08 street bob headlamp problem

[ksteve]

Headlamp fuse blows whenever i turn the key on. No head light but turns signals work when needed, tail light works fine. Any suggestions.

 

[Jack Klarich]

Headlamp fuse blows whenever i turn the key on. No head light but turns signals work when needed, tail light works fine. Any suggestions.

Have you done any work on the wiring or handle bars? Check for a pinched wire going to the Headlight

 

[NEWHD74FAN]

Ksteve, welcome to the HDTimeline forum. A little background is needed...was there any service or mods done recently to the bike? Often a little collateral damage may cause things in the vicinity to cause problems. Go to the Self Help section to help if you do not have a service manual or owners manual...the headlight is accessed easily by removing the trim ring, which allows the cover/shell/reflector assembly to be inspected and bulb/wiring checked, if there was no service or mods done in the fuse block or handlebar areas.:s

 

[ariester]

Hey guys i have the same bike and the same problem, i was just wondering what you found out on yours? I do have a speaker system installed under my front windshield, although when they hd shop installed the speaker i had no trouble with lighting until this year when i dug it out of storage, checked all wiring that i could see, pinch points are all good, the only thing i can see is slightly frayed wires leading to the gas level sensor, but there are no rub points near them, any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[R_W_B]

Headlamp fuse blows whenever i turn the key on. No head light but turns signals work when needed, tail light works fine. Any suggestions.

Well if the fuse is blowing as soon as you turn on the key that rules out any voltage checks. You've obviously got a short somewhere. You need to test with an Ohm meter along the routes and elimiinate each one.

The headlamp is feed from out of the ignition switch, then thru the Lights fuse (the one that's blowing) and thru the harness going thru connector 38A & B (on mine, whatever on yours) then out to the left hand controls hi/lo switch. On my 07 Bob it's red/black from the ignition to the fuse, then blue from there to the left hand controls. Then out of of the hi/lo switch is a White (hi beam) and yellow (low beam) wire going to the the headlamp. There is also a position lamp feed by an orange/white but it's off the accy fuse so I think we can rule it out. There is also a black grd wire going to the headlamp also.

Those are the wires you are gonna need to check. If you don't have a wiring diagram you need to get one (and a manual). They are on the web in pdf form for around $10. That will tell you what "your" wire colors are and your connector labels.

I'm guessing it's gonna be in the neck area (in the frame) or in the left hand switch area.

 

[R_W_B]

I was just checking back to see how you were doing on this. A cheap (non self powered) test light is one of the easiest ways to test for a preload short. With the ignition OFF, hook the test lite clamp to the POS (red) battery terminal. Then touch the test light probe at test points along the wires towards the headlamp.

I would start with the left hand controls and test the (blue on mine) feed wire where it hooks to the hi/lo switch. If you can disconnect it then do so and touch the test light to the end of the wire. If it lites, then that wire is shorting to ground somewhere from there back to the lights fuse.

Then move to the connector in the frame (under the tank), pull the connector apart and test the harness side. If it does not lite up then the short is between there and the left hand switch. If it does lite up it's in the harness going down the backbone..

If the first above test at the end of hi/lo switch feed test, does not light, then you are gonna have to start testing the hi an low beam switch legs on the way to the headlamp.

 

[R_W_B]

Hey guys i have the same bike and the same problem, . . . . . . the only thing i can see is slightly frayed wires leading to the gas level sensor, . . . . . . ., any help would be greatly appreciated.

ariester the tank gauge wire is feed off the instrument fuse. I just realized the OP is a very old post. Are any or your fuses blowing also ?

If the above tests don't reveal a short in the forward lighting circuit, the rear lighting also branches off the same lights fuse circuit and the short could be there also. Do similar test light tests on that area. The connector going to the rear is (at least on mine) under your seat.

I would guess they frayed the guage wires occurred when they slid your tank back during service. You might want to remove the tank and look at those wires also if you cannot track it down in the lighting circuit.