Battery Change - Weird Happenings

[njwhit]

Swapped my battery the other day on my 97. Bike fires right up and after running for 10 seconds the high beam indicator light on the tank comes on and I simultaneously lose my headlight and my rear tail lights. Blinkers work even though tail lights are out and ZERO headlight high or low beam. Headlight fuse is good along the coolant res. Tail light fuse is also good. Anyone ever have something this bizarre happen? Double checked the plugs i unplugged to get battery out and all colors match. Also swapped out a tail light bulb too. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[deekjx]

I don't know if this is related or not but do you have the crimp fix?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

[tonyg-5386]

More than likely you disturbed some wiring while swapping the battery and/or there is corrosion on some connector. Before you even break out a multimeter and the manual check all the connectors near the battery and in the headlight. You'd be surprised at how little corrosion it takes to screw up a circuit. Don't think that it's automatically something very involved because this will make you nuts. Check the obvious first. Although this exact problem has never happened to me I've had similar issues with both of my bikes and it always ended up being something simple. I am sure that other more mechanically/electrically experienced vmaxers here will chime in with additional suggestions also.

 

[[email protected]]

Check to see if the start button is sticking a bit. The headlight goes out when you press the start button. Headlight will stay out if it is just a bit sticky. Try some contact cleaner in there. Sorry, thats all I got on this one :ummm:

 

[Buster Hymen]

Check to see if the start button is sticking a bit. The headlight goes out when you press the start button. Headlight will stay out if it is just a bit sticky. Try some contact cleaner in there. Sorry, thats all I got on this one :ummm:

This!!!!

 

[njwhit]

Have not attempted to play with this again but how do you get the headlight off to check the connection in it. Looks like a couple of adjustment screws on it so I hope to not disturb them.

 

[texmax]

Have not attempted to play with this again but how do you get the headlight off to check the connection in it. Looks like a couple of adjustment screws on it so I hope to not disturb them.

Don't worry bout the headlight. Check post #4,#5:biglaugh: Good call Mike.

 

[[email protected]]

Have not attempted to play with this again but how do you get the headlight off to check the connection in it. Looks like a couple of adjustment screws on it so I hope to not disturb them.

Two screws go thru the side of the bucket. One at 4 o'clock, one at 8 oclock

 

[njwhit]

Thanks. Also, my start button is not sticking the slightest bit. Will have a peek at the wires in the headlight this weekend.

 

[Redbone]

Once the bike is started the starter switch can be useful to flash the headlight (it will not engage the starter) to alert an inattentive motorist of your presence, hopefully!
I had a issue with the starter button at Thunder last year which probably resulted from all the rain I encounterd on my way and while there. A little wd-40 or boeshield t-9 to clean out the schmoze and lube it.

 

[njwhit]

Took my start switch apart today and cleaned it with contact cleaner and put a little lube in it and now have a headlight again so thanks to all. I still don't have tail lights in the rear blinkers (added new 1156 bulbs) and now my brake light switch is not working. Looking at the wiring schematic in my Clymer repair manual and its showing both rear blinkers and the brake light have a common wire that goes to the thermo switch, the fuel sender, the speedometer and to the head light. Wondering if anyone has any possible repair scenario's.

Thanks

 

[Miles Long]

Took my start switch apart today and cleaned it with contact cleaner and put a little lube in it and now have a headlight again so thanks to all. I still don't have tail lights in the rear blinkers (added new 1156 bulbs) and now my brake light switch is not working. Looking at the wiring schematic in my Clymer repair manual and its showing both rear blinkers and the brake light have a common wire that goes to the thermo switch, the fuel sender, the speedometer and to the head light. Wondering if anyone has any possible repair scenario's.

Thanks

The common wire is a black ground wire.
The rear blinkers do not have running lights (you refer to them as tail lights), like the front blinkers do. That is why they take 1156 bulbs, which are single filament.
If neither your foot or hand brake switch seem to activate the brake lights, first make sure the brake lights are not stuck on. If so, you will see both filaments of the bulbs lit up.
If this is the case, one of the brake light switches needs adjustment, which is covered in the Clymer manual.
If the switches are not out of adjustment, next check is for power at the switches. Disconnect and check the brown wire. There should be battery voltage when the ignition switch is turned on.
The brake light switches receive power from the signal light fuse circuit. If your signals are also not working, the fuse is probably blown. The horn is also on this circuit.
Cheers!

 

[njwhit]

Thanks. The brake light appears to be on so a adjustment to the switch is what is needed I guess. Could have sworn that the rear blinkers were like the front ones with running lights but I never ever looked at them. Since I had the issue with the headlight etc I thought one coincided with the other. Thanks for the help. So an adjustment on the brake switch should do it and I don't have to hurry home before it gets dark now !!!! Thanks all, very much appreciated. I still can't believe there aren't rear running lights I would have sworn I have seen them on at one time but obviously not.LOL

 

[Miles Long]

Thanks. The brake light appears to be on so a adjustment to the switch is what is needed I guess. Could have sworn that the rear blinkers were like the front ones with running lights but I never ever looked at them. Since I had the issue with the headlight etc I thought one coincided with the other. Thanks for the help. So an adjustment on the brake switch should do it and I don't have to hurry home before it gets dark now !!!! Thanks all, very much appreciated. I still can't believe there aren't rear running lights I would have sworn I have seen them on at one time but obviously not.LOL

It's very possible that you saw a Max with rear running lights - many people have made this mod, the easiest way being to just install a pair of front signals on the rear location. Of course then you have to run some wires from the running light circuit to power them up, which is not a big issue.
I did this mod myself, until I was told by an RCMP officer, a personal friend, that any color other than red cannot be continuously lit on the rear of passenger vehicles, so I unplugged the running lights. A shame, because the yellows looked good! I do have an extra tail light, and a brake light modulator hooked to the upper one, so my bike is quite visible from the rear.