Headlamp question

This is but one of the reasons most older bike owners are changing to the "Blade Style" fuse and fuse holders:

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/store/6!way-fuse-blocks/p_10822.a_1

10. A source for the glass tubed AGX fuses:
www.boatownerswarehouse.com/browse.cfm/2,4986.html

This is a pic of mine I took before cleaning up the wiring. I wasn't quite done with the rewire when I took it, but you get the idea. These are a little easier to get at than those glass fuses, and the ones I have in there are supposed to light up on top when they're blown...but I haven't found out if that works yet.

Topper wrote:

Motor Head wrote: Looks like a separate fuse, 10 amp, for the headlight.
www.kzrider.com/filebase/doc_download/284-z750b4

I've got that diagram in my manual but I gotta tell you, I have a helluva time decifering it. Now that you pointed it out, I can see that one of the 10A fuses connects straight to the hi/lo beam switch.

It is hard to follow, but on the 79 B model, there is a separate 10A fuse for the headlight (both hi and lo beams) power through the switch.

The way the 79 is wired is the main power comes in through the 20A fuse then splits into two branches, each has it's own 10A fuse as I recall. The ignition (coil) power is tapped off after the 20A fuse but before the other two sub branches.

If the tube fuses are old, chuck them.

Well it was definitely the fuse. I wish I'd thought of that last night. It would have been an easy road side repair and I had everything I needed to fix it in my emergency tool kit (except a flashlight).

I was about 10 miles from home when the headlight went out and there are no street lights out here. So I called my wife to come pick me up rather than trying to ride by the light of my turn signals.

This morning I went back to the bike and when I opened the fuse box it was obvious one of them was blown.

Replaced the fuse and the high/low switch seems to work just fine. I guess it's still possible that I have a short somewhere, but it seems equally possible that the old glass fuse just failed due to age. I'll wait and see if I blow another fuse.

BTW, the fuses in the bike are all the short 1" long fuses MFolks describes. The local auto parts stores don't have them in stock but the 1 1/4" ones seem to fit my fuse holders just fine.

Any reason I shouldn't use the longer fuses so long as they seem to work?

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationNo eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationUsing the AGC instead of the AGX fuse, will give less contact area between the fuse clip and the end of the fuse. Just another area to create heat, and Could cause enough heat to cause damage to the plastic around the clips, and the wiring. Better to get the correct AGX fuses, or convert to the ATC style Blade fuse. With only 3 fuses, you could put In-line fuse holders that take the ATC fuse, although it wouldn't be as neat and tidy as a new fuse block. It would work just fine if done properly. Several places sell the new ATC fuse block, shipping is nearly the same price as the Fuse block, all up like $15.

Napa still has the AGX fuses: www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Result.aspx?N...&D=AGX&Dk=1&Dp=3&N=0
Here is an example of a new ATC fuse block: