Headlight burn out?

[broncsrule]

Get on the bike to leave work (10pm). Everything normal. While warming up fuel light comes on. Ride to gas station, fill up. Start the bike, headlight comes on, then immediately turns off. WTF? All running lights function, brake light, signals good. No high or low beam. Any ideas? Had to ride a block back to work and catch a ride lift home. I'm an electrical dummy. Can the high and low beam go all at once, hoping it is just a bulb replacement. Also in my Clymer Manual, can't find the exact bulb type/number. I don't have the owners manual, will search for that info now.

 

[broncsrule]

ok, so it appears a H4 or 9003 is the stock replacement. Hope that is all it is...

 

[Diablotin]

Stock headlight has an h4 bulb. These bulbs are high and low beam. So if you fry it, you will lose both beam.
Just check the headlight fuse first, if it's fine then replace the bulb.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

 

[broncsrule]

update**

I head out early this morning to bring the bike home in the daylight and before the rain turns to snow. I get there, gear up, start the bike, headlight working just fine. UGH!! Any idea where to start looking?
My ride home is at night always, so this is a major issue. I'm sure it has to be something simple, but what? Until then, I guess the big Zuk gets all the work.

 

[davesax36]

Weird short in ignition switch that makes the light think the start button is pressed?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[broncsrule]

Hmm?

 

[HyperPete]

On old Goldwings it's not uncommon and it's usually the starter button itself. Depressing it quickly again makes the light come back on when it's out, then some electrical contact cleaner sprayed into the switch housing usually resolves it for the long term. I hope it's that simple!

 

[9.nub]

If you find yourself in the situation again ... try working the starter switch back toward the disengaged position.

 

[Redbone]

If you find yourself in the situation again ... try working the starter switch back toward the disengaged position.

+1, good chance that your start button is just sticking. You would not be the first victim of this, I know I was. I used a little wd40 and sprayed the switch while working it back and forth.
A trick you use: while riding down the road you can depress the starter button to flash the headlight.

 

[WonkoTheSane]

In my case, it wasn't a blown bulb, it was a bad connection. Cleaning the connector helped temporarily, but I've end up buying a new connector (cheap, but not fitted yet). Luckily, low beam worked, when high beam didn't, the time it failed on the way home, in the dark. Other times it just stopped working altogether.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[1st Shirt Maxer]

+1 on the starter switch. I just had that problem I thought my new HID burned out so I probed some wires then took the whole thing out. Reinstalled the factory headlight and it wouldn't work either. Checked all the fuses and wires then accidentally bumped the start button and it started working. I opened the switch, flooded it with wd40 while working the start button and the fuel switch, blew it out with the compressor then sprayed it again, let it dry and reassemble no more issues. The sucky part was I then had to spend the time reinstalling the HID, not a big pain I just hate doing things twice.


David Justiss
USAF First Sergeant
554 RED HORSE Sq, Guam

 

[COP RUNNER]

i +1 STARTER BUTTON ! .... ALSO YOU CAN LEAVE THE KEY IN THE OFF POSITION AND PUSH THE STARTER BUTTON IN AND OUT A COUPLE HUNDRED TIMES ! ... NO JOKE ! .... MINE GET'S OXIDIZED FROM SITTING , AND I WILL START IT UP AND ONE OR TWO OF MY INSTRUMENT LIGHTS WILL BE OUT , BUT IF I JUST THIMP MY STARTER BUTTON THEY COME RIGHT ON ! unk:

 

[broncsrule]

You guys are amazing! Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Went out to the garage before I had to leave for work. Turned key, lights work, started bike, no headlight. Bumped starter button, headlight came on!

 

[Fire-medic]

http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=17272&highlight=switch

http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=17281&highlight=switch

http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=20783&highlight=switch

Ninjaneer's threads on fixing all three. Very easy & helpful.

http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=31075&highlight=switch

http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=30145&highlight=switch
and two from me

 

[broncsrule]

Thanks for the links!

 

[DMAN999]

I just converted Ninjaneer's 3 guides to .pdf for offline viewing:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55030067/How%20To%20Recondition%20the%20Clutch-side%20Switch%20Pod.pdf

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55030067/How To Recondition the Ignition Switch .pdf

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u...nents of the Throttle-side Switch Housing.pdf

 

[Traumahawk]

I just converted Ninjaneer's 3 guides to .pdf for offline viewing:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55030067/How%20To%20Recondition%20the%20Clutch-side%20Switch%20Pod.pdf

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55030067/How To Recondition the Ignition Switch .pdf

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u...nents of the Throttle-side Switch Housing.pdf

Thank you for doing that. I saved them in the same file that I have my parts manual, and fiche in.

 

[DMAN999]

Thank you for doing that. I saved them in the same file that I have my parts manual, and fiche in.

That's why I converted them, I like to have them all in once place on my PC.
Here's a few more:
NaughtyG's carb rebuild guide:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55030067/Vmax%20Carb%20Rebuild%20Guide%20by%20NaughtyG.pdf
A Synch Guide by maleko89:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55030067/Carb sync procedure sept11.pdf
RAWarrior's Charging System Guide:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55030067/VMax Charging System Troubleshooting Guide.pdf
LvLHead's Into The Clutch DD Mod Guide:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55030067/VMax - Into The Clutch - LvLHead.pdf
LvLHead's Shooting the Shogun Guide:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55030067/Shooting the Shotgun - LvLHead.pdf
And the Pea Shooter Method:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/55030067/Pea Shooter Method.pdf