Headlight switch delima may be OVER

[BIGMACACE]

Well I popped the bucket lose today and found just what we expected. The dealer in Springdale AR. (that I am pissed at right now and don't even know the guys) wired the lightbar straight to the light blue wire (for the hi-beam) that comes out of the headlight plug., thus the heating problem. After thinking about it I had been running with the brights on almost constantly before the switch started melting. The last day, just before it quit I had run for 7 straight hours with them on, so no wonder it failed.

Here's what I did today. I left the lightbar wired to the bright light (light blue) wire just the way it was. I unplugged the DARK BLUE/White wire and made a jumper from the switch side of that wire to the 86 post of the relay. I then made a jumper from the relay 87 post to the Dark Blue/White (the other half) wire to the headlight. I made a jumper from the Black/Red power lead to the 30/51 post of the relay. Grounded the 85 post to the bucket mounting bolt on the bottom. The bike starts and the lights go out while the button is depressed (so far so good). Low beams work, high beams work, lightbar works!!! Maybe I got it fixed.

BTW, if anyone sees a problem with the way I wired it or if I obviously did it wrong PLEASE let me know. Or if it is done exactly right let me know that too so I can get my confidence in it back up.

[Scott]

Well, its sorta hard to figure out exactly what you got going on there in your explanation, but the first thing that comes to mind.....

You need a fused wire from the battery run up to the headlight bucket.  That wire is going to go thru the contacts on the relay to power your light bar.  You can then use the headlight wire to trigger the relay.....and switch the ground wire.  Heres a picture:



This way the only power the starter switch has to carry is the current needed to turn the relay on...which is very little.  Instead of the 100W or so of the light bar.

Now, maybe i missunderstood your explanation and you already did this..if so, ignore my rambling

-Scott

[BIGMACACE]

HHUUMM! See, that's what I mean, the confidence is fading!! LOL.
I powered the rely with the blk/rd wire in the harness. I'm guessing this is not right, right?
So what you are saying is I need to run a complete new wire from the battery with a 15 amp in-line fuse to the 30/51 post on the relay?
BTW, Thanks for the reply, I'm still learning here ya know.

[Scott]

HHUUMM! See, that's what I mean, the confidence is fading!! LOL.
I powered the rely with the blk/rd wire in the harness. I'm guessing this is not right, right?
So what you are saying is I need to run a complete new wire from the battery with a 15 amp in-line fuse to the 30/51 post on the relay?
BTW, Thanks for the reply, I'm still learning here ya know.

Don't go losing your confidence.  We're all here to learn from each other!

And yes, to do it the right way you need to run a new wire from the battery with a fuse.

-Scott

[BIGMACACE]

Well I guess that's a project for another day (I just won't use the light bar until I run the new wire. I've got to run a new wire and relay for a new horn anyway so off comes the tank the first chance I get.
 
But in my defense (and I may have been misled here) but on the Rattlebars Pages (near the end) there is a schematic called "Start Switch Safeguard". There he says the Blk/Red wire (used as a power supply for the relay) relieves the strain on the switch. This is the diagram I used (exactly as layed out with one exception, I did not put a switch in the (85) ground, I just grounded it to the bucket).
I know that running a new wire would absolutely solve the problem because you bypass the wireing harness completely, BUT, is his way right too? Is the blk/red wire doing the same thing as a new wire would?
Not trying to be difficult just learning as I go.

[Jim_Orr]

It would be better to run a seperate fused power wire for the light bar relay because if for some reason you blow a fuse only the spotlights are affected.  I also don't like cutting or spliceing the factory wire harness if it can be helped.

[BIGMACACE]

I hear ya. I will run the new wire soon. But I did follow the schematic on Rattlebars and was just wondering if he was correct with the blk/red wire thing. AND I was really concerned about running a splice clip into the stock wire. I figured I'd cut it in half with the clip but it seems to have worked. I'll pull the tank when I can and fix it right along with running a new wire for a new horn to feed the relays. I think my best bet right now is to completely by-pass the switch circiut, one more overheating incident will probably strand me 300 miles from home. My switch ain't got much left in 'er.
Thanks for the reply
BTW, Did you catch the Easter Bunny while you were in BIGMAC last weekend? LOL. Sorry I missed ya. Next time you're down this way give me a little lead time and we'll go burn up a tank of gas after 2:00PM.