy stuff on it.

Disconnect the front brake switch connector.
Loosen the front brake lever bracket and move it over, or take it off, your preference.
Take the 2 bolts out of the bottom of the right control pod and pull it apart.
If your wiring is still stock like mine is, you'll have to cut the zip tie holding the wires to the lower half of the pod.
Take out the little crescent shaped black plastic spacer thing.
I removed the throttle push cable first, its pretty easy to get out. Then its real easy to get the pull cable out.
There's 2 silver colored screws holding in the hazard switch and the starter switch, take them both out.
Before you take out the switches, note how the orange wires going to the kill switch are routed.
Take the switches out, the starter is the little square one at the bottom.
All 4 of my solder points looked ok.
Use a small flat tipped screwdriver and pry the left side (looking at the button), lift the black plastic piece out carefully. The left side of the square has a beveled edge, the right side is squared.
There's nothing spring loaded on the black square, but there is a spring in the button that pushes a copper bar onto the black square.

I had black goo on the copper bar, and around the yellow/white contact.
and of course I'm all out of electronics cleaner, still have yet to get that dielectric grease. So I just took a dry washcloth to it and rubbed the stuff off.
But its easy enough to get to, so I'll go get some hopefully tonight or tomorrow and get back in there to clean it up. Its probably just build up from crap in the air and dust from the road.

Put it all back the same way you got it out.
Just don't forget to put that black plastic crescent piece back, I did lol
Attach the throttle pull cable cable first, then the push.

Went ahead and put those new bulbs in too while I was out there.
Everything works perfectly so far.

[pilotdada1]

Glad to hear it.

James

[md86]

'Bout time .

[katman05]

Another problem I had with my headlights was when I would push the starter button the springs that gives it it's resistance were weak and not pushing the starter button out fully. So my headlights would'nt come on because the 05 shuts off the lights when cranking the engine. I fixed this by buying longer size springs and replacing them with the weak ones. Just a thought? Make sure your starter button is not sticking.

Told ya to check that starter button, glad you finally found the problem!

[KYT]

Just checked them again.
Still working!

Told ya to check that starter button, glad you finally found the problem!

Yea it wasn't sticking, but the button definitely was the problem.
I Never would have thought it could get stuff like that in there.

Hope this helps some others out.

[The CyberPoet]

So now the question is "what was that blackish goop?"

Personally, I'm curious...

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

__________________________________________________ ________
CyberPoet's Katana Maintence and Upgrade Parts Offerings
The Best Metal Steel Aluminum Motorcycle Tire Valves in the World, plus lots of motorcycle & Katana (GSX600F / GSX750F) specific help files.

[KYT]

So now the question is "what was that blackish goop?"

Personally, I'm curious...

LOL Sorry I didn't save any of it.

[The CyberPoet]

Ok... but do you think it was like water with burn-carbon in it, or something more along the lines of grease with burn-carbon in it?

I've been thinking about it, and while dielectric grease would protect better against water, it might hamper the spring's free operation, so I was trying to think of an alternative that would be better for this particular part/operation (silicone spray lube was the only thing that came to mind as even viable, and although it'd help water drain away, it certainly wouldn't keep it from entering to start with).

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

__________________________________________________ ________
CyberPoet's Katana Maintence and Upgrade Parts Offerings
The Best Metal Steel Aluminum Motorcycle Tire Valves in the World, plus lots of motorcycle & Katana (GSX600F / GSX750F) specific help files.

[KYT]

Ok... but do you think it was like water with burn-carbon in it, or something more along the lines of grease with burn-carbon in it?

I've been thinking about it, and while dielectric grease would protect better against water, it might hamper the spring's free operation, so I was trying to think of an alternative that would be better for this particular part/operation (silicone spray lube was the only thing that came to mind as even viable, and although it'd help water drain away, it certainly wouldn't keep it from entering to start with).

Oh definitely more like a thin grease with dust/pollen burnt in.
Was gummy but not sticky.
It didn't feel grainy at all, so had to be small particles, or completely burnt to just a carbon residue. I do have some Liquid Wrench silicone spray.
I think that if just a small film of whatever is used, that it would not affect the performance of the springs in the button.
The copper bar's max range of movement doesn't cover that much area.
From the lower 1/3 of the front contacts, to the upper 1/3 of the rear.
The pads have a slight convex shape to them as well, so the bar makes a very small, thin wear line on the contacts.
Seems like a waste to have all that extra metal in there.

[katman05]

I had that black gunk in mine also, I tried with a lube like WD 40 but after a while it started to stick again. I cleaned it with electrical contact cleaner on then lubed it with graphite powder which seemed to work.

[KYT]

What about trying to seal it up?
A buddy I work with said he's used it before.
Goes on kind of like rubber cement, but supposed to dry to be more like heat shrink
Haven't tried using it yet myself, but that guy likes it for some things.
I don't sealing up the entire switch is a good idea, but the sides and top could be coated.
Leaving the button hole, and maybe another hole somewhere at the bottom to drain moisture?

[The CyberPoet]

I doubt there's any good rubber cement style solutions that will work properly while still letting the spring/switch work well. Caking the rest of the control pod full of dielectric grease may help prevent water from coming in from the top, but I can't see how that would help keep it from coming in from the starter-switch hole. Hmmm....

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[KYT]

I doubt there's any good rubber cement style solutions that will work properly while still letting the spring/switch work well. Caking the rest of the control pod full of dielectric grease may help prevent water from coming in from the top, but I can't see how that would help keep it from coming in from the starter-switch hole. Hmmm....

Seal up the entire pod
Like how they seal up the cash registers at fast food places
You know, that plastic sheet that looks like garbage after a couple days of use...
on second though.. maybe not such a good idea

I do have a better one.
A rubber boot that protects the inside of the button, like a condom
Slips on the switch, so when the switch is properly in place inside the pod, the rubber condom is held in place between the switch housing and the pod housing. All that suff is held in place by a screw anyway.
Then the outside button is exposed, but anything that tries to get inside is repelled by the rubber.
Its not exposed to direct sunlight, so it'll last longer.
With age yea sure it would degrade, as does everything else.
But if it was made out of a similar material as say, a carb diaphragm.
Would need to be thinner, like a doctor's latex glove so the button isn't hard to depress.

... pay me Suzuki R&D