StromTrooper banner

Headlights and front signals out - bulbs OK, fuses OK, what next?!?

1K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  Brockie 
#1 ·
So here's the sequence of events. I'm doing a long ride from Los Angeles to the Canadian border. 2011 Wee. One night, the high beams were flashing randomly, as if a gremlin was randomly hitting the high-beam switch. Low beams stayed on through all that. But then the next day, the headlights were off completely.

I got new bulbs, and put them in ... but the headlights were still off. And right after that, one of the front signal bulbs stopped working. And then later, the other one. But those bulbs are still fine, too.

I checked the fuse box, but all the fuses for those lights are fine, too.

I'm guessing now it's a wiring problem. But where in the wiring "chain" should I start looking? Could it be something else? What's most likely to have messed up?
 
#3 ·
Ya, the strange part is the turn lights failing almost at the same time as the headlights. I'm thinking the big electrical plug under the front left fairing area. Considering the multiple problems, that is one of the possibilities, but I would confirm your battery connections are excellent and the battery is at full output before checking the big plug.
 
#4 ·
Most likely a bad earth and the big plug on the left side above the radiator would be a good place to start.

Also check your battery terminals are clean and tight, on bikes they tend to work loose but unlike a car it rarely stop the motor starting.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for those replies. The bike had been sitting for 5 months, so I just put a new battery in it. I'll re-check the battery connections ... could be I didn't quite connect things properly to the new battery.
 
#6 ·
Years ago my GSXR1100 suffered the exact same thing - no headlights. It turned out to be oxidisation in the 1100's version of that same main wiring loom plug that the V-Strom has under the faring LH side of the headstock/radiator.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top