Cb600f twin headlight fault

[Davehaynes]

Hi all.

So I've fitted a twin headlight to my 2010 hornet, everything works well.
Running lights, low/high beam.
Only problem now is the high beam indicator light on the display is always on, it just get brighter now when high
The original headlight had a separate bulb for low and another for high.
My new lights have twin filament bulbs.
I imagine this may be the problem?

Any ideas on a fix?

Cheers

[Easy-X]

So you've gone from two separate bulbs, one for low and and one for high beam? Which would mean instead of two separate ground connections you have a shared ground between high & low... twice

You'd need to get the wiring diagram and see how that change might affect the indicator lights.
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[xX-Alex-Xx]

[kramdra]

You have doubled the power use for lights half as good. Put it back to standard.

[Nobby the Bastard]

Probably a bad earth.
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[jeffyjeff]

Couldn't find a 2010 Hornet wiring diagram, but here is one for an'06 Hornet. https://dokumen.tips/documents/honda-hornet-2006-wiring-diagram.html It shows a twin filament bulb with a common source for high beam and high beam indicator coming from the dimmer switch. You can try wiring your lights like this. If you are lucky, the color codes did not change from '06 to '10. If your circuit is wired like this and the high beam indicator does not go out, then you have somehow miswired the circuit. Your description of the high beam indicator suggests it is shorted to another power source. Hence "always on and gets brighter now when high".
____________________
History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[Davehaynes]

Thanks for all the replies.

First off, the 2006 had a single dual filament bulb from factory.
My 2010 has a separate high / low bulb.

I initially thought it was an issue with sharing the earth but on the stock headlight, both separate bulbs shared an earth.

Pretty sure the earth are good as I've just wired into the stock harness, I spliced the earth this morning though and jumped it direct to chassis just to make sure.
Nothing changed!

I'm really stumped by this one!

[jeffyjeff]

You know you don't have a problem with earth, because the lamp illuminates. The fact that it is on all the time but gets brighter on high beam suggests an increase in voltage across the lamp on high beam. Where can that come from? My vote says that there is an unintentional path to the lamp supplying power on low beam, which is augmented by the intentional path on high beam.

Of course, I could be full of shit. Oh, pardon me, I need to take a break...….
____________________
History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[Davehaynes]

I can't see how that can be.
I cut of the stock connector block from the loom, leaving just 4 wires.

Ground
Running lights
Low beam
Main beam.

And I just soldered these straight onto the corresponding wires for the new headlights.

[jeffyjeff]

Now we're getting somewhere. I suggest you disconnect the wires you attached to the loom, one at a time. To find out how the high beam indicator is powered, turn on the headlight after each wire (one at a time) disconnected. Consider starting with the running lights wire. Since you know ground is working, there are only 3 wires in question. Perhaps somehow the running lights wire is supplying the indicator, resulting in your situation.

Does the high and low beam appear to be operating at normal intensity of brightness? If they appear dim, you may be grounding the circuit through one of the lamps. If that has happened, removing the lamp on the mis-wired circuit will cause all of the lamps to become inoperative.

Just a few suggestions. Let us know what you find.
____________________
History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[Davehaynes]

I'm pretty sure all the wires are going to the correct bulb, everything seems to operate how it should.
running lights are illuminated all the time, low beam filament is on when switch is on low beam and high beam filament takes over when switch is moved to high beam.
Also intensity seems to be fine. No dim bulbs.

But I will sit down with a coffee over the weekend and go through it all again to make sure!

Electrics is not my strong suit so bare with me here.
Could it be a resistance issue?
New bulb set up has a lower resistance so more 'left over'power is getting past and illuminating the high beam indicator?
Or should there be no current getting through whatsoever unless the switch is on high beam?

Cheers!!

[jeffyjeff]

Not a resistance issue. Too much resistance will cause the lamps to run dim.
New bulb set up results in lower resistance; more current flowing through wire supplying the headlight. xX-Alex-Xx made a good point above. Be aware and keep an eye on it. You won't have "left over power" because the resistance of the lamps is what meters current thru the circuit.
The high beam indicator should not have any current flow at all unless the switch is on high beam.
____________________
History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[Davehaynes]

I'll update on the weekend when I pull it apart again.
And if anyone else has an idea before then, please get at me!!

Thank you all for your input guys!!

[Nobby the Bastard]

[Davehaynes]

Can you elaborate on a 'bad' earth please.
Today I disconnected the earths from the loom, I jumped them direct to the chassis. Didn't fix the problem.
I then connected the earths back up to the loom, spliced in and made another connection to the chassis.
Again didn't change anything.
Cheers.

[Nobby the Bastard]

Do you have a multimeter? If not go away and come back when you have one.
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[Davehaynes]

I do have a multi meter,just not versed in using it!

[Nobby the Bastard]

Find the setting for 12 v dc and the setting for continuity.

Come back when you know what they are.
____________________
trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[jeffyjeff]

Don't be intimidated, Davehaynes. The circuit was designed by man, and therefore can be diagnosed and repaired by man. In simplest terms, your high indicator light needs power and ground to operate. Your challenge is to sort out the unintended source of power or ground to make it right. The multimeter can help; so can a razor blade and a roll of electrical tape. It may not come down to that, but it might. 10, 15, 20 year old motorcycles occasionally require wiring harness surgery to repair faulty splices. It's not rocket science. Suggest you think your problem through in a logical, systematic fashion. Your solution is probably a simple one. good luck.
____________________
History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[Davehaynes]

Right. I'm hoping someone is on while I'm doing this.

So, I've cut all my wiring.
Now I've connected up my earths
Connected cabled to my running lights, they work as they should. They're on all the time.
Connected up my low beam. They work and the high bean indicator light on the dash is not illuminated.

As soon as I hook up my high beam the dash indicator light comes on, even when the switch is on low beam.

[Davehaynes]

So I'm pretty sure my problem is that the separate bulbs, one for high, one for low each had their own earth.
Now that I'm using twin filament bulbs, both low and high are sharing an earth. Causing cross talk, or whatever you want to call it.
Any smart cookies have an idea on how to get around this?

[jeffyjeff]

What happens if you hook up the high beam wire with the low beam disconnected?

Also, try removing the lamp bulbs one at a time, to see if your condition is triggered by one side or the other.
____________________
History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[Davehaynes]

My problem is dfinitely the shared earth on the twin filament bulb!
I've just hooked one bulb up with only low beam and the other bulb with only high beam, and have given them each a separate earth.
High beam indicator on the dash now works as it should.
So now how do we give each of the filaments in the bulb it's own earth????
Thanks for the input so far guys

[jeffyjeff]

What is the number on the base of the lamp you are using?
Wouldn't it be cool if all you had to do was to change the bulb to a different bulb.
____________________
History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC

[Davehaynes]

The bulbs I have are au-lite h4 60/55w 2B9