01 Ultra blowing head light/spot fuse

Killzoneq2

My 01 keeps blowing the head light fuse when I turn on the spots. I have the front faring off and unplugged the head light. I can run the spots without the head light and it wont blow. It only does it when they are both running. It will stay on for about 15 min with a 15 amp fuse and a 30 amp fuse before it blows. I just read about using the light bulb in the fuse socket, just didn't know if this was common problem. I have the spots disassembled and see no problems there. I looked at the spot switch and it looked fine.

My other question is that if I cant find this short, would I need to run one or two relays if I rewired the spots to another hot wire?

glider

Not a very common problem. There must be a short to ground somewhere in the system. I would check the wires going up into the bottom of the spots where they go through the hollow stem of the mount bolt and the harness by the neck where it may rub when turning the bars.

Running relays doesn't sound like the answer here, it's just a matter of locating the problem. Using a 30 amp fuse will cause damage to the harness if it should short out.

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Killzoneq2

Interesting find or maybe not, just got done messing around on the Ultra, soldered two wires onto the bottom of an 1157 bulb. Stuck them in the fuse hole and the bulb lit up, but the head light and spots would not come on. I took that out and put the fuse in and they lit up. I put a jumper in and they lit up. I have taken all of the spots and head light apart and cant see any bare spots where it would be shorting out. Another option would be the spot switch is shorting out. I looked at it and it seemes fine. I am about to pull my hair out or start drinking!!!! I don't want to strip all the harness wires, that would be a nightmare.

glider

The bulb you used to jump the fuse is used for testing only and will not light up unless the ground is present at that time. Put it back in there and move all the wires while it is there. If it flickers or lights, then you are close to the problem and go from there.
Remove or unplug the bulbs in the circuit when doing this test this way.

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Killzoneq2

The bulb DOES light up when put in the fuse slots. When I turn the lights on with the bulb in the fuse, they (head light and spots) will not come on. Is this what is suppose to happen with the bulb wired in to the fuse? Why do the lights light up when I put a jumper in? It seems that the bulb and the jumper do the same thing.... Just a bit confussed.

glider

The bulb you are using to test the circuit is finding a ground through the light bulbs in the bike in the headlight and spots, that's why it lights, however there isn't enough conductor to power up the lights themselves so they don't light. The jumper is doing the same thing as a fuse, that's why the lights lite with that in there.

Like stated above, remove the bulbs in the spots and headlight, THEN you can use your bulb with the pigtails in the fuse slot to troubleshoot the problem. It will light when the ground problem that is blowing fuses is on the system as long as the bulbs are removed.

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Killzoneq2

I removed all the bulbs, put my light jumper in and it was lit up. Wiggled wires all around and no bulb change, just a consistant brightness. I have had this motorcycle for about a month now and it has done it since I have had it. I just never ran the spots. I did notice that the spots were 30w sealed bulbs. Is this what they are suppose to be? I am lost on this one.

Killzoneq2

While tracing further into the maze of wires, testing and so on, I would let the bike run. I went down to work on it again and was gonna let it idle to charge the battery back up and now the bike wont start. It turned over and it fired and now it just turns over and wont fire. I am pretty depressed right now.

glider

Idling a bike will draw from the battery more than it will charge it with the lights on especially with the spots on too. If the battery voltage is below 9 volts while cranking the motor, you will not fire the plugs. That could be your problem right now. I would disconnect the light bulbs and put it on a charger if you are going to trouble shoot the wiring problem. Remember too that there are other lights like in the dash that will complete the ground for the circuit and light the test light.

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Killzoneq2

Its got good spark, battery is charged the plugs are dry. It has a full tank. Kinda of funny how it was running one minute and tried to start it again and not getting gas. Is the fuel pump fuse located with all of the other fuses on the left side? Those are all good. Thanks for all of your help Glider.