Headlight only works with the pass switch

[nigel]

Hi all,

Riding home tonight I found that my front headlight was not on, either on low or high beam, not a great experience! Getting home, I have since experimented and found that the headlight does not work on low or high beam, but _does_ come on high beam if I flick the pass switch. The bike is a Honda Xelvis VTR 250. Anyone know why this would be?

[FROSTY:Me]

1)Trace the wiring from the switchblock and see if one plug is unplugged
2)There may be a headlight cutout switch for when the bike gets started--that might be buggered

[sAsLEX]

1)Trace the wiring from the switchblock and see if one plug is unplugged

Honda switchblocks can go gammy as well, the little contacts inside the high low beam switch are small and prone to corrosion and sticking causing problems as you have described.

Trace the wiring through with a multimeter, or a bulb with on end earthed to the frame and the other, starting at the back of the lights following the wires back from there

[nigel]

Thanks Frosty, dark and pissy wet outside right now so I'll have a look tomorrow

[imdying]

DSE had CRC contact cleaner in their reduced to clear listings last week, see if it's still there

[nigel]

Tried it out this morning, fiddled around with switches and wiring, and at some point the light popped on! I couldn't repeat anything I'd done recently to turn it off, so rode to work, where unfortunately the light was off again . I will try poking around in more detail with a multimeter at lunch time.

[sAsLEX]

Tried it out this morning, fiddled around with switches and wiring, and at some point the light popped on! I couldn't repeat anything I'd done recently to turn it off, so rode to work, where unfortunately the light was off again . I will try poking around in more detail with a multimeter at lunch time.

Sounds like a dodgy contact somewhere look for:

1. Dodgy plugs with rust or muck in them, check the leads coming into all plugs and clean out the plugs.
2. Trace the wiring and check someone hasn't done a temporary wire twist and tape repair as if rain gets in to these it can break the contact.
3. Check the wiring to see if it has rubbed or abraded on the frame or any metal as if it has worn through the insulation it could be grounding.

[nigel]

Whew, problem (sorta) solved!

I had a few looks at it today, each time with a different person. The first time, no amount of shaking, banging or wire checking turned the light on, and the second time it came on and nothing would turn it off 0_o.

The third time I finally worked out what was happening. I thought the action of the ignition switch was push in, starter turns and engages, let go, but it turns out that it's push in, light turns off, starter turns and engages, let go, light turns on (presumably to leave the current for the starter while it is working). The ignition switch was getting caught when I released it, so the light wasn't coming back on, simply flicking it out the whole way turned the lights on

So, over the weekend I shall get some contact cleaner and clean around the switch, and see if it frees itself up again. In any event, I now know how to turn the lights on if they're off

Thanks for everyone here's suggestions.