Lights all gone at once!

[Jon_M]

I just got to the end of a very nice 900-mile weekend. Sometime in the last hour of daylight, I lost all of my headlights, both low beams and the high beam. I know they were working when I stopped for gas at 7 pm, but by the time I was home at 8:30, all I had was the PIAA 1100s. Without them I would have been stuck.

 

The bulbs are Osram Silverstars installed about 7500 miles ago. I know a lot of people have had to replace bulbs on these bikes, but all at once? Is there likely to be some serious electrical fault, or am I reasonably safe in just popping in a new set? I still have the originals and I suppose I could use them until I can get something better.

[Pictou]

I am not much of a mechanic but did you check to see if the lamps are actually blown? It seems to me if they all went out including the high beam that you have an electrical problem of some sort. If the lamps are okay but not working that would give you some indication as to where the problem lies. If all the lights are blown I would still suspect a problem in your electrical system as this would be very suspicous.

 

If it were me I would take it to a dealer and have them look at it. They can often track this kind of thing down quickly by looking at the fault codes stored in the bike's computer.

[gettysburg]

Do your parking lights(small lights on either side of low-beams) work. If they aren't working either, check to see if the connection to the headlight assembly is secure.

[Jon_M]

Thanks for the replies so far. Everything is gone up front, including the parking lights, which would indicate that it is probably not the bulbs. The tail light and brake light are working normally. I'll have to wait until after work to see if there is a loose connection down inside the fairing. A quick grope around in there did not reveal anything wrong. I think I'm probably in for a trip to the dealer.

[Jon_M]

I have booked an appointment at the dealer to get this light problem fixed. I felt around under the tupperware but nothing I did had any effect. Because two parking lights, two low beams, and one high beam died at once, it is almost certainly not the bulbs.

 

I am assuming that this repair will be a warranty item, but in case I get an argument, does anyone have a theory as to what went wrong? Anyone out there with a similar experience?

[10ovr]

Thanks for the replies so far. Everything is gone up front, including the parking lights, which would indicate that it is probably not the bulbs. The tail light and brake light are working normally. I'll have to wait until after work to see if there is a loose connection down inside the fairing. A quick grope around in there did not reveal anything wrong. I think I'm probably in for a trip to the dealer.

I just looked at my 07 RT,If you look from under neat you can see the plug at the right fork tub,,I unpluged it and all lights went out on the front of the bike,,Your plug may have just come loose??

[Jon_M]

I just looked at my 07 RT,If you look from under neat you can see the plug at the right fork tub,,I unpluged it and all lights went out on the front of the bike,,Your plug may have just come loose??

 

Thanks. I will certainly try that. I pushed and tugged everything I could see, but I may have overlooked that connection. Stay tuned...

[Jon_M]

I just looked at my 07 RT,If you look from under neat you can see the plug at the right fork tub,,I unpluged it and all lights went out on the front of the bike,,Your plug may have just come loose??

Thanks. I will certainly try that. I pushed and tugged everything I could see, but I may have overlooked that connection. Stay tuned...

OK. I checked that plug, and you were right on. It was hanging loose. The BMW unit plugs into my Kisan modulator, which plugs into the receptacle on the headlight housing. The whole thing had fallen out. Should have been a happy ending, but snapping it all back in place had no effect. Still no lights. Took the modulator out of the system and plugged in the stock unit, and still Nada. Will it require a computer re-set to rectify this?

[10ovr]

You know the bike has to be running for the lights to work????

[Jon_M]

You know the bike has to be running for the lights to work????

 

Yes, I do know that. I wish that was the answer. Engine on or off, Zilch.

[10ovr]

I dont know if this well work or not,But I would unhook batt,2min,Then rehook up batt and see if it works,,other than that its off to the dealer,,Hook up your lights back to stock,,If somthing did go out,They cant blame it on aftermarket parts you put on,,Just tell them you found the stock plug had come loose.

[Ken H.]

Will it require a computer re-set to rectify this?

Not specifically. If the ZFE module sees a problem corrected external to it, it will return to normal operation but keep a "Fault not currently present" record of it. Or to put it another way, it resets itself to normal operation.

 

There is something else going on here that I suspect is related to the ZFE module itself.

[Jon_M]

The dealer installed the modulator, but nevertheless I will remove it from the system. Then I'll try unhooking and re-hooking the battery. After that, I'll just take it in. It's a hassle because it is a hundred-mile round trip, but I should be able to get a loaner.

[Jim VonBaden]

Will it require a computer re-set to rectify this?

