leccy help - mtx lights !!!

[69chris]

hey guys,
im trying to sort out the headlight on an mtx200 - having problems !!!

sides light and rear light working fine, headlight (dip and main) are as dim as a really dim thing - the side light is brighter !!!
iv stripped and cleaned the switch and all the connectors, checked the earths etc and its just the same,

iv tested the wiring coming up to the funny junction box thingy behind the headlight and the white/yellow wire (headlight feed ??) has minimal voltage, i say minimal as i havent found my c/tester from our recent move yet so im having to use a test bulb ( ) and it hardly even lights that up

what do we think ? lighting coil dying or is there something else common to these that im over looking ???

i know someone will say get a manual - i have one coming, just wanted to make a start on the old girl

thanks guys

[G]

Do they run on AC?

Have you tested it while revving the engine?

Often they'll be dim until the bike is revved.

[69chris]

yep give it a rev and the bulb goes from barely visible to a tiny glow,

anyhow, i dug a little deeper - what this called ??

https://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t78/71bugslug/010-2.jpg

id have said either the reg or the rec - but i also have another little box that says that is the reg/rec

https://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t78/71bugslug/021.jpg

anyhow, iv tested this plug (engine to reg/rec) and iv got good voltage...... i mean a bright test light bulb !!!

https://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t78/71bugslug/011-1.jpg

so i tested this wire (as its the same colour as the headlight circuit) coming out of the mystery box......

https://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t78/71bugslug/012-1.jpg

and it has the same tiny amount as what i have at the switch/ bulb

so, er......erm...... help ........ pls

[bikenut]

:karma: hi dude,

head light is ac from memory, lots of bad conections by the look.......first fined box is ( green earth, white ac feed to unit when h.lights off?? ) may be zenner diode, to get rid of ac for h/lights when off and turn into heat?

dont have manual for this bike but i know a girl who does.......mb/mtx.....will see her at weekend.

[G]

I had a similar issue when sorting out my c90 wiring; it turned out to be a dodgy earth and was taking some weird route, so I'd be tempted to test that (to be absolutely sure, get a spare strip of wire and run it from the bulb to the battery negative).
After that, I'd look at tracing the wiring back and working out where it goes.

If you need AC voltage, I wouldn't expect it to be coming out of a regulator rectifier - maybe the unit which looks like one is just a regulator, while the other unit does both, so outputs DC?

[69chris]

thanks guys,
i'l have a more enthusiastic look for my c/tester tomorrow and give all the connectors a good clean...... im hoping just the threat of a c/tester, a hammer and me combined will be enough to scare the light into working as i hate leccy problems

[69chris]

found tester, located headlight feed wire from alt/stator and got..

3.2v at idle, 4.6v with a few revs,

me thinks that might be the problem