Guages/headlight went out

[GabrielGoes]

the oil pressure light and neutral light are the only ones that work i guess because there not part of the main harness.. i checked quickly and everything seems to be good, switch is good, no wires melted.... the bulbs are good. now heres the weird part... all of the bulbs that DO NOT WORK are reading that they get the full 12 volts.... the two bulbs that DO WORK read around .4v or something... so i put my testor directly in the oil light bulb area were the bottom of the bulb touches... and i saw sparks! now the bulb doesnt work when i put it in the oil light spot when it used to work fine... It reads 12v now when i test it.... So all the lights that dont work say they get the 12 volts... all the ones that didnt work get only .4 is this normal?

[mike_of_bbg]

Can't be sure on your model but I think the LHC on mine has a ground connector separate from the wiring harness under the tank. Seems if I've knocked it loose or forgotten to hook it back up the symptoms are similar.

[Redman]

dont have exact specific answer that covers all your observations but I can say two things that might be uesfeull:

- headlight and instrument lights are on two different fuses, So one problem on one power wire could not cause problems on both circuits.

- when ever observing electrical problems that dont make sence you should concider that there is a problem with the grounding. Look and see if there are some black/white wires that are disconnected.
WHen you say you measure 12volts at the bulb but the bulb is not on... let me guess, you have one meter lead on the bulb and other meter lead grounded somewhere (or batt-). Try moving that meter lead to the other connection on the bulb, so both meter leads are on the bulb and see if reading is different, if it is then is a problem with the grounding.

- oh, something else.....
THe circuit for the oil pressure light (and the side stand light)might be differernt than you might expect. It is more like this: power to the bulb all the time, thru the bulb, from bulb goes to the pressure swtich, the pressure swtich (when pressure low) connects to the ground. THe side stand light circuit is like that also, and so is the horn circuit like that also. (this is ignoring the complication of there being a diode in the oil pressure and sidestand circuit).
So... maybe concentrate on, say, lights that just light the instrument face.

.

[GabrielGoes]

read over everything... checked every single wire and found a hanging ground wire... right on and everything works, EXCEPT my oil pressure switch light!! the most important darn light on the whole bike and it dont work now..... remember i said i put my testor up to the socket and i saw sparks?? well now my oil pressure light dont work ever since i saw that spark... i swapped bulbs and that didnt answer it.. im gonna follow the wires down and try to find out why its not comming on... could i have fried the switch out when i touched it with the testor?

[Redman]

read over everything... checked every single wire and found a hanging ground wire... right on and everything works, EXCEPT my oil pressure switch light!! the most important darn light on the whole bike and it dont work now..... remember i said i put my testor up to the socket and i saw sparks?? well now my oil pressure light dont work ever since i saw that spark... i swapped bulbs and that didnt answer it.. im gonna follow the wires down and try to find out why its not comming on... could i have fried the switch out when i touched it with the testor?

Ew... this is related to what I mentined before. No, you could not have fried the oil pressure swith messing around with meter at the bulb.

THe oil pressure light circcuit is like this:
- fused power to the bulb. (green/orange wire, same circuit as brake lights and horn)*
- thru the bulb (notice that havent mentioned the swithc yet)
- then goes to and past (not thru) a diode
- then to oil pressure switch
- when oil pressure low, then goes thru the switch to the ground (engine case).

So ther is power at the bulb all the time, and the oil pressure swtich "completes the ground".

Measure to see if have power at the bulb.
That power should come from a the "signal" fuse.*


(I am looking at chematic for 850G and 1100G for the referencce to wire color and the fuse.)