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Low beam not working

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cleaner72

cleaner72

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Apr 14, 2013
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Location
Old Town Katy TX
First Name
Duane
Last Name
Snell
So due to some issues, i havent been able to ride my 2009 klr 650 for a several months. It starts and runs just fine, but the battery died. The battery is not even a year old yet. I put it on the charger and several hours later i was charged up. Only issue i had was the low beam wasnt on. I could press the high beam and it worked just fine. As does the horn breaks lights and blinkers. I am at work and havent had time to look further. I do remember checking the fuses under the seats and they seem fine . I forgot to say that i initially charged the battery a week ago and the low beam worked. I went out of town for a week to find the battery dead again. When i charged the battery, the low beam no longer worked. Any ideas?
 
Last edited:
I know it might seem a stupid question, the bulb was the first thing i thought of, but was worried about the battery going dead after i charged it.
 
The battery is possibly bad. Leaving it sit without charging "several months" will sometimes ruin a good battery.

Back to the light. Forget fuses and the Phased Relay Capacitating Diode Processor link. High and low beam both come through the same fuse and the same Phased Relay Capacitating Diode Processor link. Actually, the Phased Relay Capacitating Diode Processor link was replaced in the 2008 KLR650 upgrade by a much more reliable Flux Capacitor. (Psssst. There is no Phased Relay Capacitating Diode Processor link or Flux Capacitor.)

1. Get a piece of insulated wire long enough to go from the battery to the headlight.

2. Turn off the ignition.

3. Touch one end of the insulated wire to the + post on the battery.

4. Touch the other end of the insulated wire to the Red/Black wire going to the headlight. Light should come on. That's the high beam.

5. Now connect the insulated wire to the Red/Yellow wire going to the headlight. Low beam should come on. If not the bulb is bad. Do not connect the insulated wire to the Black/yellow wire.

6. If the bulb does come on after touching the hot wire to the Red/Yellow wire, the problem is the Hi/Lo switch. All wiring to the high and low beam are shared, except the Hi/Lo switch and the 2 wires going from the switch to the headlight.


Some disassembly may be required. If necessary, I will ride to Katy this Saturday to help. Let me know.
 
Not sure this applies to the KLR, but Kawaski bikes have a headlight start relay that delays the headlamp from getting power until after the bike is started (or attempted to start).
However, this relay cuts power to both high and low beam so if the high beam is working, then by deduction this relay is functioning properly.
It is likely the bulb. Just try a new bulb. Good opportunity to upgrade the bulb to higher output or LED.
 
humanrace said:
The battery is possibly bad. Leaving it sit without charging "several months" will sometimes ruin a good battery.

Back to the light. Forget fuses and the Phased Relay Capacitating Diode Processor link. High and low beam both come through the same fuse and the same Phased Relay Capacitating Diode Processor link. Actually, the Phased Relay Capacitating Diode Processor link was replaced in the 2008 KLR650 upgrade by a much more reliable Flux Capacitor. (Psssst. There is no Phased Relay Capacitating Diode Processor link or Flux Capacitor.)

1. Get a piece of insulated wire long enough to go from the battery to the headlight.

2. Turn off the ignition.

3. Touch one end of the insulated wire to the + post on the battery.

4. Touch the other end of the insulated wire to the Red/Black wire going to the headlight. Light should come on. That's the high beam.

5. Now connect the insulated wire to the Red/Yellow wire going to the headlight. Low beam should come on. If not the bulb is bad. Do not connect the insulated wire to the Black/yellow wire.

6. If the bulb does come on after touching the hot wire to the Red/Yellow wire, the problem is the Hi/Lo switch. All wiring to the high and low beam are shared, except the Hi/Lo switch and the 2 wires going from the switch to the headlight.


Some disassembly may be required. If necessary, I will ride to Katy this Saturday to help. Let me know.
Click to expand...

I was going to also suggest the flux capacitor, realizing you have lots of lectric experience. but then i noticed you are a charlatin! using an INSULATED wire to make a connection! the poor owner would never find the solution to his problem! I am happy to send you a free sample of my patented smoke re-injection kit. just call our famous 1-800-we-don't-give-a-organic fertalizer number[small charge for shipping]. kidding aside, that was a bang-up way to do it. well done!
 
My low beam stopped working one dark morning on my way to work. High beam was fine. Flux capacitor (they have these on Honda V4s) was fine.

It was the bulb.

It was dead, Jim.

A new one from NAPA fixed me right up.
 
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