Headlight problem

[trimannn]

Rode to work last week and on the way home I noticed the headlights weren't working. I flipped the high beam switch on and off a few times and then eventually they came on; not sure if that caused them to come on or not. I've ridden it a couple times since then and it's still doing the same thing. I checked all the connections yesterday and everything's seems fine. Any ideas? I did a search

 

[Cycledude]

What exactly were you riding ?
How many miles on it ?
Reality is the Tenere headlight system is pretty lousy, both headlights are very likely burned out and need new bulbs.
There was a headlight wiring recall on the first couple years of the 1200 Tenere

 

[Sierra1]

The "high beam" switch has nothing to do with the electrical connection to the headlights. It just raises/lowers the little flapper thing. More likely to be a bad switch/relay/connection. It could be bad bulbs. Like Cycledude says, we need more information.

 

[trimannn]

2019 tenere, around 35,000.

After 5 minutes or so the headlights, both high beams and low beams, came on so it's not the bulbs.

 

[AusTexS10]

2019 tenere, around 35,000.

After 5 minutes or so the headlights, both high beams and low beams, came on so it's not the bulbs.

So they just needed to warm up, lol?

 

[Squibb]

Sorry - before getting down & dirty exploring the possibilities, drop the bulbs out & replace with new. These things have a habit of blowing bulbs together, as others mention. Make sure the bulbs are fitted correctly & you don't have a water/condensation issue going on behind the bulb caps. Simple, basic & low cost, given the bulbs have given 35k miles of service - buy quality, bulbs too, not cheap crap.

Otherwise its a case of checking the harness, connectors & relays, much of which is explored in this thread: -

......... https://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?threads/a-wire-for-the-high-beams.1946/

 

[Sierra1]

. . . . After 5 minutes or so the headlights, both high beams and low beams, came on so it's not the bulbs.

This bike does not have a conventional high/low beam. It's the same bulb, with no change in voltage. The Tenere has two bulbs, one beam. Your "low beam", is just the top of your "high beam", being covered by a metal plate. Some bikes, like the R6, have two bulbs: one low, and one high.

I have to second Squibbs recommendation of replacing both bulbs. There's been many more faulty bulbs, than faulty circuits.

 

[Jlq1969]

Check this connector…

if these also stop working…. surely it is a problem of (-)… the relay of the H7 may be failing

 

[trimannn]

Well it looks like it was the bulbs. I didn't think it would be since they'd work sometimes and sometimes they wouldn't but I guess they were going in and out. I had another tenere before this one and when the bulbs went out they just went out.

Anyhow they seem to be working fine now so I'll keep my fingers crossed. Thanks for all the replies.

 

[WJBertrand]

I've had bulbs where the filament broke and then somehow reattached temporarily, usually due to a bump or something. Maybe flicking the H/L shutter a few times bounce the filaments about a little?. I've even done it on purpose flicking a bulb with my finger to get it to light. Sometimes the filament actually seems to get welded back into place for a pretty long time.

 

[LostDonkey]

Also, replace the fuse and make sure it’s in snugly. Cheapest option first is the way I troubleshoot.

 

[Don in Lodi]

Now then, the fuse absolutely wouldn't be intermittent. Unless you've got serious corrosion problems, and that's not the fuses fault.

 

[eddie98]

I just had this problem with my 2014 S10 with 25k miles. I added Denali Aux lights about 4 months ago and the headlight was working fine. The bike sat for a couple of monhts and last week when I was going to go ride I pulled it out and ran it and noticed my headlight was not working. I Swapped the light bulbs for Cyclops H7 I believe a couple of years ago when one of my bulbs went out.

I'm grabbing the + and - from the battery to power my fuse block and the 12V "remote" (at key on) from the stock aux light pig tail on the bike. On the fuse block I have connected my GPS and heated gear plug and I added the Denali lights then. I checked the power to the headlight and there is no voltage getting to to them.
There are a few good checks on this forum to look at the connector on the bundle coming from the lights. I unplugged my Denali lights and still no headlights. When I switch from low to high beam, I can hear the click of a relay and the "blue" high beam on the dash lights up.

I'm going to rewire the power to my Denali lights and power the fuse block from the pigtail. I ordered the Aux Light connector from Eastern Beaver yesterday. I hope this will solve my issue.

If anyone has any other suggestions or pointers please post up.

 

[RCinNC]

I've never had a bike that blew headlight bulbs as often as the super Tenere. In 9 years I've burned out 10 bulbs. Sometimes I've burned out two of them within days of each other.