Dip beam headlights not working

[Sgt3355]

Hi

Fired it up up this morning and low-and-behold no dip-beam lights. All fine last week when I got back from a weekend ride out. It has been washed (hose not power-wash) dried and its innards sprayed with a GT85 PTFE water dispercent spray and sat in a nice dry garage. Riding lights are fine and the main-beam element of both bulb work but no dip!

Had both bulbs out; visually they seem fine, no burning or discolouration. I would just replace them both, but I cannot believe that both bulbs develop the same fault at exactly the same time?

It is a 2001 (gen 1) model which I have had from new.

Have I just missed something really simple?

 

[Mihalis fjr]

Hi!

Open your switch and spray some contact cleaner in.Perhaps it can help..

 

[Donal]

If you have access to multimeter - suggest you probe the connections at the headlight and determine if you have voltage at low beam connector.

If you don't have a multimeter or probe, make one using a spare bulb and some wire.

 

[wfooshee]

Probably bulbs. It's entirely possible you didn't notice one being out. Even so, they are known to fail within hours of each other.

Electrically, there are two relays for the headlights, one which enables the lights when the engine starts, and the other switches between high and low depending on the switch setting. The dimmer switch only turns on the high beams, has nothing to do with low beams.

So it's either the relay (unlikely) or the bulbs (very likely.) I doubt you could tell a good vs bad bulb with a visual inspection. There should be two filaments, but it's possible to have a break you can't see clearly, and a broken filament doesn't necessarily coat the glass with grunge.

 

[900gc]

If you have access to multimeter - suggest you probe the connections at the headlight and determine if you have voltage at low beam connector.
If you don't have a multimeter or probe, make one using a spare bulb and some wire.

That would be my first step too. A multimeter is a must have. You can get one cheaper than a new bulb to use as a test light.

Depending on the results, you can then trace back up the line to find the culprit.

 

[Sgt3355]

Thanks for this.

I'll meter it tomorrow, but have ordered a set of bulbs in any case as off to France next month and a spare set of bulbs is mandatory (I believe) and working or not they have been in there a very long time.

But it has to be a simple fault of that I am sure

 

[LAF]

Not too bad of a job to do if you have small hands, can hold your tongue at just the right place, and someone was in before you and put a little silicone grease around the boots.

Do a Google search see how the bails, or wire clips work that hold the bulbs in, again placing your tongue at the correct place, while bleeding a bit from working in the dark and getting bite by all kinds of good stuff, and you will be done in no time.

I just ran mine a month without 1 low beam because I dreaded replacing them so much. I used high beams in the day and had to stay off the road at night so as to not blind anyone or get pulled over for a bulb out.

Really not that bad after the first time or two. Replace in pairs but since you have no choice you know that. But when one low goes the other is not far behind has been my practical experience with motorcycle head lights.

 

[Sgt3355]

They don't call me "Lucky" for nothing. New shiny bulbs fitted but no change. So its fairing & tank off (the older the bike gets the more I seem to spend doing just that) and into its innards with a multimeter and yet more galleons of switch-cleaner.

We are getting close to get rid I think; I have had 10 super years out of this old bike but there is only so much enforced maintenance I can handle!

But thanks fella’s for the pointers. Merely blown bulbs would have been a gem, but as we all know life just don’t work like that

 

[900gc]

Well, at least you have a spare set of bulbs now!

Repeat after me; a multimeter is my friend, a multimeter is my friend....

 

[sath182]

Electrically, there are two relays for the headlights, one which enables the lights when the engine starts, and the other switches between high and low depending on the switch setting. The dimmer switch only turns on the high beams, has nothing to do with low beams.

This is a 2001 model in the UK, they have a separate Headlight switch on the right bar under the kill switch. Lets you select off, marker lights or main curcuit.

 

[Graham Downunder]

First check fuses and use a multi metre to check you have voltage where it should be ,then I would suggest cleaning the High beam flasher switch contacts . Next check the any electrical connections on the circuit for good connection and no corrosion.