New Gremlin: Tail and Dash lights?

[Jacob Ezzell]

Got on to ride to work today and discovered my instrument dash lights (not the idiot lights like oil, turn signals, just the tach and speedo) and the tail lights (running light, not brake light) were out.

 

Same thing used to happen on my old honda when I'd get a short and blow a fuse, so after work I checked all the fuses. All good. Checked the tail light. It's good. everything else was fine, the bike started and ran well, just no dash or tail lights. From reading posts, this doesn't sound like an isolated problem from a relay, and the PO replaced them all anyway.

 

Is it easy to pull the dash illuminator lights? How do I get to them? This is a 2000 v11 sport with a fly screen. Green.

[docc]

Jacob,

 

That circuit comes through fuse 6 and the ignition switch (no relay). It also powers the 4 watt "city light" inside the headlamp shell. Looking through the lens askance, you should be able to see its dim glow below the headlamp bulb. Turning the key to "park" lights this circuit without the headlamp.

 

Instrument bulbs are accessible under the front cover held by the four 8mm acorn nuts. Yet, with the tail light out, I would suspect the circuit through fuse 6. Check it out in the "park" mode . . .

[Jacob Ezzell]

Jacob,

 

That circuit comes through fuse 6 and the ignition switch (no relay). It also powers the 4 watt "city light" inside the headlamp shell. Looking through the lens askance, you should be able to see its dim glow below the headlamp bulb. Turning the key to "park" lights this circuit without the headlamp.

 

Instrument bulbs are accessible under the front cover held by the four 8mm acorn nuts. Yet, with the tail light out, I would suspect the circuit through fuse 6. Check it out in the "park" mode . . .

 

Thanks docc ill check that out when I get home. Are all those bulbs wired up in series so if ones out, they all go?

[Kiwi_Roy]

Got on to ride to work today and discovered my instrument dash lights (not the idiot lights like oil, turn signals, just the tach and speedo) and the tail lights (running light, not brake light) were out.

 

Same thing used to happen on my old honda when I'd get a short and blow a fuse, so after work I checked all the fuses. All good. Checked the tail light. It's good. everything else was fine, the bike started and ran well, just no dash or tail lights. From reading posts, this doesn't sound like an isolated problem from a relay, and the PO replaced them all anyway.

 

Is it easy to pull the dash illuminator lights? How do I get to them? This is a 2000 v11 sport with a fly screen. Green.

Your sport is a nice green one like mine

Google Carl Allison Drawings

http://www.thisoldtractor.com/guzzi007/schematics/1999_V11_sport.gif

1/ Check first for voltage on both sides of fuse 6 with the ignition on (I suspect it's ok since the indicators go)

The power goes from Fuse 6 to the light switch on the handlebars, from there back to the lights. there's a connector in between, I think this is the one under the front of tank at front on LH side.

If your bike doesn't have a light switch on the handlebar I suspect the wires still go there.

2/ Check for voltage at the connector, take a good look at the pins for corrosion.

3/ Open up the switch and check for voltage on both sides. Sometimes the grease goes hard and holds the contacts apart.

4/ Look at the wiring loom while you swing the steering from lock to lock if there's a spot where it flexes more than most it's possible the wires are broken inside.

 

Keep us posted

Roy

[Jacob Ezzell]

Jacob,

 

That circuit comes through fuse 6 and the ignition switch (no relay). It also powers the 4 watt "city light" inside the headlamp shell. Looking through the lens askance, you should be able to see its dim glow below the headlamp bulb. Turning the key to "park" lights this circuit without the headlamp.

 

Instrument bulbs are accessible under the front cover held by the four 8mm acorn nuts. Yet, with the tail light out, I would suspect the circuit through fuse 6. Check it out in the "park" mode . . .

 

Tonight I finally had a chance to work on this. I checked the city light with my multimeter, it's good.

 

I tried to check out the instrument bulbs, but I can't get the dash apart. I got the 4 acorn nuts off, but it seems like I'd have to remove the odometer reset knob, and I can't figure out how to do that without forcing something.

 

Something is loose though, Inside the spedometer. I don't know if you can see in this pic, but there is a yellow wire to a spade connector that seems like maybe its the backside of a light bulb holder. Anway, it was loose inside there, along with a spring. I'd like to figure out what that is all about, doesn't look right, but I cant figure out how to get the dash apart.

 

also seems like I'm missing something off the back of the dash, shouldn't something be in the middle, covering that hole I can see wires through?

 

 

I checked out the wiring diagram that Kiwi_Roy linked to, and since that whole circut is wired in parallel, I can't see how any one of these bulbs being out would knock out the whole circuit, so I'll start hunting around fuse with my multimeter and see what I can see.

[Jacob Ezzell]

 

Your sport is a nice green one like mine

Google Carl Allison Drawings

http://www.thisoldtractor.com/guzzi007/schematics/1999_V11_sport.gif

1/ Check first for voltage on both sides of fuse 6 with the ignition on (I suspect it's ok since the indicators go)

 

So I'm an idiot, it was the fuse. Using the multimeter instead of a visual inspection figured that out pretty quick.

