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Headlight Relay
- Thread starter josuar88
- Start date
Ok, On the xs650 the headlight relay is part of the safety relay. At the safety relay jumper the red/yellow to the blue/black.
Leo
Leo
Experts please correct me if I'm wrong, but if your '82 has stock wiring, I think this change means that your headlight will go on and off with your ignition switch, since '82s don't have a separate headlight switch as built by the factory. If that's what you want, OK; it just means that battery voltage has to light up the headlight (which is the single largest current draw on a running bike) at the same time the electric starter motor tries to spin the engine as fast as it can.
That's true. This mod will light the headlight at all times. He just asked how to.
Leo
Leo
Do you have an indepedent dealer near you? Most can get parts the next day or two. They might cost a few dollars more but less than shipping on just brushes.
I found a set of bryushes at the local Sears hardware that fit some power tool, drill, saw something like that. They were just a bit to big to fit thye holders, so with a bit of rubbing the sides on sandpaper till they fit the holders.
They came with just a round washer on the end of the wire, just unsolder the washer and solder it to an old metal hold strap from an old brush. They cost about $4.75 each or was that for a pair, been a couple years, so I don't recall exactly.
Shop around you might find them at a good price.
Leo
I found a set of bryushes at the local Sears hardware that fit some power tool, drill, saw something like that. They were just a bit to big to fit thye holders, so with a bit of rubbing the sides on sandpaper till they fit the holders.
They came with just a round washer on the end of the wire, just unsolder the washer and solder it to an old metal hold strap from an old brush. They cost about $4.75 each or was that for a pair, been a couple years, so I don't recall exactly.
Shop around you might find them at a good price.
Leo
Read your post from 2012. My headlight relay must be bad because when I took the headlight switch apart ('83 XS650 Heritage model), with the key on, there is no voltage shown in my voltmeter going to any wire in the light switch. All wires in the light switch read "0". It would seem to me that your approach to jump red/yellow to blue/black would give me lights until I can replace the relay. Where can I buy a headlight relay and headlight handlebar switch?
You won't see voltage until the bike is started. That's what the relay does, sends power to light the headlight once it senses voltage being generated by the alternator. Just turning the key on won't activate the headlight.
Solomoriah
XS650 Addict
Why do you think you need a new switch?
Stock, your model wouldn't have a handlebar headlight on-off switch. '78 was the last year for them. If you have one on there now, someone added it. You can't buy the switch assembly from Yamaha any more. You'd have to get an aftermarket repro or a used original. Fitting it would require some wiring changes and rerouting. Eventually, I plan to put one on my '83 but haven't done so yet.
The R/Y and L/B wires you need to jumper together in order to have the light operate with the key are in the main plug that connects to your starter/headlight safety relay. It is under the right side cover .....
The R/Y is power coming from the "Lights" fuse in the fuse box. The L/B, once connected to it by the relay, carries that power to the RLU and from there it is sent to your high/low switch on the handlebar.
The R/Y and L/B wires you need to jumper together in order to have the light operate with the key are in the main plug that connects to your starter/headlight safety relay. It is under the right side cover .....
The R/Y is power coming from the "Lights" fuse in the fuse box. The L/B, once connected to it by the relay, carries that power to the RLU and from there it is sent to your high/low switch on the handlebar.
Mitch81special
XS650 Enthusiast
I'm having trouble with my headlight and instrument lights not working. I think it's the saftey relay. I'm pretty ignorant about electrical so maybe I'm doing this wrong?here's a couple pictures. I tried connecting the L/B and the R/Y but still no headlamp.
Attachments
sleddog83
XS650 Addict
Is there any voltage on the r/y wire going into the headlamp relay? I had a similar problem this spring.
Yes, verify you are getting 12 volts out on the R/Y wire from the headlight fuse first thing. The L/B splits off on it's way to the RLU and goes up to power the instrument lights, so they should come on with the key once you connect the R/Y to it even if the headlight doesn't. If the headlight doesn't come on, there may be something wrong with the RLU. Headlight power sent into the RLU on the L/B wire is transferred to either the L/Y or L/G and sent up to the hi/lo switch. That may not be happening.
sleddog83
XS650 Addict
Check for voltage on the r/y wire at the connector going to the headlamp/safety relay. When you check it at this point, you are confirming the battery, ign switch, main and headlamp fuses. If it is no good at this point, work your way back. On my bike, the voltage was disappearing in the crappy fuse wiring.
Here's how to bypass the lighting relay AND add a headlight switch to a Special. I did it because I didn't trust the old relay not to break someday and turn my headlight off.
Use your headlight even in the day. No headlight + driver with cataracts = you're literally invisible.
http://www.xs650.com/threads/good-headlight-mod-for-special.50722/#post-527644
