My headlight fuse

Message

BikesnBeer · Mon Jul 11, 2005 5:43 pm

I just returned from a ride with a friend and he noticed that the headlight was out. We opened the fusebox and saw that one of the fuses was blown.

I replaced it, and it worked for a bit, then all of a sudden the headlight went out again. I got home, checked the new fuse and it was blown. So at home I threw another fuse in and turned the key, it immediatly blew.

Now I'm pretty newb at bike maitenance and electrical so I have no idea what's going on.

Any ideas on what's causing this? Is it something I can fix myself?

BuzZz · #2 Unread post by **BuzZz** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 6:42 pm

There is a short in the headlight circiut someplace. Check the wires for obvious bare spots, connectors for black and burned evidence of grounding, and test the switch with a multimeter. Someplace in there, your dumping juice to ground.

BikesnBeer · Mon Jul 11, 2005 6:45 pm

BuzZz wrote:There is a short in the headlight circiut someplace. Check the wires for obvious bare spots, connectors for black and burned evidence of grounding, and test the switch with a multimeter. Someplace in there, your dumping juice to ground.

Ok thanks!

Gummiente · Mon Jul 11, 2005 10:34 pm

BuzZz wrote:There is a short in the headlight circiut someplace.

I'll second that. The most likely place is inside the headlight bucket as there's a lot of wires jammed in there and chances are the wire going to the high beam of the headlight has been chafing against the metal and has worn through the insulation. Should be pretty easy to spot, just cover it with electrical tape and you'll be good to go.

BikesnBeer · Sat Jul 16, 2005 2:56 pm

well I think I found the problem

and it leaves me with a bigger problem.

I can't seem to find these two parts online, any reccomendations? I was thinking about putting a new headlight anyway, should I just do that instead of trying to fix this one?

(I don't want to wait too long to have a headlight)

BuzZz · #6 Unread post by **BuzZz** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 8:51 pm

I haven't mentioned this in a awhile, so....

I Hate Electricity!!!

Sneaky, conniving, mean stuff, it is. Can't see it, can't smell it, can't hear it(if you can, your in the wrong place

), it just sneaks up and bites you in the goolies.

I hate getting lifted...

So I may not be the best one to comment here......

Is that the plug to the headlight from the harness? You may have to splice in both halves of a different connector. I probably would have to, but I'm an electrical hack.

TechTMW · #7 Unread post by **TechTMW** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 8:54 pm

How the hell did THAT happen

I think splicing's probably your only option if the short is internal to the plug. If the plug was shorting out to the headlight housing, maybe you can just wrap it in rubber or plactic and tape it up?

BikesnBeer · Sat Jul 16, 2005 9:46 pm

That is one of the 2 connections, obviously I need a new one, and I can't find where to get one!

Save me some $$ and let me know where I can find some new connectors so I don't have to pay for a mechanic to do this! (I'm assuming that is what is causing the short.)

BuzZz · #9 Unread post by **BuzZz** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 11:07 pm

Prowl around the electrical department of an autoparts place, electrical supply house or some place like it. As long as it has enough connection pionts for all the wires, and fits in the space you have, most any style should work.

Gummiente · Sat Jul 16, 2005 11:30 pm

BikesnBeer wrote:That is one of the 2 connections, obviously I need a new one, and I can't find where to get one!

You're not likely to find a 6-pin square connector in an auto parts store. Do you have a bike wrecking yard in your area? If not, the next best thing is to go to the auto parts store and buy two sets of the flat, rubber coated 3-pin trailer connectors and splice them in. Get a good set of wire stripper/crimpers and a box of blue barrel type crimp-on connectors and you can have the job done in under and hour.

Looking at the pics you posted, that brown stain on the one connector looks like rust; I'm thinking it was lying in a small pool of water which seeped into the plug and caused the short.