Damn! Lost my headlights sometime today on Hwy 12 in Utah!

[bikerskier]

Both are out so I suspect a fuse needs replacement? I'm in Mt. Carmel Junction about 20 miles north of Kanab, UT. Hopefully there will be a Yamaha dealer there so I can get this fixed in the AM.

Any thoughts or advice for me?

 

[TomInPA]

Before you dig too far, just pop another H4 bulb in there. The halogen bulbs have a habit of going out in pairs. When one goes, the other one usually is not far behind. I can change the left bulb without removing any panels. The right is easier if you remove the front top panel. Replace one, and you'll know if it's bulbs or fuses.

If that doesn't work for you, the fuse is of course under the left back top panel. It's an easy DIY and just takes a standard 25 amp blade fuse. Any auto parts or discount store should have what you need...H4 bulbs, fuses and an 5 mm allen wrench.

There is a Napa Auto Parts in Kanab:

Address: 115 S 100 E, Kanab, UT 84741
Phone435) 644-2526

 

[kurt]

Check the fuse. My owner's manual says it is 25 amps. Mine is in the battery compartment, but yours may be different.

 

[Fred W]

Not necessarily a fuse, Ralph. Could be just both bulbs But... are both the high and low beams out?

If so, then maybe it is just the fuse. That would be the Headlight fuse, a 25 A fuse in the main fuse block under the near left dash panel.

 

[Ignacio]

Both are out so I suspect a fuse needs replacement? I'm in Mt. Carmel Junction about 20 miles north of Kanab, UT. Hopefully there will be a Yamaha dealer there so I can get this fixed in the AM.Any thoughts or advice for me?

Agree on the bulb check first.

That proves to be OK....don't know how many miles on your '05, but I rubbed through the wiring harness at 168,000 miles and the first circuit to go was the headlight circuit. The 2nd and 3rd were turn signals and then windshield before I figured it out. My belief is other higher mileage Gen 1's are going to experience it more.

 

[Constant Mesh]

Does the high beam indicator light come on when you select the high beams?

If it does the fuse is OK.

Where did the insulation fail on your wiring harness?

 

[bikerskier]

Does the high beam indicator light come on when you select the high beams?
If it does the fuse is OK.

Where did the insulation fail on your wiring harness?

No high beam indicator light.

 

[Bluestreek]

check the bulbs. Once one of mine went the other was soon to follow

 

[RossKean]

I hope its just the bulbs - as others have said, they will often blow within hours of each other. I guess a relay is also a possibility. With respect to fuses, the problem is rarely "just a fuse". I don't think I have ever had a fuse blow (car or bike) unless there was a good reason for it. Usually something bone-headed like shorting something while working on it. If a fuse has gone without some personal meddling with stuff, there is likely something else wrong.

 

[ionbeam]

No high beam indicator light.

With no high beam indicator either the headlight fuse is blown or Headlight Relay 1 is bad or not being turned on by the ECU (wiring problem with yellow/black wire).

Fuses don't spontaneously go bad (agreeing with Ross), something causes it to blow. Do you have any accessories attached to the headlight circuit? When a fuse is blown, look at the body of the fuse. If the fuse is black and has a metallic sheen the fuse was blown due to a short circuit. If the middle of the fuse filament is missing, but the body is still clear, the fuse element melted from sustained excess current draw.

While not common, it is not unheard of for all Gens to occasionally have failed high current relays and failed wiring leading to the relay terminal that carries the high current supply. I know of several radiator fan problems that turned out to be failed wires going to the main power terminal of the relay where the copper wire broke inside the insulation and was not visually apparent.

 

[bikerskier]

Both are out so I suspect a fuse needs replacement? I'm in Mt. Carmel Junction about 20 miles north of Kanab, UT. Hopefully there will be a Yamaha dealer there so I can get this fixed in the AM.Any thoughts or advice for me?

Agree on the bulb check first.

That proves to be OK....don't know how many miles on your '05, but I rubbed through the wiring harness at 168,000 miles and the first circuit to go was the headlight circuit. The 2nd and 3rd were turn signals and then windshield before I figured it out. My belief is other higher mileage Gen 1's are going to experience it more.

Is there a likely location to look for any rubbed wiring?

 

[Ignacio]

Both are out so I suspect a fuse needs replacement? I'm in Mt. Carmel Junction about 20 miles north of Kanab, UT. Hopefully there will be a Yamaha dealer there so I can get this fixed in the AM.Any thoughts or advice for me?

Agree on the bulb check first.

That proves to be OK....don't know how many miles on your '05, but I rubbed through the wiring harness at 168,000 miles and the first circuit to go was the headlight circuit. The 2nd and 3rd were turn signals and then windshield before I figured it out. My belief is other higher mileage Gen 1's are going to experience it more.

Is there a likely location to look for any rubbed wiring?

Under the tank, upper left around valve cover.

 

[Geezer]

Both are out so I suspect a fuse needs replacement? I'm in Mt. Carmel Junction about 20 miles north of Kanab, UT. Hopefully there will be a Yamaha dealer there so I can get this fixed in the AM.Any thoughts or advice for me?

Agree on the bulb check first.

That proves to be OK....don't know how many miles on your '05, but I rubbed through the wiring harness at 168,000 miles and the first circuit to go was the headlight circuit. The 2nd and 3rd were turn signals and then windshield before I figured it out. My belief is other higher mileage Gen 1's are going to experience it more.

Is there a likely location to look for any rubbed wiring?

Under the tank, upper left around valve cover.

Rubbed wiring sounds like likely. A bare wire would ground to the frame and, hopefully, blow the fuse.

I'll look the wiring over during my winter maintenance and add some insulation if I see any rubbing.

 

[bikerskier]

Problem solved. Relay wire had popped off and needed some attention. Do you know how many relays are under the hood?

Got new feet for the bike this morning so I'm on set 3 now for the ride. Should get me home easily. In the barn at Beemerdons tonight. Great hospitality!

 

[supertankerm60a3]

Bikerskier, thanks for the followup post. All too often, after everything is fixed no one says what the problem was.

 

[TomInPA]

Did you have to pull the nose cone? Pretty good feat on a trip.

 

[HotRodZilla]

Man...That was a good find!!

 

[Mihalis fjr]

Bikerskier, thanks for the followup post. All too often, after everything is fixed no one says what the problem was.

Or never fixed some times and for that reason many times we never heard what the problem was,as the pretty common ''windshield auto retract mode problem in the most Gen1''..