Intermittent low-beam, anyone in Aucks good with electrics?

[Ragingrob]

Hey just on the look for anyone round Aucks who's a bright spark with electrics.

My low-beam headlight switch is intermittent, as in the switch goes on and off with no control when switched on. I've taken it apart and tried to clean any contacts etc and have found out that if I put pressure on a certain part of the circuit I can keep the lights on. But I dunno how to fix it permanently!

So lately I've been the dickhead riding round with full high-beam 24/7, and not really being able to ride at night.

Anyone in the Auckland/Coromandel area who reckons they could give me a hand with this? Beer is on the table.

[CookMySock]

So lately I've been the dickhead riding round with full high-beam 24/7

Haha, during the day no-one flashed you did they?

If you have a shonky switch, just remove it and strip it and locate the problem. Don't think of it as "electrics", just think of it as a bit of plastic and some bendy bits of metal in it. No rocket science.

Sometimes you are better off to just hiff it out and get a good second-hand one though.

Steve

[p.dath]

Might be easier to just by a new switch from a wrecker.

[Ragingrob]

Haha, during the day no-one flashed you did they?

If you have a shonky switch, just remove it and strip it and locate the problem. Don't think of it as "electrics", just think of it as a bit of plastic and some bendy bits of metal in it. No rocket science.

Sometimes you are better off to just hiff it out and get a good second-hand one though.

Steve

Haha nope the vfr headlights aren't too bright anyway.

Well I've found the problem as in I've found what corrects it, so my problem now is how to fix it for good... If it can indeed be fixed.

Might be easier to just by a new switch from a wrecker.

Yeah a new one is an option but it'd mean an entire new switchblock which probably ain't the cheapest but I'll see if anyone has one.

[CookMySock]

Haha nope the vfr headlights aren't too bright anyway.

Aye. During the day I just leave mine on full and dip if I get a complaint.

Well I've found the problem as in I've found what corrects it, so my problem now is how to fix it for good... If it can indeed be fixed.

Tell us about the problem.. Why can't you fix it?

Yeah a new one is an option but it'd mean an entire new switchblock which probably ain't the cheapest but I'll see if anyone has one.

Get some prices. I think you will be surprised.

I can patch it up for ya if you send it down here.

Steve

[Hamish Carlson]

If its a copper contact not touching properly, dab some solder on and rough up with some wetdry. If its plastic not reaching all the way, chock it up with glue and pieces of ice cream container plastic. If you could get to mangatangi today I could fix it for you, but those two mentioned ways can fix most bike switches on the cheap and easy. Good luck.

[Ragingrob]

If its a copper contact not touching properly, dab some solder on and rough up with some wetdry. If its plastic not reaching all the way, chock it up with glue and pieces of ice cream container plastic. If you could get to mangatangi today I could fix it for you, but those two mentioned ways can fix most bike switches on the cheap and easy. Good luck.

I'm seriously having trouble seeing what the exact problem is. What time will you be in mangatangi till? Even if it's just to diagnose the problem.

[CookMySock]

Often a blown bulb will do that ay. The broken filament bounces around, touches and it lights up, and one bump and its out again.

Take the bulb out and flick the glass capsule with your finger, and see if one half of the filament is swinging around.


Steve

[Hamish Carlson]

Often a blown bulb will do that ay. The broken filament bounces around, touches and it lights up, and one bump and its out again.

Take the bulb out and flick the glass capsule with your finger, and see if one half of the filament is swinging around.


Steve

If they do that they tend to burn out fairly quick after a short time though.

[Ragingrob]

Often a blown bulb will do that ay. The broken filament bounces around, touches and it lights up, and one bump and its out again.

Take the bulb out and flick the glass capsule with your finger, and see if one half of the filament is swinging around.


Steve

If I fiddle with the high beam switch (just the main exterior normal switch) I can get the low beam to flick on and off. I.e. I turn my lights on and they just sit on park, then if I just put upwards pressure on the high-beam button the low-beams will come on fine but then go off once I remove pressure or hit a bump.

[Ragingrob]

Big ups to Hamish Carlson. A fiddle round with some electrics/contacts + a few beers later = headlight switch working perfectly. Cheers bro and good to meet ya!