 

Now i only wish I knew _why_ the fuse blew. That always makes me worry.

 

Still need to get the dash apart to reattach the light bulb in there. once I replaced the fuse, the spedo illuminator light is the only thing not lit, so that must be what the loose wire is in there I can see. Just can't figure out how to get the dash apart!

[ani]

 

 

I tried to check out the instrument bulbs, but I can't get the dash apart. I got the 4 acorn nuts off, but it seems like I'd have to remove the odometer reset knob, and I can't figure out how to do that without forcing something.

 

 

 

To remove the odometer knob, unscrew it in the opposite direction compared to resetting the trip meter. I think it's left-threaded.

 

 

 

/Anders

[Jacob Ezzell]

 

To remove the odometer knob, unscrew it in the opposite direction compared to resetting the trip meter. I think it's left-threaded.

/Anders

 

After several clockwise rotations, nothing seems to be happening. Can anyone confirm this? These are the Veglia instruments. I found other forum posts referencing this reverse-threaded odometer knob, but it doesn't seem to be working.

[Jacob Ezzell]

 

After several clockwise rotations, nothing seems to be happening. Can anyone confirm this? These are the Veglia instruments. I found other forum posts referencing this reverse-threaded odometer knob, but it doesn't seem to be working.

 

Yargh... I must have more faith in the interwebs. A couple more rotations and it came loose, and I even managed to put it back together.

 

So my speedo lamp holder had fallen apart. the back of the holder is a plastic base press-fit and lightly glued to the metal holder, looks like vibration and glue failure caused it to come apart. maybe that's what grounded and blew the fuse, I hope. Of course I'm missing a thin cardboard disk that is held in place by the spring inside there, basically the bulb holder base is missing a key piece. Can't find it on the ground anywhere, so my guess is that its somewhere on a road in Denver. If anyone finds it shoot me a message.

 

I emailed MPH cycles and MG Cycles hoping they can order a replacement part for me. If not, I guess I'll be trying to refab the disk/spring assembly in the bulb holder.

[luhbo]

... the back of the holder is a plastic base press-fit and lightly glued to the metal holder, looks like vibration and glue failure caused it to come apart...

 

Looks like someone did already repair it before you bought the bike. Or are you the first owner? I'd take some 2-component epoxy and rebuild the things myself.

 

hubert

[Jacob Ezzell]

 

Looks like someone did already repair it before you bought the bike. Or are you the first owner? I'd take some 2-component epoxy and rebuild the things myself.

 

hubert

 

3rd owner I think. I could certainly fix it with epoxy, would just need to fab the little disk I lost and I'm not sure I'd ever get the spacing right.

[Kiwi_Roy]

 

Now i only wish I knew _why_ the fuse blew. That always makes me worry.

 

Still need to get the dash apart to reattach the light bulb in there. once I replaced the fuse, the spedo illuminator light is the only thing not lit, so that must be what the loose wire is in there I can see. Just can't figure out how to get the dash apart!

You can tell by looking at a fuse if it was a mild overload, (small gap) or a dead short (large gap)

The back of the dash on mine is held on with 4 small nuts but you have to disconnect the speedo cable first which is a pain.

If there's a loose wire in there perhaps it brushed up against something and blew the fuse.

 

Don't feel bad I spent half an hour trying to start my Goldwing, no spark. It struck me an hour later, the kill switch was off, unlike the Guzzi it will still crank.

 

Roy

[xbr5]

Hi

 

I realise that this thread is pretty old now, however I have the same problem with my 2003 V11 Le Mans.  The 5 amp fuse for the dash & tail light had blown.  I didn't have a spare 5 amp fuse, so I put a 10 amp one in temporarily, however that also blew within 5 miles.

 

I'm didn't ride it in the dark after replacing the fuse, so I don't know if both dash lights work, however when I turn the ignition key to lock the steering, I have noticed that the tacho backlight comes on momentarily.

Any help would be great.

 

Rob

[Kiwi_Roy]

Possibly a short in the tail area.
The tail light dash lights and park light share a seperate contact of the ignition switch to fuse 6

A trick you can use to find a short is replace the fuse with a lamp, I have an old headlight bulb with a couple of wires attached I use for this purpose. A higher wattage lamp like a flasher is ok too, something that will supply enough current to power the circuit.

 

Wiggle the wires to create the short, the lamp flashes and you soon zero in, no fuses were harmed in the process.

 

 

BTW, I wouldn't worry about the flash when you lock the bike, its probably going through the park position. I have no idea why Luigi thinks you need the dash illuminated when it's parked.
 

[xbr5]

Thanks Kiwi_Roy

 

I have a test bulb with a couple of wires soldered on to it, so I'll give it a go.  I recently removed the rear rack, which required the inner moulding of the mudguard to be removed, so I wonder whether something has got caught in there.

 

Rob