Headlight and Taillight Go Off Sometimes

[Cookie]

Hi all. Another electrolux problem here.

Sometimes I am riding along happily and my lights (Head and tail) go off. This is not good.

Last time it happend, when I stopped at a shop, a cager let me know.

When I came out of the shop I started the bike again, and hey presto, light again.

Tonight I plan to pull covers off, wriggle connections and apply CRC to everything with wires poking out of it, but that is almost as far as my electrical knowledge goes.

For some reason, the word "relay" is popping into my head but that could just be the medication wearing off.

Any comments or advice would be very welcome...

[Motig]

I'd say your on the right track looking for loose/faulty contact. Might even be the switch itself. Unfortunately I'm the same as you when it comes to electrics so can only offer encouragement

[Falconer]

I have had the same problem and found it was the relay. There is a bunch of relays somewhere, find them by switching on and of the lights, click click, find the correct one by putting your finger on it. I take my relays appart and using 400 or finer sand paper clean the contacts. It worked for me.

[idb]

Intermittent electrical faults are the worst.
However, it shouldn't be too hard to find in this case.
Work back from either light until you come to the common point where they are both connected.
Turn your lights on and and work back from that point, wriggling every joint until the lights go on and off, confirming that you've found the fault.
If there is a relay and you get back to it without finding the fault, tap the relay with a screwdriver or your finger or something, wriggle the relay in its socket.
If still no result, gently wriggle the switch on the bars.

Rather than just go in and sand all the connections and spray CRC around everywhere, I prefer to find the actual problem first so that you know that you've actually fixed it.

Good luck.

[Cookie]

Thanks for your comments Facolner and idb! (And a warm welcome to KB Falconer).

I have been restricting my riding to daylight hours so I can have a crack at it on the weekend.

Especially interested that the relay (once I locate it) may be able to be cleaned up. My lights come on when I click the key on so I will need to listen carefully.

Thanks again!

[Falconer]

Your message is the one I would have written if I was capable. Agree fully, Know the fault before repair. In my case cleaning the relay points worked for me because I found the fault.