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Headlight/Running light issues

  • Thread starter Thread starter AustynJames19
  • Start date Start date
A

AustynJames19

Guest
OK, First I want to thank everyone thats been helping me get my little devil of a bike running again :clap: It is running good now, charging system is doing well (found a few loose wires under the tank). Now I can move on to a less important problem then I have been dealing with, my headlights/running lights. They haven't been working since I got the bike. My turn signals and gauge lights work fine but I have no headlight or running lights. When I get home I'm going to double check all the terminations and such, but does anyone have a way to test the headlight and/or runninglights?
 
Well, the first and most obvious thing to do is to check your fuses. The top fuse in the panel is the one for lights. If the fuse is good, pull the headlight out of the bucket, use a test light, see if you have power at the headlight socket. If you have power, then you have a bad headlight. If you don't have power, check all the wiring and connectors from the headlight plug to the dimmer switch on the handlebar, then to the fuse panel.

Since it is headlight and running lights, I would guess fuse, because the wire splits just after the fuse to go to both sets of lights.

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Get a wiring diagram if you don't have one, Basscliff has a bunch of them on his website. Trace the wires to the bucket and check connections again. I've done this too many times and the sad thing is i still don't remember what every wire goes to. You may have already tried this but get the voltmeter out and see if there is power to the headlight plug, check the fuse box. I know, basic stuff but thats my level of knowledge at this point.

I don't think the '80 has "running lights" unless you are refering to the headlight and taillight.

My 1 cent worth on this subject.
 
Was there a fairing installed at some point? Sometimes people butcher the wires up in the headlight bucket connecting fairings up, and fail to reconnect properly.

Check the ground connection on the frame behind the headlight bucket where the steering tube is. Without good grounds the headlight might not work.
 
Not quite sure about the fairing, but the wires that are supposed to be in the Headlight bucket look pretty rugged, I'll post a picture of it when I get home tonight. Also, the headlight has been spliced into the existing wires. Not quite sure how to
accurately describe it, so I guess another picture will have to do.
 
OK, so I tested the headlight last night and foound that I was getting 12 volts at the light. So, I will replace the headlight, any suggestions on a well fitting one? The one I have now, if I dont put it in just right, then I can push the top of it and the bottom will fall out. Maybe a conversion so I can just buy bulbs to replace? Oh and below is a pic of what I'm dealing with.
 
Evidently you don't have the correct light. It's obvious from the hack wiring job that it has been changed, but there should be three points of attachment. Some bikes had three screws around the edge, others had a hook at the top and two screws on the lower sides. Are there holes in the housing for those screws?

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Yes there are three holes around the outside, but I'm missing one screw. Its on my massive list of hardware to replace, lol. So any suggestion on somewhere to get a replacement? I'm going to stop by the cycle salvage store after work, but they might not have anything.
 
I'm not near a GS right now to check, but it might be a 5mm x .7mm screw or it might be a bit smaller at 4mm x whatever.

The 5mm bolts are hard to find until you look in the license plate fastener section. :o

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