blowing a headlight...

[TechMagic]

I noticed one was out the other week and replaced them both together with PIAA bulbs. When I installed them I noticed the reflector from the blown one was missing the shiny surface around the bulb, down to bare plastic I assume...this didn't look like heat damage because it was not black, so I just installed and called it a day. Now the same light has a dead bulb again, haven't determined if the bulb is blown but no amount of wiggling wires seems to kick it back on....any ideas? Anyone get a short in a common area I can check or have a problem like this?

 

[strmvt]

have your dealer check and see if your bike has had or needs the headlight recall done that will take care of the black spot you see far as the bulbs blowing I'd check for chaffing wire maybe shorting out somewhere

 

[Stevenc150]

Anyone get a short in a common area I can check

Take off flyscreen and trace through the steering head. If you don't find anything:

- Pull the negative terminal cable off of the battery.
- Set a multimeter to mA.
- Attach the neg. cable to one lead and touch the neg. terminal on the battery itself.
- If it reads 0, you don't have a short.
- If it's anything but 0 then you have a short somewhere.

 

[TechMagic]

this didn't look like heat damage because it was not black

it's actually a flat orange brown color, not black so I don't know if that could be the headlight recall or not, it's an 04 12s...

I appreciate the fast check for shorts Steven!

 

[Stevenc150]

Hope it pays off. If it shows as having a short, start pulling fuses one at a time until it hits 0. Then you'll know what bundle of wires to chase.