Main Beam Toggle switch Woes HELP!

staticmoves · Aug 12, 2012

Ok this is driving me nuts.........

I have managed to assemble a commando from a complete Basket, rewire and restore the entire bike, all working fine and running well...... With the exception of the main beam toggle. The main beam flash button works well, the low beam toggle works fine, the contacts have been cleaned, the cluster wiring looks good and connections solid in the cluster, and yet the main beam toggle issue eludes me?

There is not a whole lot that can go wrong in the cluster if everything else is working fine, especially if the main beam flash button works, and the low beam toggle works.

So.......... What am I missing here"............?

Powereng03 · Aug 12, 2012

I had a similar issue when finishing my commando. The rivet in the handle bar switch had power, but the connector inside had nothing. Had to put a dab of soldier to make the connection.

staticmoves · Aug 13, 2012

Powereng03 said:
I had a similar issue when finishing my commando. The rivet in the handle bar switch had power, but the connector inside had nothing. Had to put a dab of soldier to make the connection.

the Blue white wire to the switch cluster connection is good and has power , the button control for main beam flash works, all the connections are well soldered.

What I have not tried, and will try tonight, is to jumper the connection with a wire and see if that works.

L.A.B. · Aug 13, 2012

staticmoves said:
the Blue white wire to the switch cluster connection is good and has power

Blue/white [UW] should be power out from the switch to the bulb high beam filament (and H/B warning bulb)?

Blue is the power feed (from the headlamp toggle switch) to the handlebar switch for both high and low beam.

staticmoves · Aug 13, 2012

L.A.B. said:
staticmoves said:

the Blue white wire to the switch cluster connection is good and has power

Click to expand...

Blue/white [UW] should be power out from the switch to the bulb high beam filament (and H/B warning bulb)?

Blue is the power feed (from the headlamp toggle switch) to the handlebar switch for both high and low beam.

And that is how it is set up. and again the high beam passing button works and flashes the high beam. its just that the high beam will not illuminate when the toggle is oporated, even when the cluster is disasembled and actuating the contacts by hand.

L.A.B. · Aug 13, 2012

What type of headlamp bulb or unit?

Does it have the H4 style "three pin" connectors?

If so, I suggest you check the high and low beam switch wires are going to the correct pins and that one of those wires hasn't been connected to the common (ground) terminal?

gtsun · Aug 13, 2012

Mine did something sim a few years ago, replaced the switch & all is well.

staticmoves · Aug 13, 2012

L.A.B. said:
What type of headlamp bulb or unit?

Does it have the H4 style "three pin" connectors?

If so, I suggest you check the high and low beam switch wires are going to the correct pins and that one of those wires hasn't been connected to the common (ground) terminal?

I will have to check this evening, it is the stock setup, and the bulb in your diagram does not look familliar.

L.A.B. · Aug 13, 2012

staticmoves said:
it is the stock setup, and the bulb in your diagram does not look familliar.

http://www.feked.com/bulb-headlight-12v ... d-370.html
If it is the 370/P36d type, then it probably isn't a wrongly connected bulb wire as any power wire would be connected directly to ground and should blow the fuse.

staticmoves · Aug 13, 2012

L.A.B. said:
staticmoves said:

it is the stock setup, and the bulb in your diagram does not look familliar.

Click to expand...

http://www.feked.com/bulb-headlight-12v ... d-370.html
If it is the 370/P36d type, then it probably isn't a wrongly connected bulb wire as any power wire would be connected directly to ground and should blow the fuse.

that is the bulb setup I have. and again the high beam works with the flash button, so I think the problem must be in the switch, but I have it apart and all looks good. I will have to get back at it tonight.
looking at the setup it is straight forward and does not look like a whole lot can go wrong in there if the stuff is in good shape.
this is why I am scratching my head............ :?:

staticmoves · Aug 13, 2012

Powereng03 said:
I had a similar issue when finishing my commando. The rivet in the handle bar switch had power, but the connector inside had nothing. Had to put a dab of soldier to make the connection.

Ok so I have jumped the switch connections with a wire and all is fine with wiring. So it is the cluster circuits, so I will add and reheat old solder as there must be some corrosion underneath old solder.
I will report back my findings with photos.

cyclegeezer · Aug 13, 2012

staticmoves said:
Powereng03 said:

I had a similar issue when finishing my commando. The rivet in the handle bar switch had power, but the connector inside had nothing. Had to put a dab of soldier to make the connection.

Click to expand...

Ok so I have jumped the switch connections with a wire and all is fine with wiring. So it is the cluster circuits, so I will add and reheat old solder as there must be some corrosion underneath old solder.
I will report back my findings with photos.

Reiterating what Powereng03 said, I had exactly the same problem but with the turn signal switch cluster on my Trident. There was apparently enough corrosion between the rivet and the brass that no voltage was getting through. I had to carefully clean, flux and solder the two together without melting the plastic switch body.

staticmoves · Aug 13, 2012

staticmoves said:
Powereng03 said:

I had a similar issue when finishing my commando. The rivet in the handle bar switch had power, but the connector inside had nothing. Had to put a dab of soldier to make the connection.

Click to expand...

Ok so I have jumped the switch connections with a wire and all is fine with wiring. So it is the cluster circuits, so I will add and reheat old solder as there must be some corrosion underneath old solder.
I will report back my findings with photos.

Ok so I just added some solder and reheated old solder for blue white connection and blue connection at cluster, and Voila!.....l.. 8)

Happy man.....

Ron L · Aug 14, 2012

You might want to check the voltages at both the Hi and Lo beam connections on the headlight bulb. Poor connections or dirty switch contacts can reduce the voltage seen by the bulb, making an already dim Lucas bulb worse. The best answer is a set of relays or one of Greg's (Norbsa48503) miniature relay harnesses. It takes less voltage to hold a relay contact than to light a bulb filament.

If you have a high output alternator or even just a solid state rectifier/regulator, you could run a halogen bulb for even better light.

Matt Spencer · Aug 14, 2012

A Solinoid , particularly on High Beam , saves the full current from attempting to fry the contact .Not only makeing for more reliable opperation , but a full current at the Lamp. With a Q.H. bulb , it would be near mandatory . Particularly with the 130 / 90 Rally bulb .

The little brass arms with the contacts in the switchblocks , are not always at the right tension ( set ) or match ( angle / posn. ) when the circuit is continuous .
A bit of a fiddle with the dog leg long nose plyers might set it right. If it hasnt been detensioned by shorting the full current through the arm .

Bit like the electrics in the Tardis . The Doctor found them problematic on occasion . Bloody Lucas .

Main Beam Toggle switch Woes HELP!

staticmoves

Powereng03

staticmoves

L.A.B.

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staticmoves

L.A.B.

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gtsun

staticmoves

L.A.B.

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staticmoves

staticmoves

cyclegeezer

staticmoves

Ron L

Matt Spencer

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