have been on a tour. Got some bad weather, but nothing extreme. Washed bike as usual and all ok. Usually i ride with hi- beam on. End of day's riding and all of a sudden at next start up, i notice that the hi-beam indicator light on console is not on, and neither is headlight. I start to move off, it comes on, then goes out. And hi- beam indicator light is now permantly on w no headlight at all. Even if i move switch, blue light still on. Pilot light not working either. The little one sometimes used for parking. So i take apart with help of friend . I'm on the road, no dealers. Called dealer, he said look at connectors. Did bkk that, checked bulbs, fuses, harnesses, all wires, all connectors. No apparent prob.switch is ok. Now, if i disconnect the bulb, the switch and console lights work and change correctly. If i reconnect it, the hi-beam blue light is always on. Apparently there is no relay for this light, and any such thing is hidden inside the instrument console. Has anyone had anything like this happen? Likely causes, and remedies? Something inside the console sounds expensive... Thanks a lot.
How did you check the bulb? If you have access to a meter, at the connector the bulb goes into. Yellow/black is high, white is low, black is ground. Yellow goes to your parking light. You should get 12V at the connector for low beam (W) and parking light (Y) with the key on. When you hit high beam on the switch then you should have power at the black/yellow. When you hit passing both filaments get power. If all tests good, the problem is either the bulb or a bad ground.
thanks, but i know it's not the bulb because it was checked on a meter, direct to power supply by wires and we even tried a new bulb, which also didn't work. Bulb is good. :)
i have had problems in the past with the connections coming loose. this caused the high beam indicator to remain "on" at all times regardless of switch position.
my solution was to disassemble the headlight, and then slowly manipulate the wiring until i figured out which connection it was. then cleaned said connection, applied some dialectic grease, and reconnected.
then i zip tied the thing together as tight as i could.
YRMV [thumbsup]
Thanks Herm, but i think there's something more diabolical going on. I - and another mechanically minded guy, have been over the system from battery to bulb, including all connectors, different bulb, checked fuses, stripped back some of the harnesses to check for shorts, etc etc - all looks good.
there is something going on in ithe instrument console - I am almost certain of that, as there is a connection with runs into the bottom of that. I have not tried to open that yet.
I wonder if anyone here knows for certain if or how the headlight relay system works - and if indeed they can confirm that there is something of note which happens inside the instrument console. there is no relay outside it.
Cheers,
GG,
There is no headlight relay, and I doubt the dash has anything to do with it. If all else checks out, try a new bulb. I have seen bulbs internally short between filaments when hot but test good cold.
I've tried a new bulb. No dice. The small parking light is also not working - but on visual inspection, seems OK if that helps add any extra diagnostic info. Thanks...
Just thought i'd post back with the answer to this problem.
Turns out the ground (black) wire had worn through and shorted out as it was rubbing somehow on the headlight mounting bracket.
Moral to the story - check the wiring more carefully, and where possible get the bike to someone who knows what the make the beast with two backs they are looking for. The Ducati head mechanic here hypothesised this - and within about 30 mins it was all sorted and wiring arranged in a better manner.
Thanks Jay and crew.