Heart of Darkness

Aw pooh.So I go out tonite to adjust my headlamp, turn the switch on, and voila, no headlight. Also no taillight or instrument lights.Turn signals work,hazard works,horn works,parking lite in the rear works, bike starts and runs ok. Run a quick fuse check and all are ok.Now what?Surely I couldnt have blown all those bulbs at once?I have a Gremlin Bell so the Road Gremlins couldnt have bit me-or could they? Anybody?bj

If you're still using the older glass tubed fuses, they can fail and still look good. Many riders have/are going to change to the "Blade" style fuses used in cars.

Fuse And Fuse Holder Designations

1. The older Kawasaki’s use a glass tubed fuse with the designation of AGX 1” long. Most good auto parts stores can get them for you. They are ¼” in diameter.

2. The more common AGC is 1 ¼” long and may not fit the smaller fuse clips. Again, ¼” in diameter.

3. To clean and polish the fuse clips, I use a cotton swab(Q- Tip) and some Brasso metal cleaner or Turtle Wax Chrome Polish. I suppose any good metal polish would work.

4. These fuses can fail internally but look good, only by removing them from the clip and electrically continuity checking with either a self powered test light, or a multimeter set on OHMS can they be determined to be in good shape.

5. A physical inspection of the metal end caps for tightness will tell you if the fuse is serviceable.

6. Most modern motorcycles are now using the automobile “Blade” style fuse with the designation of ATC or ATO.

7. The reduced sized “Mini” Blade style fuse holder uses the ATM size of fuses.

8. If the fuse and fuse holder overheat, it could soften or anneal the grip of the clip, it might require squeezing the clip to restore the tightness.

9. A list of where to purchase “Blade” style fuses and holders:

www.waytekwire.com order.waytekwire.com/productdetail2/M50/...20%20%20%208%20FUSE/

www.rallylights.com www.rallylights.com/detail.aspx?ID=765

www.delcity.net www.delcity.net/cartviewitem?item=73805&search=y

Thanks. I pulled all the fuses and cleaned the clips with some spray elec cleaner I keep around and squeezed them in a little so the fuses are tight.I did not run a continuity check,but I have about 50 of the old style glass fuses from my old bike days so I may replace them all tomorrow just to be safe-and when I can see the damn things(gettin old aint for sissys).If that doesnt do it,any other thoghts?bj

THE HORROR THE HORROR........

Ah yes.The horror of war as articulated by Colonel Kurtz in Apocalpse Now.Which by the by was based on Joesph Conrads book Heart of Darkness, hence the thread name.But my bike still doesnt have any lites.The Horror,The Darkness.Lol.bj

Bump.Rally Lites are out of the 6 gang blade fuse boxes.Just my luck.bj

Time to get out the test equipment and see where voltage is/isn't. It may be as simple as a blown fuse(s),dirty switch contacts or a broken wire inside insulation.

Always start at the battery, look for loose ground connections/battery terminals before tearing into the wiring bundle/loom.

Agreed - it's amazing how far a simple ohm meter can get you...

Yep. I know Im getting current to the instrument cluster as the turn signal indicators,the hazard indicator ,the neutral indicator and the oil pressure lite all come on.Also current is getting back to the tail lite as the parking lite and the brake lite come on.Just no headlite ,no backlites for the gauges,and no running lites for the tail.There has to be a circuit in there thats on the fritz but not sure which one it is.Weird.bj

hocbj23 wrote:

Ah yes.The horror of war as articulated by Colonel Kurtz in Apocalpse Now.

Yep, that was ripped off from Conrad's novel "The Heart of darkness" which had the original line "the horror....the horror..." as the guy died.

When the narrator went to tell his wife that he had died, she asked what his last words were and he told her that he had said her name (and he commented he thought God would strike him dead for that lie).

hocbj23 wrote:

But my bike still doesnt have any lites.

Throwe away the fuses and replace with NEW ones. If all those bulbs did blow at once, your regulator is bad and is letting the system voltage rise too high (guess how I learned that :ohmy: )

Not sure how your bike is wired, but maybe you lost a "branch" off one of the +12 feeds from the ignition switch?

Read the book/script saw the movie and all ive got to say is THE HORROR THE HORROR STOP THE HORROR.PEACE Jeff was here.THE PEACE THE PEACE BRING ON THE PEACE.We all need it