Hello!
I just brought home my first BMW and only got 2 rides in before my headlight quit working. It is a 1974 R75/6 with the /5-style handlebar switches. It has run a Luftmeister fairing in the past (which I got, off the bike, with purchase). Conditions I have encountered are as follows:
1. Initial contact with seller. Battery was dead. Jump-started off my car, but would not continue to run once the jump cables were off.
2. Second visit. New battery. Everything seems to work great, including headlight. I take it for a couple mile spin and find the left rear turn signal will not light and front left and dash indicator stays on solid when switched on. When I tell PO of the problem, he removes L Rear turn signal cover to investigate. While probing, one of the fuses gets blown in the headlight. He says he'll fix and I depart.
3. Turn signals are working. There was a loose ground in the tail-light. Fuse is replaced. I arrive to purchase. I give him my $ and ride home. I (with embarassment) am not certain the headlight was on at this time. I didn't remember to check.
4. I get a few miles into a ride a day later and realize I have no headlight.
With the switch in the middle position, I get nothing. With it in the upper position, I get nothing. When I push down, I get the hi-beam flash. The horn works. This tells me I have a working headlight bulb and handlebar switch, right?
I popped the headlight out and discovered I have what looks to be a failed patch. I've got a bright white wire coming out of my L side switch in the place of what I believe should be a yellow that is not making it to a corresponding little yellow tail on the headlamp circuit board. Upon consulting the wiring diagram in my Clymer manual, I became sure enough that I was right that I ran a jumper from the bright white wire to the yellow tail and tried the handlebar switch both with and without the engine running. Still no head light.
I've included two photos. In one I'm trying to show all the wires in the L Hand switch harness. It looks to me like both of the bright white wires should be yellow and they follow the path that is indicated for yellow in Clymer. The older white wire goes to the headlight, which checks with Clymer. The bright white wire under my thumb has a male press connector under that black shrink. In the other photo, I'm trying to show the broken yellow tail. I'm guessing there was a female on the yellow tail that's out on a road somewhere now?
Am I missing something? I am wondering if my jumper (which, admittedly, is a little sketchy) was not passing current. My next move would be to make a real patch from bright white wire to yellow tail. Yes?
Any help much appreciated. I've managed to own a few classics and not had any wiring problems, so this bit of troubleshooting is new to me.
I just brought home my first BMW and only got 2 rides in before my headlight quit working. It is a 1974 R75/6 with the /5-style handlebar switches. It has run a Luftmeister fairing in the past (which I got, off the bike, with purchase). Conditions I have encountered are as follows:
1. Initial contact with seller. Battery was dead. Jump-started off my car, but would not continue to run once the jump cables were off.
2. Second visit. New battery. Everything seems to work great, including headlight. I take it for a couple mile spin and find the left rear turn signal will not light and front left and dash indicator stays on solid when switched on. When I tell PO of the problem, he removes L Rear turn signal cover to investigate. While probing, one of the fuses gets blown in the headlight. He says he'll fix and I depart.
3. Turn signals are working. There was a loose ground in the tail-light. Fuse is replaced. I arrive to purchase. I give him my $ and ride home. I (with embarassment) am not certain the headlight was on at this time. I didn't remember to check.
4. I get a few miles into a ride a day later and realize I have no headlight.
With the switch in the middle position, I get nothing. With it in the upper position, I get nothing. When I push down, I get the hi-beam flash. The horn works. This tells me I have a working headlight bulb and handlebar switch, right?
I popped the headlight out and discovered I have what looks to be a failed patch. I've got a bright white wire coming out of my L side switch in the place of what I believe should be a yellow that is not making it to a corresponding little yellow tail on the headlamp circuit board. Upon consulting the wiring diagram in my Clymer manual, I became sure enough that I was right that I ran a jumper from the bright white wire to the yellow tail and tried the handlebar switch both with and without the engine running. Still no head light.
I've included two photos. In one I'm trying to show all the wires in the L Hand switch harness. It looks to me like both of the bright white wires should be yellow and they follow the path that is indicated for yellow in Clymer. The older white wire goes to the headlight, which checks with Clymer. The bright white wire under my thumb has a male press connector under that black shrink. In the other photo, I'm trying to show the broken yellow tail. I'm guessing there was a female on the yellow tail that's out on a road somewhere now?
Am I missing something? I am wondering if my jumper (which, admittedly, is a little sketchy) was not passing current. My next move would be to make a real patch from bright white wire to yellow tail. Yes?
Any help much appreciated. I've managed to own a few classics and not had any wiring problems, so this bit of troubleshooting is new to me.
