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+--- Thread: Headlight malfunctioning (/showthread.php?tid=4673)
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Headlight malfunctioning - Ernie_imp - 12-28-2020
Hi All
My light and low beam are not working, however the overtaking high beam flasher works and the low beam flickers on during engine starter engaged during starting. Anybody here experienced anything similar before I start quessing.
Thanks DT
RE: Headlight malfunctioning - Houtman_imp - 12-28-2020
Check the fuse first and try a new bulb.
RE: Headlight malfunctioning - Cormanus - 12-28-2020
Clean out the ignition switch. A dirty terminal can cause low beam not to work. It’s something to do with the part of the switch that turns the light off as you crank the bike.
RE: Headlight malfunctioning - Lord Popgun - 12-28-2020
What Cormanus said. Then we can go from there.
We aren’t good at guessing here. Logical troubleshooting will lead to problems getting fixed without throwing parts at it or just guessing. We can help with that.
RE: Headlight malfunctioning - GoldOxide_imp - 12-29-2020
Does the headlight circuit disable when the starter is asserted?
If so, could it be a flakey relay?
RE: Headlight malfunctioning - flynrider - 12-29-2020
(12-28-2020, 08:19 PM)Ernie_imp Wrote: Hi All
My light and low beam are not working, however the overtaking high beam flasher works and the low beam flickers on during engine starter engaged during starting. Anybody here experienced anything similar before I start quessing.
Thanks DT
This is a good clue. There is a switch that is supposed to cut out the headlight when the engine cranks. It's purpose is to reduce the load on the battery when starting. The fact that your low beam is flickering with the starter engaged would suggest that the switch or its connections are going bad.
I've never had a problem with this, but I know that the cutoff switch is located in the housing with the starter button.
Edit : It seems that this is a common Honda issue. Google "honda headlight cut off switch" and you'll see a lot of similar problems.
RE: Headlight malfunctioning - Ernie_imp - 12-29-2020
(12-29-2020, 11:39 AM)Flynrider_imp Wrote:(12-28-2020, 08:19 PM)Ernie_imp Wrote: Hi All
My light and low beam are not working, however the overtaking high beam flasher works and the low beam flickers on during engine starter engaged during starting. Anybody here experienced anything similar before I start quessing.
Thanks DT
This is a good clue. There is a switch that is supposed to cut out the headlight when the engine cranks. It's purpose is to reduce the load on the battery when starting. The fact that your low beam is flickering with the starter engaged would suggest that the switch or its connections are going bad.
I've never had a problem with this, but I know that the cutoff switch is located in the housing with the starter button.
Edit : It seems that this is a common Honda issue. Google "honda headlight cut off switch" and you'll see a lot of similar problems.
This is a good clue. There is a switch that is supposed to cut out the headlight when the engine cranks. It's purpose is to reduce the load on the battery when starting. The fact that your low beam is flickering with the starter engaged would suggest that the switch or its connections are going bad.
I've never had a problem with this, but I know that the cutoff switch is located in the housing with the starter button.
Edit : It seems that this is a common Honda issue. Google "honda headlight cut off switch" and you'll see a lot of similar problems.
Thanks all.
I will clean up contacts in the engine start and cutoff switch housing on the weekend and report back. I suspect this component is faulty as the engine cutoff switch did have an intermittent fault some years ago but it self repaired.
I have looked at the fuses and tried a new bulb...... no joy.
Thanks for the tips
Ernie
RE: Headlight malfunctioning - max - 12-29-2020
Ernie Flynnrider is on the ball, the headlight uses the normally closed contacts of the engine start switch ( the black one that starts the engine ).
It normally conducts the headlamp supply unless the switch is pushed to start the engine, it then brakes the circuit ( to save energy and re-connects the headlight to low or high beam.
This switch is independent of the high beam signal switch on the left hand handle bar.
which explains why this switch is functioning as intended.
The previous issue with the red engine stop switch suggests some moisture has worked itself into the handle bar switches.
Here is a simplified diagram if that helps;
Could be some contact spray and some motivation of the switch may solve the issue for you or simply bypass that switch and connect the wires of the normally closed contacts together so the headlights are just on all the time, cheers.
RE: Headlight malfunctioning - Lord Popgun - 12-29-2020
Max, thanks for that. I was going to have to delve in to the diagram and now I don’t!!
NZ to the rescue again!
RE: Headlight malfunctioning - Ernie_imp - 12-30-2020
(12-29-2020, 04:58 PM)max_imp Wrote: Ernie Flynnrider is on the ball, the headlight uses the normally closed contacts of the engine start switch ( the black one that starts the engine ).
It normally conducts the headlamp supply unless the switch is pushed to start the engine, it then brakes the circuit ( to save energy and re-connects the headlight to low or high beam.
This switch is independent of the high beam signal switch on the left hand handle bar.
which explains why this switch is functioning as intended.
The previous issue with the red engine stop switch suggests some moisture has worked itself into the handle bar switches.
Here is a simplified diagram if that helps;
Could be some contact spray and some motivation of the switch may solve the issue for you or simply bypass that switch and connect the wires of the normally closed contacts together so the headlights are just on all the time, cheers.
Thanks Max
A quick tap of the starter switch bought the headlight back on, so that is my problem. A cleanup and away again.
I have been using my CB to commute to work for the last month now and I notice that it runs very smoothly with the constant use.
Ernie