could use some assistance with a lighting gremlin

[rob650]

Put in a new battery today, and some of my lights decided to stop working.

what works : turn signals, nuetral and gen indicator lights on the tach, high beam "pass" light when you press the switch
brake light when you hit the pedal.

what doesn't : headlight/high beam and running light, speedo/tach lights, rear running light.  

I've checked connectors for rust/bad wires, checked bulbs, switches, haven't found anything out of whack.  I did do a big clean up of electrical connections about a year ago with great results, and have a newer ground wire to the battery.  

I had the exact condition happen to me  during ride last summer.  Went away on it's own by the end of the day.  Not so lucky this time.  I've spent about 20 minutes looking at the wiring diagram in my Haynes manual, but its all Sanskrit to me.  

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Bob_Roller]

There's a lighting relay under the tank, the best that I can remember, it's sole purpose is to shut the lights off when the start switch is pushed.

I know it controls the headlight, but I'm not sure about the tail light.

I don't have a wiring diagram handy right now.    

[montmil]

Just last month I had a very similar issue with my 1981 R65. Like to have made me crazy. Wait. Check that. Like to have made me more crazy. Anyway...  I was doing some wiring upgrades, checking connections... sound familiar?

Inspect the fuses in the little plastic box near the fuel tank hold-down "bail". There are two fuses in there; old-fashioned, Euro-style, ceramic and Wrigleys gum wrapper fuses. Mine looked OK; not burned.

However, when using a DVOM on the end caps of the fuses, one refused to pass a continuity test. Used some 400 grit to buff off the fuse contact points and the fuse holder spring clips... TaDa! It's alive.

Try it on your scooter. Do both fuses and their clips. Some of my lights just went dark. No warning. Thought I'd toasted the wiring harness. All burning now.

[rob650]

Fuses good and making happy contact - no change in condition.

[Bill Conquest]

I had a similar problem with my headlight & it turned out to be the headlight relay. Someone on this forum described how to "jump" across the 2 appropriate connections to bypass the relay, can't remember which ones it was-but it worked 'till I got another relay.I think it was Chris in B.C. who knew how to do it & i'd like to hear again how its done!

[montmil]

I had a similar problem with my headlight & it turned out to be the headlight relay. Someone on this forum described how to "jump" across the 2 appropriate connections to bypass the relay, can't remember which ones it was-but it worked 'till I got another relay.I think it was Chris in B.C. who knew how to do it & i'd like to hear again how its done!

I was bored one day and read all the pages in the R65 Tech area... about 34-35 pages at that time.

Anyway, the relay trick is in there somewhere. Try the search button. But you know how we are here in "disorganized" land. We change topics in the middle of a thread, well, just because we can!  

[Bill Conquest]

I've had the same problems as Rob650 with electrical gremlins for years, living here in corrosion-land, and have to continuously clean and grease all connections, that is one of the answers. By the way, if your headlight relay goes south, jump terminals 30 & 87A'till you get a new one.
Aloha, Bill Conquest

[montmil]

Fuses good and making happy contact - no change in condition.

To confirm... did you use the 400 grit on fuse and holder terminals? Mine looked OK but weren't. Sanding fixed it.

Just trying to help  [smiley=thumbup.gif]

[rob650]

New lighting relay installed : I got the headlight/high beam back.  Still out are the running lights and instrument lights.

I removed the ignition switch, cleaned all the contacts and plugged it all back in.  Im told the connector '58' on the ignition switch runs that whole circuit of running/instrument lights, so I may have a bad ignition switch.  Will grit my teeth and glare angrily at it some more tonight.

Montmil: did use the sandpaper on the fuses and holder.

[Ed Miller]

I can't figure out why that would happen when all you did is change your battery.

[rob650]

Ed : I'm just lucky that way.

I tried an experiment tonight and pulled all wires off my ignition switch.  I crimped together a little jumper wire to test all 4 leads directly.  I hooked the hot red to one end of the jumper, and touched the other end of the jumper to the remaining 4 wires one at a time to see what would "light up"  As before, I could get everything except front/rear running lights and gauge lights to work.

Would anyone know where else on the bike these running lights converge that i could check?  Ill check the bulbs again, but I'm running out of ideas.

PS another board suggested i may have the "Euro" switch.  I checked and my switch does have 4 positions (+ off), if it helps.  I also checked the switch with a small test light - had continuity on all the tabs, so I think i've eliminated the switch as the problem.

Thanks again for everybodys $.02

[nhmaf]

Hmmm, all the turn signals are on the same fuse in the stock wiring harness, but it is possible that a PO did some creative rewiring on you.
Are there any other non-stock lights, horns or wires that you can see on the bike ?

[rob650]

nhmaf - Stock!  no extra lights, horns, goofy wiring.  All the wiring harnesses appear intact.  The only modification i know of is one i did myself - added LED running lights kit about 2 years ago. I disconnected it a couple of days ago to test if it was part of the problem - no go.

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

If it turns out to be your ignition switch, I think I still have my old one.  It was good when I removed it, but the threads for the ring nut are messed up and it needs a pass with a giant thread die.

Of course, the confidence that comes with a NEW switch can be worth the price of admission.

[rob650]

FIXED.  Montmil, i owe you a Coke.  

I had checked and cleaned my fuses, BUT not the tabs on backside of the fuse holder.  I crimped together a little jumper wire to bypass the fuse box, and we had running lights!  I pulled the four wires off the fuse holder, sanded the daylights out of them and plugged everything back in.  We're all lit up and happy.  Those tabs did have the dielectric grease I used during my electrical connector "cleanup" project last year, but it looks like I did a lame job cleaning the connectors in the first place.

Thanks everybody for your help.  I sure learned a lot about the wiring on my bike.  If you don't have a wiring diagram for your bike, and a little automotive test light for wiring, GET ONE!  Now to screw all this junk back together and go riding today.  

Rob