High Beam light stays on, but no Headlights

[RDuncan]

I went to Biketoberfest in Daytona this weekend and my trip got cut short because on the ride in I lost my headlights. I looked down to check my speed and noticed my "High Beam" indicator light was on. Looked at the switch and the switch was in the "Low Beam" postion. When I parked the bike I noticed I had no lights. Tried to turn the switch to "High Beam" postion, and still no headlights. I checked the fuse in the "Lights" position, and it was still good. All my other lights are working fine, Blinker, Tail, Stop... Does this mean I have blown bulbs? The bike is a '03 XB9R

 

[Loki]

It means you have a short somewhere. I would check everything under the front fairing first. Esp the white connector. This happened to me a week ago and i tore down the whole bike only to find out it was the front connector.

If thats not it, just start tracing the wires back, looking for burns or cuts.

Also what might help is pulling the bike somewhere quite and put your head by the front fairing and turn the key on. You might here a small fizzing noise. Located it and fix it.

 

[konarider94]

Esp the white connector. This happened to me a week ago and i tore down the whole bike only to find out it was the front connector.

this happened to me too. although it was the first place i looked. I pulled the connector to check for voltage and the plug was melted around the ground pin. cleaned up the connector and i was back in business.

 

[RDuncan]

I did wash the bike before I took it to Daytona, but it worked after the bike was washed and worked almost the whole way there. I will check all the conections under the farring when I get home from work. I thought that was very uncommon for both lights to "blow" at the same time.

 

[RDuncan]

What is the "trick" to taking off the front fairing without breaking the headlight beseils? I am affraid they will be weak do to age and the heat from the lights.

 

[oh9bolt]

Mirrors, turn signals, and the bottom 2 screws for the windscreen need to be removed. Why are you trying to remove the headlight bezels?

 

[RDuncan]

I just have herd that when you take the fairing off those come off as well? I couldnt see why they would need to come off but that is what I have read on here. Maybe it was just to try to paint them or something.

I checked all the connections that I could last night without takeing the fairing off, and all were good and tight and no corrotion on anything. The bike has always been garage kept and everything is very clean throughout.

I did notice on a night ride home from the gym that my low beam was starting to flicker on and off. I always run with my high beams on all the time day and night so I guess it is possible that both could blow at the same time.

Are the high and low beams connected in a continual cercit so that is the low beam is blown the high will not work at all?

 

[wolfo68]

they run independent, just make a new ground wire for them if you don't want to tear things apart to run down the wire issue. otherwise check the pins like the other guys state above.

 

[RDuncan]

Checked the pins and they are fine. Good connection and no corrotion. Havent taken the fairing off yet to check the bulbs to see if they are blown. Going to try and do that tonight.

 

[oh9bolt]

Just a FYI you don't have to take off the fairing to check the bulbs.

 

[RDuncan]

Well how do you get to the bulbs to remove/replace them without removing the fairing?

 

[oh9bolt]

If you look underneath the fairing there is 2 rubber boots covering the back of the headlights. Remove the rubber boots and there are metal clips holding each bulb in.

 

[RDuncan]

Oh ok I saw the boots last night when I was checking the wires. So just slide the boots back and remove the metal clips and the bulb pulls right out. That is easy enough. Thanks for the info, I will try that tonight. Are there any Relays that could be bad causing the just the headlights not to work? Or just fuse and bulb system?

 

[oh9bolt]

No Problem!

 

[wolfo68]

a reference from badweb

same basic issue

 

[RDuncan]

Thanks guys...[up][up]

 

[RDuncan]

So got home and replaced both bulbs (both old bulbs were still good, but replaced anyway). Took fairing off and traced down all wires and no corrosion. I can't see where the ground wires for the bulbs go after the plastic connector? The 2 black wires that ground into the frame by the steering bearing both are tight and good.

So here is what I found...... With the key in the on position and the kill switch in the off position, when I press the high beam signal button on both headlights light up really dim and a "fan like" noise comes from the left side of the bike in motor area. I'm assuming that is the stator turning. So what now? [confused]

 

[Loki]

Either a short of there, or your stator could be going out. I dont know how loud the noise is so it's hard to judge.

 

[RDuncan]

When I start the bike, and try to press the signal button nothing happens. The lights only turn on when the kill switch is off. The lights turn on but very slowly, and are dim.

The noise is not to loud, kinda faint.

 

[RDuncan]

Bump....