headlight out....

blackzl9

blackzl9

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2008
Messages
62
Reaction score
0
anyone have the headlight go out on an 85 900 and not be able to fix it with a bulb or the reserve switch? this one has me stumped.took apart the hi lo switch and it all looks good.cant find any obvious wiring issues.fuses are good.swapped relays around ,also checked wiring in headlight and still ....no light.all the other lights work.
any ideas would be great! thank you
 
Last edited:
Sorry to ask but, did you actually start the bike with the new bulb in it?
Because, on some of these ZL's just turning on the ignition won't turn on the light, the bike has to started. Went through this a few months ago when my headlight went bad.
 
yup...i did. i'm gonna have to replace the starter next probably.
 
That connector beside the battery opend up on mine a last year. Might want to check all the connections if someone was doing work on it in the past and didnt push the connections tight one might have come loose
 
I am also having trouble with my light but it is intermitent. I have put new relays in my fuse box per members suggestion and it fixed the headlight problem as well as other problems (tach,etc) but it is still giving me problems. I'm afraid to ride it to work incase i have to work late and it gets dark. Try tapping on the fuse panel.
 
sharper said:
I am also having trouble with my light but it is intermitent. I have put new relays in my fuse box per members suggestion and it fixed the headlight problem as well as other problems (tach,etc) but it is still giving me problems. I'm afraid to ride it to work incase i have to work late and it gets dark. Try tapping on the fuse panel.
Click to expand...

blackzl - yeah try tapping on the fuse box and see if your light comes on.

Sharper - when you replaced the relays did you resolder all the other connections on the board? Sometimes the bad connection can't be seen.
 
How about cleaning and dielectric greasing all electrical connections?? Especially the ones behind the frame gadgets
 
As Paul said...Right next to your battery should be a multipin plug..Make sure it is plugged in and all the connections are good...For whatever reason when I put my 9 up for the winter last winter, I pulled the battery out of it to replace it...I unplugged that plug and when I put the new battery in and started the bike, I totally forgot that I had unplugged that plug..Me and my buddy scratched our heads for over an hour trying to figure out why the stupid headlight would not work....then we saw the plug disconnected and I felt like a complete idiot...I don't even remember taking it apart, but that goes to show what you forget when you have months of time go by between working on stuff....
 
kawboy, yes all connections were resoldered back. I probably do need to dielectric all connections.
What i don't understand is that when the light is actually on it doesn't ever go out, only if the bike shuts off and then turn the key back on. Although it may work 5 times in a row and then not work for the next few.
Sorry to walk on your thread blackzl9.
 
It gives a little trick to check the lights without running engine: You must connect the both contacts on the right side of the socket from light-relay, then you can switch on the light only with ignition-on without running motor.

The next one is, you can disconnect the reserve-switch an connect the blue wire with the blue-yellow one. You don't need the reserve switch now an can check the rest of wires an switches.

Give a look to the right diameters for the wire-bridges!!!

Kind regards, Alex
 

Attachments

  • DSCI0115.jpg
    DSCI0115.jpg
    46.6 KB · Views: 36
  • DSCI0117.jpg
    DSCI0117.jpg
    31.2 KB · Views: 33
you can also start with a test light, while the bike is running, and trace it back to the fuse panel. also hook the test light to the positive side of the battery and check the ground as well.

i just got the carbs dialed in on my bike, found some corroded connections and cleaned and repaired now it runs like crap again. but some a-hole has hacked up this bike so bad i've had to put alot of time to her just to get it running.. good luck
 
i got mine to work again but goes out if i hit hi beam.it will come back if i restart the bike.i can start the bike with it on high and it will work until i try to switch to low.i put diectric on all connections around battery,in headlight and under the gas tank. still quits when ever it feels like it.may work all day or 2 minutes.
 
alex-germany....if i set it up that way,can i run the bike to see if it might be the reserve switch or relay?
 
alex-germany i reread and understand now, sorry.
What about bypassing the fuse pannel, has anyone done this?
I'm fed up with this silly problem
 
blackzl9 said:
alex-germany....if i set it up that way,can i run the bike to see if it might be the reserve switch or relay?
Click to expand...

If i understand you right,then you want to drive the bike with the wire-bridges and without relay and reserve-switch? Is it right? I see there no problem to do this... I would to do this.
 
Last edited:
sharper said:
alex-germany i reread and understand now, sorry.
What about bypassing the fuse pannel, has anyone done this?
I'm fed up with this silly problem
Click to expand...

I wouldn't bypassing the fuse-pannel, it's a little dangerously for me. I would change this against another pannel. The ninja-pannel is the same.
 
I was having a similar problem with my zl1. The low beam would not come on all the time when I started the bike and then it would seem verry dimm at times.
Tonight I replaced the reserve light switch/box and the light would come on everytime. But was still dim at times. So a simple bulb switch and now all is fine.or should I say seems fine!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top