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General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Short in high beams!
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Message started by spud14 on 06/05/13 at 19:17:03

Title: Short in high beams!
Post by spud14 on 06/05/13 at 19:17:03

I have a '99 Savage--

I am from Nampa, Idaho but currently live in Provo, Utah for college. I rode dirtbikes and quads while growing up but mostly just trails and we used the quads for hunting. I never had to worry about fixing things cause my grandpa was a small engine tech teacher at my high school for 30 years. Any time there was an issue we let him take care of it and I was an idiot and never took his class!

SO I am admittedly a newb, but since I got my savage I haven't taken it to the shop once and I've fixed everything myself.

The reason for my post is I have a short in the headlights. When I flip on the high beams a fuse shorts out every time and the power for the bike turns off. If I replace the fuse and leave on the high beams, turning the key to "on" will short blow the fuse immediately.

The long story associated with it all...

I am a newb like I mentioned earlier so last year when I decided I wanted a bike I searched long and hard to find something that was well maintained and reliable so that I would have an easier time. That is exactly what I found in Savage and I couldn't be happier.

I was happy until some tard hit my bike while I was at work and it tipped over. Luckily I was watching when the dude pulled into my spot and hit my bike. He stopped and I ran out pissed to asses the damage. It fell on its right side. The throttle handle was all busted up as well as the rear tail light being busted. I was advised by my boss to start it up and make sure it runs before the guy left to make sure everything was good. It started fine, I rode it for a minute or two parked it and got a couple hundred bucks from the guy that hit it for the busted handle and tail light. BAD IDEA! I am from ID and he was just in town from Canada so I didn't know if getting his insurance and info would do me any good since he was foreign.

ANYWAYS, About 4 hours later I went to leave work and everything was fine. Although the right rear was dangling it still lit up as did all other lights. I pulled out of my work and cruised to the stop light about 200 yards away. I went to down shift and slow down for the light and all of a sudden all power was gone. No lights whatsoever and the bike wouldn't start. I pulled it into a bank parking lot that was close and got my wife to come pick me and the bike up. The next day I pulled open the seat, found the little fuse box that houses the two fuses and I saw that they were both blown. After I replaced them the bike started up just fine.

A couple days later I noticed that it struggled a bit to start but thought nothing of it. I had never had any issues with it for the past 8 months. I went out of town for the weekend and when I came back I couldn't start my bike so I push started it. After driving for a sec I stopped killed it and it started up just fine. I thought crap there is a draw somewhere and that night I found out where. I flipped on the brights and poof there went the power, while cruising I flipped it back to low beams and the power came back on and I continued on down the road. The next day I found the blown fuse that gave me the results of the previous conclusion that there is a short somewhere in that connection. It was one of the same fuses that had blown the night that the bike got his.

MY PROBLEM---I have no idea where to start to remedy this!

Thanks for any help and sorry I'm such a newb

Title: Re: Short in high beams!
Post by verslagen1 on 06/05/13 at 20:01:32

right were the wires go into the headlight bucket is where you'll find your short.

the wires aren't well protected and the turning action causes them to wear.

Title: Re: Short in high beams!
Post by Dave on 06/06/13 at 03:50:04

An orange wire carries the power up to the handlebar control switch for the headlight. After the switch the power for the headlights is carried in a white wire for the low beam, and a yellow wire for the high beam. It sound like you are looking for a short in the yellow wire. If you can't find it in the headlight area....then look back farther toward the switch. There is a remote chance it could be in a wire that leads to the high beam indicator light....those wires are better protected and don't flex with every turn of the handlebars.

Title: Re: Short in high beams!
Post by spud14 on 06/15/13 at 10:09:13

Well this is literally the first day I had a few minutes to fix my bike! And that's about how long it took. Found the high beam wire rubbing right as it entered the light bucket so I tapped it up and it was good as new.

Thanks for the help and sorry it took me so long to reply.