Page 1 of 2

High Beams work, but not low beams

Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 11:35 pm
by drowningxinxair
Hey- I just got a used 1993 FZR600- when I purchased the bike I remembered to check both low and high beams and they work. But riding the bike at night tonight I noticed that my low beams didn't work, but my high beams did. When I got home both headlights come on for the high beams, but nothing for the low beams.

I'm very unfamiliar with the bike, is this a bulb problem? or electrical?

Thanks
Mickey

Re: High Beams work, but not low beams

Posted: Mon Aug 09, 2010 1:09 am
by sweekster
I'd change the bulbs first. They are H4 35w each.

Re: High Beams work, but not low beams

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 9:52 am
by sleepyz0mby
before you start throwing money at it grab a voltage meter and check out the wiring. maybe there is no power getting to it? dont know till you check

Re: High Beams work, but not low beams

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 2:47 pm
by yamaha_george
sleepyz0mby wrote:before you start throwing money at it grab a voltage meter and check out the wiring. maybe there is no power getting to it? dont know till you check
Very sound advice 5 mins seeing where the juice genie has vanished is always good .
could be the switch is corroded on the low beam side or a busted / corroded joint/plug& socket.
Or as suggested the lower beams have blown BUT unusual that both bulbs went at once............

Re: High Beams work, but not low beams

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 4:17 pm
by thatkid
My 600 has 2 headlamp relay's mounted on the nose fairing cage(or what ever its called), could also be a faulty relay if there's no power.

Re: High Beams work, but not low beams

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 4:27 pm
by yamaha_george
mawler wrote:My 600 has 2 headlamp relay's mounted on the nose fairing cage(or what ever its called), could also be a faulty relay if there's no power.
M,
well that is a piece of news I have not seen that location(bird cage ) used for a relay on a Yamaha. All their relays seem to be close to the battery & under the seat. Is that a euro model or just UK do you know?

Re: High Beams work, but not low beams

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 4:43 pm
by thatkid
yamaha_george wrote:
mawler wrote:My 600 has 2 headlamp relay's mounted on the nose fairing cage(or what ever its called), could also be a faulty relay if there's no power.
M,
well that is a piece of news I have not seen that location(bird cage ) used for a relay on a Yamaha. All their relays seem to be close to the battery & under the seat. Is that a euro model or just UK do you know?
Mines an import, the h/lamp is German so i guess its from Germany.

Re: High Beams work, but not low beams

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:20 pm
by 4Rings6Stars
Had a similar issue on my 92 (single lamp) and it was corroded/melted plug from PO using a 100/90 bulb. Replacement plug/socket cheap from the interweb and a proper bulb solved the problem.

Re: High Beams work, but not low beams

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 8:30 pm
by thatkid
4Rings6Stars wrote:Had a similar issue on my 92 (single lamp) and it was corroded/melted plug from PO using a 100/90 bulb. Replacement plug/socket cheap from the interweb and a proper bulb solved the problem.
Nice to hear you solved that problem.

Re: High Beams work, but not low beams

Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 4:36 am
by yamaha_george
mawler wrote:
yamaha_george wrote:
mawler wrote:My 600 has 2 headlamp relay's mounted on the nose fairing cage(or what ever its called), could also be a faulty relay if there's no power.
M,
well that is a piece of news I have not seen that location(bird cage ) used for a relay on a Yamaha. All their relays seem to be close to the battery & under the seat. Is that a euro model or just UK do you know?
Mines an import, the h/lamp is German so i guess its from Germany.
Mal,
Just to clarify that is a GERMAN FZR600 model bike OR a German fairing & birdcage for a 600 ?

Re: High Beams work, but not low beams

Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2010 6:03 pm
by thatkid
yamaha_george wrote: Mal,
Just to clarify that is a GERMAN FZR600 model bike OR a German fairing & birdcage for a 600 ?
To be honest I don't know where it came from the V5 says

"WAS REGISTERED/USED OVERSEAS, DECLARED MANUFACTURED 1993" yet it's a 91/92 headlamp/nose.
Date of first registration 27 08 1998
Date of first registration in the UK ditto

The fairings aren't stock they are Fibreglass. Windsheild isn't stock either.

My engine and VIN no's match (first thing I check when buying any vehicle) and it has been data tagged at some time, so I know it's not a knock off lol

Re: High Beams work, but not low beams

Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 3:29 am
by thatkid
I was wrong there is only one relay, wire colours are Red, Black, Green, Yellow, Low beam is Green High is Yellow. It's a 92 single with 2 single filament bulbs. When it stops raining I'll get the multimeter to see if it is actually connected to the bulbs, Im puzzled how it would/could control 2 bulbs my low beam stays on when the high beam is switched on.

Re: High Beams work, but not low beams

Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 12:40 pm
by thatkid
Well it hasn't stopped raining yet and doesn't look like its going to, another day with nothing done on the bike GRRRRRRRRRRRRR......., but I've been doing some :headscratch:

The relay could work like this. Obviously the Black wire is negative and the Red positive. I've got this far, the Red wire connects to the High beam on connection in the switch, switching the relay on when in the High beam position. The power from the Low beam Green wire connects to the High beam Yellow wire VIA the relay switching both bulbs on. The High Low beam switch probably can't handle the wattage of two 50 watt bulbs @ the same time, but could handle one bulb and a low wattage relay. But could the Green wire cope, the Low beam position would then be doing 100 watts could be 90 can't remember the exact wattage of the bulbs. I need to know this, if and when it gets faulty. The relay is on no parts fiche and has no part number. more :headscratch: needed.

End of :hijack:

Re: High Beams work, but not low beams

Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2010 11:00 pm
by thatkid
I was close.

I really hoped the Red wire wasn't powered when the ignition is on, it is! Obviously the Black is ground.

Low beam on = no power to the Yellow high beam wire, High beam on = power to both Green and yellow wires. I pulled the relay, high beam on (Yellow), no power to the Green wire. That's how my low beam stays illuminated, when switched to high beam.

This is a guess, that side of the pond, do the head lights illuminate when the bike is switched on/running? This side of the pond we can switch them off VIA the right hand switch gear (at least I can) Im pissed off that I have a permanent live vulnerable in the bird cage all the time, and only my Ride lamp illuminated.

Re: High Beams work, but not low beams

Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2010 10:25 am
by yamaha_george
mawler wrote:I was close.

I really hoped the Red wire wasn't powered when the ignition is on, it is! Obviously the Black is ground.

Low beam on = no power to the Yellow high beam wire, High beam on = power to both Green and yellow wires. I pulled the relay, high beam on (Yellow), no power to the Green wire. That's how my low beam stays illuminated, when switched to high beam.

This is a guess, that side of the pond, do the head lights illuminate when the bike is switched on/running? This side of the pond we can switch them off VIA the right hand switch gear (at least I can) Im pissed off that I have a permanent live vulnerable in the bird cage all the time, and only my Ride lamp illuminated.
M,
some states require that bikes must run a main light at all times (I believe certain countries on the continent do too ) hence the low being lit at all times.
Even though my bike is UK spec I ride Lo on at all times when ignition is on then only the truly blind will say Sorry mate did not see you (well hopefully at least)