Bike turns on its own headlights in the rain...?!?!

973 Views 9 Replies 2 Participants Last post by Devious, Sep 22, 2006

kuhlka

Discussion Starter · Sep 19, 2006

Ok, so I left the bike outside and it started raining. Well, while I was out running errands in the car, Autumn called and said one of the lights of my bike was on. I think, "hmm, I have the keys in the bedroom so the bike isn't on..." She says she'll move it in the garage.

SO, I get home and check on the bike and the lights are still on the tiniest little bit. I cycle the ignition using the key and the battery is so drained it won't even light up the tach.

My guesses;

-Wet headlight relay causes fault and ignites the lights?

-Water somehow got into the ignition and shorted the power to on?

I haven't got another guess as the key wasn't left in the ignition in the on position so I don't see how the headlights could bypass the ignition switch and power themselves on.

This is going to be a serious pain in the arse if it isn't sorted by next week's trackday as I'll need to ride the bike down there and back...

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· #2 · Sep 19, 2006

Is it possible that the key was removed in the wrong position?

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kuhlka

Discussion Starter · #3 · Sep 19, 2006

Nope, otherwise the bike would have been lit the entire previous night.

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· #4 · Sep 19, 2006

Time to start looking for shorts. I don't envy you.

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kuhlka

Discussion Starter · #5 · Sep 20, 2006

Shorts? Its getting kind of cold out for shorts! I just want my bike to run! Lol.

I'm thinking I might go ahead with totally getting rid of the ignition altogether anyway and just installing my Datatool alarm as a theft deterrent and ignition killswitch. We'll see if I can get this bitch running in time for the trackday next week...

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Catahoulabulldog

· #6 · Sep 20, 2006

kuhlka said:
Shorts? Its getting kind of cold out for shorts! I just want my bike to run! Lol.

I'm thinking I might go ahead with totally getting rid of the ignition altogether anyway and just installing my Datatool alarm as a theft deterrent and ignition killswitch. We'll see if I can get this bitch running in time for the trackday next week...

what he said... sounds like a short... ug always hard ALWAYS..

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· #7 · Sep 20, 2006

It may not be in the ignition switch. I have noticed that these bikes don't have a very good electrical harness - they are Brit built, but MUCH better than Lucas "Prince of Darkness" stuff.

They tend to rub the harness in several places - especially near the head. IF the harness has worn through, it is possible that the lead to the lights is grounding (earthed, for the Brits) and bypassing the switches completely. This might explain why the rain started the issue.

I would start by checking the harness and connectors. While you are at it, spray some contact cleaner on all contacts and connections - they could probably use it. A small piece of eraser stuck on the end of a stiff wire (baling wire works well) with a touch of superglue makes a good contact cleaner as well.

Riding with shorts can be shocking - a weak attempt at humor.

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kuhlka

Discussion Starter · #8 · Sep 21, 2006

Hey, my back could use some electrolisis! Don't think 12v is going to be sufficient for my mane though.

I'm probably going to just remove all that crappy electrical tape and redo my entire harness using those hose/cable tidies and zip ties. I need to do a complete checkup of the bike anyway, as well as an oil change. Maybe I'll get friday away from the foster kids to just WORK in the garage all day on that harness. Maybe get a little bit in tomorrow while the kids are in school.

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kuhlka

Discussion Starter · #9 · Sep 21, 2006

Well, I took off my bodywork to work on prepping the bike and to look for the electrical fault and I think I found the problem.

When I did the tail swap, some of the rubber holders for the electrical blocks got ripped so I was unable to mount them in the usual location. SO, I taped the lot together and put them in the battery box... upside down. SO, I think what happened was water collected in the cut-out areas and shorted causing the lights to bypass the ignition block and light up the lights. I flipped the blocks around so water will not be able to collect in them.

NOW, the only problem I seem to have is only one of my headlights ignites when I flip to high beams. Would this be an issue with one of the blocks being damaged, a loose wire, or what? I'm going to eventually replace the headlights with halo's or some high intensity projector driving lamps, but I still need to be able to see at night in the meantime.

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· #10 · Sep 22, 2006

Good to see you located the short.

On the single headlamp, have you checked the connection in the harness for that light? If that is not the issue, check the relays. Then check the blocks for corrosion and clean all connections.

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