ReefRider

I am new to HDs. Just got my first HD after 40 years of riding metrics. Here's my question. I have spotlights that only come on with the low beam headlight. My high beam works but neither my low beam or spots work. I have no voltage to the low beam connection in the headlight . If one of the spots go will I loose the low beams altogether? I was thinking it was a low/high beam switch problem but in all my years I never saw a switch go bad and this is a 05 Fat Boy. Feedback is appreciated

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whatyardwork

A bulb going out is most commonly due to filament failure and should have no effect on voltage.Even with a bad bulb, you should have juice.Sounds like possible water intrusion at the pigtail or a bad fuse.

Any mods done?Handlebars,A/M lighting?Check fuses.Find the pigtail and check the juice there.

glider

If I understand your question right, the low beam goes out when the high beam is on and the spots are only on with the low beam and out with the high beam, that's the way it should work.

If one of the spots go, you will only loose that spot, nothing more.

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R. Lewis

So your saying that you have high beam but no low beam/spotlights at all right!??

ReefRider

That is correct. The high beam works fine. When you switch to low beam I get nothing. I checked the voltage at the headlight plug. Basically high beam is 12V low beam 0 volts. I guess my best guess is to check it at the switch .
From there if I have voltage I guess it has to be in the wiring. Strange that the spots don't work!

dcofer

sure does sound like the dimmer switch to me and they will go bad, the contacts in the switch will either burn off or they get so burned they wont make contact. Check for voltage at the dimmer before you go chasing wires and no voltage on the dim wire going to the headlight there just about tells you its the switch. Have replaced a few on vehicles and they work on the same principle.

glider

How about checking the fuse before going any further?

ReefRider

Glider....Now I'm confused.....I have 12 volts top High Beam and 0 volts to the low beam........does low beam have it's own fuse?

hardrider

If I am understanding you correctly,I thought that the spotlights are supposed to work that way.Mine only work with low beam light,go off when I switched to high beam.

R. Lewis

you are correct here and thats the way the headlight works -- BUT --- He doesn't have low beam or spots when he switches over from high to low. All that is happening is the high beam.