Dim headlight....reserve lighting device?

My bike start and runs just fine except my headlight is very dim. I tested at the headlight and I'm getting only 3.14 or so volts no matter if I reve it up or turn engine off and leave ignition running. I'm stumped.

Could it be the reserve lighting device? What exactly does this do?

Post edited by: taylee, at: 2006/05/20 20:10

taylee,
Please edit your signature on your profile page to include your bike's year and model. Also toss in your location in case someone near you wants to help in person.

Hopefully the dim light is a dirty connection, they are easy to fix.

Kent

It is most likely you have a dirty connection, or a nearly broken wire. First, take a look at the wiring diagram for your model, and trace the juice from the battery to your headlight, and from your headlight to ground. (It's amazing how indirect this route can be.) Then, check, clean and lubricate (dielectric grease) all of the connections and switches along the way. As you are doing this, check the wiring for any areas where it may be shorted out, or nearly broken (the flex point near the stearing head is a likely place for there to be broken wires inside perfectly good looking insulation.) Also, pull and replace the fuse, if needed. If your problem still exists, take a 3 foot long piece of new wire and systematically jump over sections of the wiring from connector point to connector point. Once you find the place where the voltage jumps up to 12 volts, you know you have found the portion of your wiring that needs to be repaired or replaced.

The above may seem like overkill, but I promise that your bike will need this, since the 25 year old wiring, switches and connectors need a going through after sitting outside in a damp field for all these years. View it as preventative maintenance.

What, you don't have a wiring diagram!?! Well, that means you don't have the manual either. Get one, and many of your KZ questions will magically solve themselves.

Post edited by: apeman, at: 2006/05/21 19:01