We just discovered that Blue's Oil and Water Dash Warning Lights aren't working correctly.
When we were taking pictures of the speedo light changes we completed today, I couldn't get a good picture because Princess' red lights were on when I turned the ignition key on. 2beers wasn't having that problem, because his lights weren't lit. So, it led us to figure out which bike was having trouble.
According to the owner's manual, those lights should illuminate once you turn the key on, and then go off once oil pressure is achieved. So we figured it was Blue that was having an issue.
Well, now we're stuck...
1) Checked power at the harness plug with a tester. Good.
2) Checked power at the light bulb sockets with a tester. Good.
3) Checked the bulbs. Both were blown. Replaced them both.
4) Turned on the key. Bulbs don't light.
5) Switched one bulb with turn signal indicator bulb, which is working. Pushed it in the socket. Turned on the key. Won't light! Assured that bulb sockets are clean and contacts are tight around bulb. No combination works.
6) Used tester without bulb in socket. Ignition on, tester light is on. Started bike, tester light stays on.
Huh???? Any ideas? Is the system wired to interrupt the warning lights by the ground (thereby making our tester light, but not the bulbs)? BTW, Water and Oil are both present and accounted for!
--The Confused Bride
...back to the garage to test the ground side of those sockets...
OK, confirmed...ground isn't working. Help??
The lights find their ground path through the switches. Path for oil light, ground is at the switch. Oil pressure switch on an 800 is next to the oil filter. Single wire, ground side of the bulb. If you disconnect the single wire from the switch, and touch it to bare metal, the light should go on with the ignition switch turned on, of course. I don't know where the temp light switch is, but Ratman has a book
Quote from: Troll on March 23, 2014, 19:28:59 PM
The lights find their ground path through the switches. Path for oil light, ground is at the switch. Oil pressure switch on an 800 is next to the oil filter. Single wire, ground side of the bulb. If you disconnect the single wire from the switch, and touch it to bare metal, the light should go on with the ignition switch turned on, of course. I don't know where the temp light switch is, but Ratman has a book
Thanks, Troll. Too late to check that tonight, early work day tomorrow, but we'll find some garage time later in the day. Appreciate the help!
We'll pm Ratman if checking the Oil pressure switch wire doesn't get us any further...
Sent you a pm but if this works ok
Thanks much, Ratman. Also answered your pm. :)
We'll let ya'll know what we find...
Quote from: Troll on March 23, 2014, 19:28:59 PM
The lights find their ground path through the switches. Path for oil light, ground is at the switch. Oil pressure switch on an 800 is next to the oil filter. Single wire, ground side of the bulb. If you disconnect the single wire from the switch, and touch it to bare metal, the light should go on with the ignition switch turned on, of course. I don't know where the temp light switch is, but Ratman has a book
Here's the latest, Troll...
Just disconnected the wire from the oil pressure switch, touched it to bare metal, and the light does
not come on with the ignition switch on. Meaning, the ground wire from the switch to the bulb is broken or interrupted, somewhere. ?
Removing tank and seat for further investigation, water switch has one wire and we haven't checked there yet.
THANKS AGAIN, RATMAN! Received the pm and info. Downloading...
Quote from: 2beers on March 24, 2014, 13:20:23 PM
Here's the latest, Troll...
Just disconnected the wire from the oil pressure switch, touched it to bare metal, and the light does not come on with the ignition switch on. Meaning, the ground wire from the switch to the bulb is broken or interrupted, somewhere. ?
Removing tank and seat for further investigation, water switch has one wire and we haven't checked there yet.
THANKS AGAIN, RATMAN! Received the pm and info. Downloading...
Had a similar problem when working on a jet.... good power to socket.. good bulb.. good ground.. couldn't make the light work.. Turns out ground was corroded... When metered was fine.. not good enough to make the light work.. Sometimes the simple circuits can kick your tail for hours.
Thanks for that, Milky. Electrical issues, yuck!
Update. Wiring diagrams provided by Ratman (btw, have we thanked you enough for that yet?) led us to check out the rectifier on the system, but that was clear. Water temp side will work when directly grounded, but not the oil pressure side. Tomorrow we'll check continuity in that line. 2beers is talking about installing an oil pressure gauge and stopping the insanity, lol. We'll let ya'll know...
The Bride
;) Truckers stick together.........get it fixed so you can ride.......
Quote from: CDNRatMan on March 24, 2014, 17:54:03 PM
;) Truckers stick together.........get it fixed so you can ride.......
8)
Quote from: 2beers on March 24, 2014, 17:39:20 PM
Thanks for that, Milky. Electrical issues, yuck!
Update. Wiring diagrams provided by Ratman (btw, have we thanked you enough for that yet?) led us to check out the rectifier on the system, but that was clear. Water temp side will work when directly grounded, but not the oil pressure side. Tomorrow we'll check continuity in that line. 2beers is talking about installing an oil pressure gauge and stopping the insanity, lol. We'll let ya'll know...
The Bride
Got my bulbs today.. put things back together... oil pressure light didn't work.. Oh i started to curse you 2beers!!!!! Turns out.. socket was a tad loose... Pulled back apart, tightened back up.. Works like a true pilsner... Now the BAD: One of my speedo bulb sockets quit working (lower) So time to replace that.
That is the one not working on my speedo. I traced the lack of power all the way back to the igniter. So it will remain not working......
Quote from: CDNRatMan on March 24, 2014, 19:49:07 PM
That is the one not working on my speedo. I traced the lack of power all the way back to the igniter. So it will remain not working......
Your lower bulb out too??? Mine was blown when i got the bike, didn't think anything of it.. changed them out with new bulbs.. They share a common ground (for the lower part of the speedo and upper) So i think it may be a bad socket... Problem is finding one without replacing the entire harness... When a couple splices will do the trick.
Quote from: Milky1112 on March 24, 2014, 19:47:06 PM
Got my bulbs today.. put things back together... oil pressure light didn't work.. Oh i started to curse you 2beers!!!!! Turns out.. socket was a tad loose... Pulled back apart, tightened back up.. Works like a true pilsner... Now the BAD: One of my speedo bulb sockets quit working (lower) So time to replace that.
Didn't want that oil pressure light thing to be contagious, that's for sure! And i'll be checking my lower light tomorrow...
I could not get any power at the socket, and none along the length of the wire, but I'll spend tomorrow after work checking it again and check the ground also.
Quote from: CDNRatMan on March 24, 2014, 22:02:31 PM
I could not get any power at the socket, and none along the length of the wire, but I'll spend tomorrow after work checking it again and check the ground also.
Let me know what you find.. cause i'm soon to be doing the same thing.. Just strange that it suddenly goes out when all you do is disconnect the connector..
Looking carefully at the wiring diagram reveals that there is just 1 illumination bulb for the speedo, and the other one uses the same ground, but the power is from the high beam circuit. Sooo this mysterious "lower" bulb is actually working as designed...talk about a rabbit hole! Let me ask you a question...do none of you ride at night????
Quote from: Troll on March 25, 2014, 12:47:44 PM
Looking carefully at the wiring diagram reveals that there is just 1 illumination bulb for the speedo, and the other one uses the same ground, but the power is from the high beam circuit. Sooo this mysterious "lower" bulb is actually working as designed...talk about a rabbit hole! Let me ask you a question...do none of you ride at night????
Only when my eyes are closed...
Quote from: Troll on March 25, 2014, 12:47:44 PM
Let me ask you a question...do none of you ride at night????
2beers is askeered of the dark lol
I was just going to post a pic of the wiring diagram, Troll, answering that high beam question! You beat me to it :)
lol....ok never noticed that it was that way......but now I can check farther and see if it is right...........that Milky guy sure had us confused......
Quote from: CDNRatMan on March 25, 2014, 13:24:11 PM
lol....ok never noticed that it was that way......but now I can check farther and see if it is right...........that Milky guy sure had us confused......
Yep, now i have everyone ripping their speedometer apart too.. mwuahahahaha.. my evil plan is working!
Ask PC what happens to people I am not happy with........
Quote from: CDNRatMan on March 25, 2014, 13:27:09 PM
Ask PC what happens to people I am not happy with........
Hey now! I'm helping.. and causing trouble lol.. Remember i'm new to this bike unlike you vets here ;)
ok but you are half way to the picture list....just to let you know.
Quote from: CDNRatMan on March 25, 2014, 13:49:53 PM
ok but you are half way to the picture list....just to let you know.
Fair enough, Just glad the mystery is solved for sure tho.. so we don't sit here and lose our minds anymore then we have already..
Troll, I have a question now.
I do not profess to be a mechanic or even close to one so this might be a weak question. So there is 2 bulbs in the speedo housing, for simplicity sake one is the upper and then the lower, because that is were they sit in the housing.
You said
Quotebut the power is from the high beam circuit. Sooo this mysterious "lower" bulb is actually working as designed.
So tonight I tried to see if there was power going to the plug, had a good ground, tester was showing power to a couple of the plug outlets. But none to the one I want. I tried it with the high beam on and off. Tried it with the key in the on position.
Ok so on the 800 the headlight does not come on till the bike is started and running, so to check this would the bike have to be running? Even I draw the line at starting the bike in the living room.
Thanks.
Not trying to step on Troll's answer, Ratman, but we believe you are correct. The high beam indicator will not illuminate without the bike running. Glad to hear you have a limit, btw!
Well, we have good news! Blue's warning lights are back to being fully functional. We did a happy dance in the garage, but forgot to video it lol.
Checking continuity on each segment with an ohm meter, we found a section interrupted between the oil pressure switch and harness side of the dash connection. Tracing the wire, we opened the left side cover above the tool box to reveal a mess of wires. One was not connected, guess which one? Pic below.
After that, we lost power to the ignition circuit and the neutral light. There was some spousal discussion about lighting installation and circuitry and choices a certain husband makes, I admit it lol. Happy days were restored to the household when we found two blown fuses.
All is, once again, well!!!!
The engine has to be running to turn on the headlight relay. Once the relay is on, it will stay that way until you cycle the key. The running lights come on with the ign. but the headlight doesn't.
It's been so BLASTED LONG since I've ridden my bike, I've forgotten... Does the engine have to actually run, or does just turning it over (cranking) bring the light on? For some reason I was thinking if it doesn't start the first crank, and you let go of the starter button, the headlight comes on?? I could very easily be wrong on that - and I'm not going out to check it... (right now it's about 20F with a wind chill of around 5F. They're changing Ohio's nickname to "Little Canada"...)
Ratman, if it's just the "crank" signal you need, then just hit the starter button. If it does actually have to run, well, then you have an old sweeper hose or something don't you?? Just run the exhaust out the window or door.... there you go!
Quote"crank" signal
was thinking that......
Quotethen you have an old sweeper hose or something don't you?? Just run the exhaust out the window or door.... there you go!
already thought of......
Quoteand I'm not going out to check it...
so dissapointed that you would not venture out and check that for me, when ever you have a question for me I will always go and look at my bike to help you out.
it is the first crank and then the headlight will coem on and stay on, do not ask me how I know this fact, because I learned it at 0230 this morning...more to follow......once I am home again.....
ok there is the upper and lower bulb in the speedo housing, when you start your bike the upper one is on and the lower is off and not powered, once the bike is started and the highbeam switch is activated the lower bulb will be lite. All issues solved......