Not specifically. If the ZFE module sees a problem corrected external to it, it will return to normal operation but keep a "Fault not currently present" record of it. Or to put it another way, it resets itself to normal operation.

 

There is something else going on here that I suspect is related to the ZFE module itself.

 

Did you actually start the bike, or just turn on the key? If you don't start the bike the computer wont reset the fault.

 

Also, you may need to disconnect the battery briefly, then start the bike. I have seen this a few times.

 

Jim

[Jon_M]

Did you actually start the bike, or just turn on the key? If you don't start the bike the computer wont reset the fault.

 

Also, you may need to disconnect the battery briefly, then start the bike. I have seen this a few times.

 

Jim

I did start the bike, several times, and I still have no lights. I will definitely try your suggestion about the battery. I'm scheduled to take the bike in on Tuesday, but that's a big hassle (100 mile round trip in SoCal traffic), so I am hoping there is a magic bullet waiting to be discovered. It does seem unlikely that anything basic would go wrong just because the plug got disconnected.

[Survived-til-now]

Jon

 

Sorry to read about your problem but you haven't said whether the bike is telling you anything...

 

If something was unplugged you'd get a blown bulb warning on the computer display - wouldn't you?

 

If you have a major fault the bike would disconnect the front circuit and give you a red light.... ?

 

For sure I'd unplug anything non-standard and see if I could get back even just the parking lights...

 

Also - has this happened following something done to the bike - a recent addition perhaps

 

I would have to wonder if you have taken something a step too far - modulator and PIAA's - anything else (HIDs for example)....

 

Do let us know what the answer turns out to be

 

Regards

 

Andy

[Jon_M]

Andy,

 

Yes, I got a blown bulb warning, but nothing more. I have taken the modulator out of the system, and that had no effect. The PIAAs are wired separately with their own relay and independent switch, and they are still working normally. Those are the only two aftermarked additions I've installed. I'll disconnect/reconnect the battery later this morning and see if that has any effect.

 

Jon

[Jon_M]

Also, you may need to disconnect the battery briefly, then start the bike. I have seen this a few times.

I disconnected and reconnected the battery two or three times, and there was no change. I still have the front bulb warning and no lights at all. While I was at it, I also disconnected and reconnected the PIAAS at the battery. Same story: no change.

[Jon_M]

I took the R12RT to Seaver today to get the light problem sorted out. All the circuitry checked out, but there is apparently some fault inside the headlight housing. Because that is a sealed unit that cannot be repaired, I will be getting an entire new assembly --covered by warranty. The replacement will be done on Thursday, and in the meantime, I've got an R1100R as a loaner.

[marcopolo]

I took the R12RT to Seaver today to get the light problem sorted out. All the circuitry checked out, but there is apparently some fault inside the headlight housing. Because that is a sealed unit that cannot be repaired, I will be getting an entire new assembly --covered by warranty. The replacement will be done on Thursday, and in the meantime, I've got an R1100R as a loaner.

 

I bet that part ain't cheap.

[Jon_M]

I bet that part ain't cheap. If memory serves, someone whose assembly was shattered by a rock said that it is around $800. What puzzles me is what could possibly fail in there that would cause all the lights to go out at once. I would love to have the old part to smash open and investigate. (In the meantime, I am enjoying the naked R1200R loaner!)

[Ken H.]

What puzzles me is what could possibly fail in there that would cause all the lights to go out at once.

Yeah me too. I don't think this whole story has been written yet...

[Jon_M]

I don't think this whole story has been written yet...

I'll find out tomorrow or early Friday when they complete the swap. Either it works or it doesn't...

[Jon_M]

The jury is still out on this repair. I called in yesterday and the person on the counter told me the job was complete and the bike was ready to be picked up. I took time off in the middle of the day and rode down to get it, only to be told that the job had not been started yet. Hundred-mile mistake. So, I still have the loaner and will try again today to see if they got it sorted out.

[Jon_M]

End of story: Lights are fixed at no cost to me. The diagnosis on the work order was a failure to ground in the headlight assembly. I asked the service manager if he had determined the exact nature of the fault, and he said it would be a waste of time. Once the difficulty was traced to that unit, it was clear a warranty replacement was called for, and he felt no need to play detective beyond that point.

 

Good enough for me. Now that my assembly is new again, I think I'll invest in one form or another of lens protector.

[Survived-til-now]

Great news - thanks for letting us know. useful if the same thing happens and the bike is out of warranty - presumably a re-earthing of the assembly would have cured it.