lighting problem

[catfan]

i went out to the garage and started up the trike and noticed there was no headlight on the wall got to looking and the head light was out so was both spot lights and left parking light i checked the fuse it was good headlight will not work on high or low. i don't know what else to check. everything else works fine all the gauges, rear lights, starts and runs fine appreciate any help

catfan

[JohnC]

Your passing lamps are fed off of the headlight low beam circuit. If the passing lamps don't work at all, and the headlight is out as well, you are clearly not getting any power to the headlight.

Not knowing the year of your bike, I reviewed the 2012 TriGlide diagram. Based on that diagram, there is a dedicated headlight fuse. Is that the one you checked?

From the fuse, the wire (blue) goes directly to the high / low beam switch in your left hand controls. From there, the low beam circuit is fed by a yellow wire, the high beam is fed by the white wire.

Just a guess here, but if you have no power to either the head light or passing lights, that means there's no power coming to the light from the low beam circuit.

Here's how I would approach this:

(1) With the ignition on, verify the headlight fuse is good and power is being sent forward from the fuse block.
(2) Remove the outer fairing and unplug the left handlebar control harness. On the bike side of the harness, verify you have 12 volts on pin 3 of the harness (blue wire). If you don't, you have an open / broken wire somewhere between the fuse block and the plug in the fairing.
(3) Check the function of the high / low beam switch on the switch side of the harness by using an ohm-meter and verify you have continuity between pins 3 (blue wire) and 2 (yellow wire) with the switch in the low position. With the switch in the high position, continuity should be present between pins 3 (blue wire) and 4 (white wire). If you have continuity, you know the switch is good. If not, it's most likely a bad switch or broken wire in the switch harness.

[Gorilla]

Make sure you also check for a good ground

[rap47]

i went out to the garage and started up the trike and noticed there was no headlight on the wall got to looking and the head light was out so was both spot lights and left parking light i checked the fuse it was good headlight will not work on high or low. i don't know what else to check. everything else works fine all the gauges, rear lights, starts and runs fine appreciate any help

catfan

What kind of trike?

[JJHog]

If it is a HD check the main wiring harness connection which comes out of the left side of the tank and into the batwing. If you have had your batwing off you may have pull your harness apart a little. I had this same problem with my 2011 EG and it was always the main wiring harness plug connection.

[Sloufoot]

If it is a HD check the main wiring harness connection which comes out of the left side of the tank and into the batwing. If you have had your batwing off you may have pull your harness apart a little. I had this same problem with my 2011 EG and it was always the main wiring harness plug connection.

Also, while you have any of the wiring plugs apart or accessed when they are hard to get to, use some dielectric compound (grease) on the socket or pin side to protect against corrosion & troubles down the road.
Don't go crazy with it, but a good coating will save you a lot of heartache down the road. Good to use on ALL electrical connections !!
You can get a real good supply of it at the Harley dealer. Not expensive ! Also one tube will do more than 2 trikes !

[catfan]

i should i told you that is a 2011 tri-glide, and i did have a set of handle bars put on at a local bike shop but that has been a while back probable cause is a loose wire, thanks for the help i went as far as i was comfortable going, when it comes to wiring i know nothing but i have a friend that is going to give me a hand maybe i won't have to take it to the shop.
thanks again
catfat

[trikermutha]

7 screws torx takes the front cover of the fairing to check the connector to the headlight..
I would check the connectors and simple things first before anything else..

[JohnC]

Checking the connector the headlight probably won't accomplish much other than confirming you have no power to it. Remember, the passing lamps get their power off the low beam circuit to the headlight and it's tapped off about a foot back from the connector. If the passing lamps are out along with the headlight, the problem is farther back than at the headlight connector.

Good luck on the repair, Cat. Let us know how you make out. With a handlebar swap, you'll likely find the problem there.

[catfan]

well guys a friend and i took off the fairing headlight pug was good traced wires to main harness started to wiggle the wires some and the lights came on we took all the wrapping off the wires and looked for worn wires could not find anything that even look like it was worn there was a place where 3 ground wires went into one with heat shrink warp around
them. Far as we could go was not going to cut anything, they are on for now but looks like a trip to the shop. Since i don't at ride night (to many critters on the road at night) i'm going to wait till go back out before making an appointment they can't fix it if it is not broke. If i take it now i can already hear we couldn't anything wrong with it.
thanks again
catfan

[msocko3]

well guys a friend and i took off the fairing headlight pug was good traced wires to main harness started to wiggle the wires some and the lights came on we took all the wrapping off the wires and looked for worn wires could not find anything that even look like it was worn there was a place where 3 ground wires went into one with heat shrink warp around
them. Far as we could go was not going to cut anything, they are on for now but looks like a trip to the shop. Since i don't at ride night (to many critters on the road at night) i'm going to wait till go back out before making an appointment they can't fix it if it is not broke. If i take it now i can already hear we couldn't anything wrong with it.
thanks again
catfan

If your still under warranty your better off letting them work on it, sounds like a broken wire which might be in the main bundle of wires that run across he neck and under the tank along the back bone.