Member Contributer awacs Posted January 26, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted January 26, 2011 Quick question. No headlights on my '99, and I'm going through the obvous diagnostics. Headlight relays: If I'm reading it right, the Honda manual says there should be continuity without voltage applied, and no continuity with 12V applied. (Let's assume I am looking at the correct terminals). This sounds exactly backwards to me.... but what do I know... I took both relays into work to check. Sure enough, I get infinite impedance with no voltage applied, and a short with 12V applied. Does this mean: 1) The manual is incorrect, 2) The manual is correct, but I am too dim to understand it :blush: and the relays are both dead? Thanks! Aram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer AZrider Posted January 26, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted January 26, 2011 Quick question. No headlights on my '99, and I'm going through the obvous diagnostics. Headlight relays: If I'm reading it right, the Honda manual says there should be continuity without voltage applied, and no continuity with 12V applied. (Let's assume I am looking at the correct terminals). This sounds exactly backwards to me.... but what do I know... I took both relays into work to check. Sure enough, I get infinite impedance with no voltage applied, and a short with 12V applied. Does this mean: 1) The manual is incorrect, 2) The manual is correct, but I am too dim to understand it :blush: and the relays are both dead? Thanks! Aram I looked in my 2002 manual and it seems to say the same thing, but it doesn't seem correct. What are the odds of both relays failing the same way? Maybe someone will come along with an explanation. Anyhow, I'd bet your issue is more likely loss of 12v through the starter switch (the start switch, when pressed, interrupts the 12v coil voltage to both headlight relays). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDO-VFR Posted January 26, 2011 Share Posted January 26, 2011 Quick question. No headlights on my '99, and I'm going through the obvous diagnostics. Headlight relays: If I'm reading it right, the Honda manual says there should be continuity without voltage applied, and no continuity with 12V applied. (Let's assume I am looking at the correct terminals). This sounds exactly backwards to me.... but what do I know... I took both relays into work to check. Sure enough, I get infinite impedance with no voltage applied, and a short with 12V applied. Does this mean: 1) The manual is incorrect, 2) The manual is correct, but I am too dim to understand it :blush: and the relays are both dead? Thanks! Aram Not sure about a 99, but my 06 lights are always on, and only shut off when I press on the starter button, in which case back assward logic as the manual indicates make sense, kinda. If your bike is the same if may be a fail safe setup. That is to say, if the light relay fails while riding you don't lose your lights. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer AZrider Posted January 26, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted January 26, 2011 I looked at TomG33's simplified wiring schematic for the 2002 and up (it's in the files section). It's much easier to read than the factory prints. It shows the relay contacts as normally open and the coil voltage for both relays passing through the normally closed contacts on the starter switch. In any case, the fact both relays changed states (from open to closed contacts) with coil voltage applied would tell me they're likely good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer awacs Posted February 5, 2011 Author Member Contributer Share Posted February 5, 2011 Fixed! Received and installed my new starter switch assy today, and bing! There was light. Regular and extra shiny, too! Thanks for the help, guys. Aram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Along the same lines...I am having a problem with my brights. Dims work fine but I hit the switch and can hear some fizzling but the brights don't come on. I can hear the relay click on the back side of the speedo. Bad relay? What do you guys think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer YoshiHNS Posted February 12, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted February 12, 2011 Might be a dirty Hi-Lo beam switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vfrcapn Posted February 12, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted February 12, 2011 Fixed! Received and installed my new starter switch assy today, and bing! There was light. Regular and extra shiny, too! Thanks for the help, guys. Aram I'm having a similar problem, lights sometimes take a few seconds to pop on after starting up. I'm going to try cleaning out the starter switch before ordering a new one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JZH Posted February 14, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted February 14, 2011 The starter switch on _US-spec_ VFR800Fis first "breaks" the lighting circuit and then "makes" the starter circuit, so a dirty or damaged switch could account for the symptoms you described. I would try cleaning it, first, though. Ciao, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 You guy were right...bad switch! The switch itself was broken but would still go from low to high. I bought the left switch setup on ebay and swapped it out. Highs work now! Thank...you guys rock. I dont wanna thread jack this but it might be the eaiest place to ask since we are already talking about the switches on the left side. I have an extra solid wire coming out of the bottom of the one I received. Im guessing it is a second throttle cable or something of that manner for perhaps a choke or a cruise control. My old one had a place for this wire but nothing there. anyone know what it is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Ranger77 Posted March 2, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted March 2, 2011 The starter switch on _US-spec_ VFR800Fis first "breaks" the lighting circuit and then "makes" the starter circuit, so a dirty or damaged switch could account for the symptoms you described. I would try cleaning it, first, though. Ciao, It can also get stuck and not fully release. It gets stuck halfway. The bike will be running but the headlights will be off. Also if this is happening always make sure it's pulled all the way back because if not, the charging system will blow the 10amp fuse for the dashboard when the revs get up there. Ask me how I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer kaldek Posted March 2, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted March 2, 2011 Sitcky and dirty starter button switches on 2002-era Hondas are quite common. Usually, cleaning the starter switch assembly is all that is required! In my case, my starter switch would spring back to the position where the starter motor stopped spinning, but not far enough that my headlights came back on. My brother in law had the same problem on his CBR 929 as well. Odd, huh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer kaldek Posted March 2, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted March 2, 2011 It can also get stuck and not fully release. It gets stuck halfway. The bike will be running but the headlights will be off. Also if this is happening always make sure it's pulled all the way back because if not, the charging system will blow the 10amp fuse for the dashboard when the revs get up there. Ask me how I know. for the switch getting stuck, but tell me why the fuse blows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Ranger77 Posted March 2, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted March 2, 2011 It can also get stuck and not fully release. It gets stuck halfway. The bike will be running but the headlights will be off. Also if this is happening always make sure it's pulled all the way back because if not, the charging system will blow the 10amp fuse for the dashboard when the revs get up there. Ask me how I know. for the switch getting stuck, but tell me why the fuse blows? Just off the top of my head. The headlights take a lot of the current so with them off, the dashboard gets too much. I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer JZH Posted March 5, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted March 5, 2011 You guy were right...bad switch! The switch itself was broken but would still go from low to high. I bought the left switch setup on ebay and swapped it out. Highs work now! Thank...you guys rock. I dont wanna thread jack this but it might be the eaiest place to ask since we are already talking about the switches on the left side. I have an extra solid wire coming out of the bottom of the one I received. Im guessing it is a second throttle cable or something of that manner for perhaps a choke or a cruise control. My old one had a place for this wire but nothing there. anyone know what it is? Choke cable--your Y2k doesn't have a conventional choke, but carbed bikes do, so this switch pod probably came from a carbed bike. (I should add that 1998-99 RC46s would have had the cable, but still no choke--they had a "fast idle" thingy instead.) Ciao, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer swas Posted March 7, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted March 7, 2011 Sitcky and dirty starter button switches on 2002-era Hondas are quite common. Usually, cleaning the starter switch assembly is all that is required! In my case, my starter switch would spring back to the position where the starter motor stopped spinning, but not far enough that my headlights came back on. Also applies to 5th Gen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer vfrcapn Posted March 10, 2011 Member Contributer Share Posted March 10, 2011 Sitcky and dirty starter button switches on 2002-era Hondas are quite common. Usually, cleaning the starter switch assembly is all that is required! In my case, my starter switch would spring back to the position where the starter motor stopped spinning, but not far enough that my headlights came back on. Also applies to 5th Gen That was my problem after all, 1/2 stuck starter switch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.