Headlight Problem

[danh600]

So the other day I noticed the low beam is out on the right side. High beam works and everything else works. So I just assume I need to change the bulb. Which was a bad assumption.

Got lots of good advice on switching my 2013 over to LED. I know they are right, but I have clearwaters on there. So even with one bulb out I still have 3 lights. I almost never ride at night. When I do the clearwaters work fine. So went the cheap and easy(for most people) way and just picked up a replacement bulb. I got the covers off which would not have been terrible except the dealer that did the brake light recall screwed some stuff up. Left side looks like a bear to get in and out. Right side looks easier. I think I am in luck.

So after some fiddling and staying calm I got the right side bulb out. I notice the filament looks fine. Well, poo. That can't be good. Since it's all a part I threw the bulb away and installed the new bulb. Not easy, but not terrible. I am actually kind of proud of myself at this time.

Turn the key......... Neither headlight or the clearwater lights come on. Nothing. No low beam, high beam or accessory lights. I check all the fuses in the fuse box on the right, all good. Can't find any loose connections. Weird.

I crank the bike just to be sure it runs. It does. Headlights come on. Everything works while the bike is running! High beam, low, acc. flashers, brake, turn signal all working. It's like nothing is wrong with the bike while running.

If the bike is not running and only the switch is on everything works except the headlight and the accessory lights.

Any ideas what is going on?

Headlights always came on before with just a turn of the key. Which is the what it is supposed to do correct?

[extrememarine]

Edit to add - at least with my 2009; key on, no headlights, motor starts, headlights on.

Dan - normal. Turn key on, headlights do not turn on until the bike fires. They stay on if you hit the kill switch but leave the key on.

[wheatonFJR]

Edit to add - at least with my 2009; key on, no headlights, motor starts, headlights on.

Dan - normal. Turn key on, headlights do not turn on until the bike fires. They stay on if you hit the kill switch but leave the key on.

My 13 is the same as my 04 in that regard.

[danh600]

Edit to add - at least with my 2009; key on, no headlights, motor starts, headlights on.

Dan - normal. Turn key on, headlights do not turn on until the bike fires. They stay on if you hit the kill switch but leave the key on.

So I fixed it.

I could swear headlights came on before. I am just crazy I guess.

Maybe it was just the glow of the side lights I was seeing before that made me think the headlights were on before starting.

[danh600]

Edit to add - at least with my 2009; key on, no headlights, motor starts, headlights on.

Dan - normal. Turn key on, headlights do not turn on until the bike fires. They stay on if you hit the kill switch but leave the key on.

My 13 is the same as my 04 in that regard.

Thank you.

My wife says I can make a problem when there is not one!

Off to button her up.

[FJRoss]

How long have you been riding FJR's?

Lights and relay for your Clearwaters don't activate until engine starts (or fails to start).
Stays on if engine stalls or if kill switch (or sidestand) are used to stop the motor.
Will remain on until ignition key is cycled or the battery runs down...

[wheatonFJR]

How long have you been riding FJR's?

Lights and relay for your Clearwaters don't activate until engine starts (or fails to start).
Stays on if engine stalls or if kill switch (or sidestand) are used to stop the motor.
Will remain on until ignition key is cycled or the battery runs down...

Already answered Ross.

[danh600]

Ok, all buttoned up and everything working. Kind of nice cause being retired I have more time than money. I spent $16 on a replacement bulb. Who knows what a dealer would have charged me.
Clearwaters are working, just doing weird things to the camera.


Speaking of dealers........

I liked the guys I was taking the bike too. They seemed really good. Now that I follow their work after they did the front brake recall I am kind of pissed. They screwed up putting the left side panel back on. Seems they must have lost all the bolts and little pop pins. So they used a rusty replacement bolt. I should have noticed that before. At least it was the right size. They also used some weird pins. They don't just pop in like the nice ones that are OEM. These go in, then you have to screw the head in with a phillips instead of just popping them in. At least they work. I'll just order the right pins and replace. They also broke a tab on the front panel. They just put one of those pins in to hide the fact. It's the one in front of the glove box. No real way to fix that, except replace the panel I guess. It all feels secure with that one bolt missing. They also lost the bolt next to the instrument panel. Also hid that by putting a pop pin in there.
I guess I am not very observant since I didn't notice some of this before.




So I didn't go the LED route. Couple of reasons. I just wanted a quick cheap solution. The right bulb was not terrible to replace, but difficult. The left one looks like a bear.
I actually like the way the bike looks in the day time. You have the warm halogen bulbs up top to give that orange glow. Then the bright cool LEDs from the clearwaters down below. That looks different and stands out to the eye. I think it causes people to notice me. CONSPICUITY!
Might not be as great at night, but I try to never ride much at night. If I do, I can turn up those clearwaters! Even if that left one goes out I still have three lights burning. Plenty to get home even in the dark.

