headlight short or loose connection somewhere....

[Jso123]

I replaced my headlight with an H4 and then a HID. Mostly, it works fine. Every once in a while the headlight does not come on. Connections seem OK. Sometimes just turning the key off and on again once or twice gets it on. Once a good whack got it to come on. The headlight bucket is crammed tight with wires. Thought I found a weak connections, but perhaps not. The fuse box looks to be in good clean shape but is original.

Is there a smart way to track down this loose connection?

 

[16VGTIDave]

Is it only the headlight that doesn't come on? Or is it the entire electrical system? What are you whacking to get it to turn on?

Troubleshooting intermittent electrical issues is a challenge at the best of times. Trying to do it remotely is nearly impossible...

 

[kindest]

sounds like the headlight wires in the bucket. I had an issue with my headlight.. sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't. My problem was the fuse box and no matter how hard I hit the bucket wouldn't make it go on.

 

[Scorpio1963]

Its probably a loose connection in the bucket or related to the turn signals.I was having the same issue with mine.I checked all the wiring and couldn't find anything bad or not connected.It could also be the switch that's going bad.Mine seem to fix itself the other day when one of my car projects rolled off the ramps and rolled backwards hitting the handle bars on my bike and breaking the left turn signal stem off.Before this happened though it would flicker while I was riding and wouldn't come on when I turned the ignition on.Check all your connections and grounds on the head light and turn signals.

 

[XSLeo]

90% of electrical issues are ground related. The rest are poor connections.
Leo

 

[Jso123]

Thanks for all the tips.

Scuse my ignorance , but I think all my headlight grounds go back to the negative terminal on the battery. Where else do I look?

Also, my ignition switch seems a bit loose. Think I'll look in there first. Of course, now that I am ready to fix it, you know it will work every time...

 

[Jso123]

Think I found the problem....Think it's the bulb. All the other lights work and the HID bulb moves when I switch from high to low beam. Also, I noticed the metal base of the bulb gets warm even though the bulb is not lit. So, I'll pick up a new bulb even though this one is only about a month old - from eBay.

 

[Scorpio1963]

Take the bulb and test it with a battery charger hooked up that will tell you forsure.Thats what I thought was wrong with mine it ended being bad ground connection

 

[XSLeo]

Most bikes have all the grounds in the bucket come together then run just one wire back under the tank This wire connects most of the grounds together and then run it to the frame or battery. Thus is usually refered to as a harness ground. Most things that need grounding plug into this harness ground close to where they get power.
So in your bucket the ground for the turns and headlight all plug into a multiple plug. this is the harness ground.
Leo

 

[Jso123]

Thanks. I think I remember seeing that connection. I got some testing and checking to do.