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Buell Motorcycle Forum » XBoard » Buell XBoard Archives » Archive through August 08, 2004 » Only one headlight works « Previous Next »

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Lovematt
Posted on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 10:38 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I have a 2003 XB9R and the low beam seems to be "stuck on". Moving the high/low beam doesn't change what light is on and the high beam flasher switch doesn't change which light is on either.

I have checked the wires and they all look good to me into the harness. The only thing I can figure is the high/low switch might be the problem but cannot tell for sure since the low beam is on all the time...

Has anyone else had this problem and if so what was the fix?
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Sammigs
Posted on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 10:48 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Does the blue high beam indicator come on?
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Lovematt
Posted on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 10:49 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

No...when I switch to high beam...the indicator on the dash does not light up.
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Lovematt
Posted on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 10:49 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

oh yeah...I also replaced both bulbs to make sure that wasn't it...still the same behavior.
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Sammigs
Posted on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 11:01 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

This is gonna sound stupid but I have to ask.
Can you turn off your running engine with the key?
Do you use any kind of cycle wash? (often)
I'll look at the e.w.d. in the morning and try to help out.

Sam
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Lovematt
Posted on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 11:09 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Not stupid at all Sammigs...

If you mean I pull up to park the bike while it is running and then simply turn the Key to off...yes it shuts off. Simply switching the run switch to off does the same.

I verified the high beam indicator does not come on at all no matter what I do.

As for washing the bike...I do wash it about once a week but lately it has been about every 2 weeks. I wash it good but using mostly simple green strong on the wheels and lightly sudsy on the rest of the bike. I do hose off the fairing good standing in front of the bike but stay away from the dash/wires under the fairing. Usually hose it off with a spray/shower pattern either towards the back of the bike or downwards or both.

I have never pressure washed the bike nor used a jet type water pattern to rinse off the bike...that is usually never a good idea.

edited by lovematt on July 29, 2004
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Lovematt
Posted on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 11:13 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Hmm...e.w.d. as in wiring diagrams?

I have the service manual and am looking at them right now. Admittedly I am not an expert on electronics but it has to be someting simple. One thing I did do was unhook the wire on the right side light (as if you were sitting on the bike) for a track day to keep the tape from gluing itself onto the glass. I put the wire back on and now the right side light is the only one that stays on. Now that I think about it, it is since then that the high beam has not worked.

Only thing is I can't imagine that being the problem...simply unhook the wires for a light when running the bike?
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Sammigs
Posted on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 08:04 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Did you pull any fuses for your track day? Check the 15 amp LIGHTS fuse.
After you check your fuses (all are good) I would find connector 38 just behind the headlights. It's white and holds 4 wires on one side and 3 on the headlight side of the connector. The wire colors are black, yellow (low beam), white (high beam), and orange with a white tracer (empty on headlight side).
Open that conn. and look for corrosion. If it's ok then look for voltage at the white wire.
Use a volt meter instead of a test light.
From here we'll walk upstream until we find it.
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Battleblue03
Posted on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 08:26 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I know this isnt the problem but i wanted to make sure that everyone knows that the low beam is on all the time. When u start the bike its the running light when u turn on your high beam it also stays on the only time the low beam should be off is when the bike is off. Have u owned the bike from new? If so when did this start happening, and what did u do the last time it worked.
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Lovematt
Posted on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 09:11 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

The bike was a demo bike and I have had it since it had 150 miles on it. Everything worked when I got it in Jan. 2004. In early July I went on a track day and found out that I had to tape all the lights (first time on a track which was mucho funno). So...I took the bulb out of the tail light and unhooked the wire going to the right side headlight (as if sitting on the bike) since it stayed on all the time.

Since the weather has been good, I rarely ride at night so I have not paid much attention to what light was on. However yesterday I noted the high beam would not come on when doing a light check.

Other than that I have not done anything electrically except put a battery tender on it once in a while...so far it has been flawless.
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Lovematt
Posted on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 09:56 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I just checked that Connector 38 with the 4/3 wires going through it...very clean and gold colored contacts...no corrosion to speak of. There was a two into 1 connector for the black wire that looked just fine too as the heat shrink looked new.

I switched the yellow wire for the low beam with the white wire for the high beam and the bulb works and stays on all the time like the low beam did. Fuses look just fine and I didn't remove them for the track day since I wasn't sure that might cause trouble lights or other problems to occur.

I think the problem is in the switch or the power going to the white wire to the high beam. I do use a silicone type spray to seal up plastic surface including the dash area and the control sections that are black color...don't know if that is contributing to the problem but that switch has a small gap at the bottom when compared to the turn signal switch.
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Lovematt
Posted on Saturday, July 31, 2004 - 09:40 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Figured out the problem...the soldered portions at the wire ends leading to the high/low switch was broken on the high beam wire and was detached from the little circuit board in there.

I resoldered it up and now it works good!

Thanks Sammigs for getting me thinkin' the right way to investigate this down to the "wire"
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Sammigs
Posted on Saturday, July 31, 2004 - 11:06 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Your welcome Lovematt.
I'm glad it's working again.
The high beam is my favorite headlight. (don't tell the low beam)
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Lovematt
Posted on Saturday, July 31, 2004 - 11:09 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Yeah...if I do that then both of them will throw a hissy fit and not decide not to work at all!
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Bcool83
Posted on Tuesday, March 25, 2008 - 11:04 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Bumping this old thread... My high beam stopped working the other day - no high, no indicator light. But the flash-to-pass light works. ???
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