One day the left one will go out. We will cross that bridge when we come to it.

Now off to order parts.

Surprisingly everything feels tight and solid even with a couple of missing fasteners.

Thanks for all the help in things like this guys. Don't think I would attempt most of these repairs without the resources of FJRiders.com.

[danh600]

How long have you been riding FJR's?

Lights and relay for your Clearwaters don't activate until engine starts (or fails to start).
Stays on if engine stalls or if kill switch (or sidestand) are used to stop the motor.
Will remain on until ignition key is cycled or the battery runs down...

8 years.

[D-Eagle]

Dan, what you just described is why I haven't gotten the front brake recall done yet. I just don't trust them to do it without breaking something. Plus they will want it for a month too. I haven't had any issues so I've stuck my head in the sand and ignored it.

[FJRoss]

Note: A number of people have discovered that the two headlight bulbs seem to go within days of each other so you may be crossing that bridge sooner than you want.

[wheatonFJR]

Note: A number of people have discovered that the two headlight bulbs seem to go within days of each other so you may be crossing that bridge sooner than you want.

Bring it over to Travelers Rest and we'll make a Tech Day out of it. I promise to lose fasteners and throw rusty fasteners back in so you won't feel like we weren't as good as a dealer!

[danh600]

Note: A number of people have discovered that the two headlight bulbs seem to go within days of each other so you may be crossing that bridge sooner than you want.

Bring it over to Travelers Rest and we'll make a Tech Day out of it. I promise to lose fasteners and throw rusty fasteners back in so you won't feel like we weren't as good as a dealer!

Sounds like a deal!

[raYzerman]

Hack job by that dealer, used whatever he found in his parts bin. Gotta wonder why he didn't re-use the originals, should have been a no-brainer... where did he put them (in his stash?).

I don't see your broken tab, but just replace the fasteners with the proper ones. This is why I do this stuff myself if I can.

BTW, left side headlight bulb is easier than the right by some margin....

[extrememarine]

I had a similar experience with the ground wire recall on my '09. They 'forgot' to put a bunch of fasteners back in, put some in the wrong place (black ones where chrome should be, etc). I stood at the counter until the service manager returned with grease monkey one and two and the handful of push rivets they left on the work bench...

Hack job by that dealer, used whatever he found in his parts bin. Gotta wonder why he didn't re-use the originals, should have been a no-brainer... where did he put them (in his stash?).

I don't see your broken tab, but just replace the fasteners with the proper ones. This is why I do this stuff myself if I can.

BTW, left side headlight bulb is easier than the right by some margin....

[wheatonFJR]

I had a similar experience with the ground wire recall on my '09. They 'forgot' to put a bunch of fasteners back in, put some in the wrong place (black ones where chrome should be, etc). I stood at the counter until the service manager returned with grease monkey one and two and the handful of push rivets they left on the work bench...

[1911]

Edit to add - at least with my 2009; key on, no headlights, motor starts, headlights on.

Dan - normal. Turn key on, headlights do not turn on until the bike fires. They stay on if you hit the kill switch but leave the key on.

My 13 is the same as my 04 in that regard.

Thank you.

My wife says I can make a problem when there is not one!

Off to button her up.

Never heard that one. A Flori duh expression?

Man's got to keep the women folk in line

[wheatonFJR]

I've heard of that. So it must have made it all the way to the Great Lakes region. Aka -wheaton.

[rbentnail]

Dan, what you just described is why I haven't gotten the front brake recall done yet. I just don't trust them to do it without breaking something. Plus they will want it for a month too. I haven't had any issues so I've stuck my head in the sand and ignored it.

Mine was acting up back in Mar-Apr so I called a dealership about the recall and these boneheads wanted me to drop off the bike for them to order a part so they can "maybe" get the switch replaced in 12-15 days. I said no thanks and ordered one from about 60 miles away on Apr 27th, got it on the 28th and installed it on the 29th so I don't know WTF their problem is. Everything works, no left over parts. Many miles since, no issues. Mine was $90 delivered so it was well worth it to me to do it myself.

I suggest you go ahead and order one now just to have it. I found and followed pictures from Korea https://www.dropbox.com/s/3bv7jtcz40h14 ... 1.pdf?dl=0. Everything gets released/unfastened and pulled out the front so I tied a long string to the switch and pulled the old cable out. Then I tied the string to the new one and pulled it in. That way the final routing is exactly the same. Have some black tiewraps on-hand, you'll have to snip a couple.

[griff]

I had a local dealer order the recall part and bought it on my dime. About $30 - a whole lot less than what the parts fiche price is. Took less than a week to get the part.