Headlight Relay - Intermittent 1982 GL1100

[gdhubert]

My 1982 GL1000 that I am finishing up rebuild on has an intermittent headlight issue. Sometimes it comes on, other times it doesn't. When I turn the ignition key on I hear a click-click. Sometimes the headlight illuminates. Other times it doesn't. I removed and replaced the Vetter fairing and noticed the plug that connects the headlight and turn signals was a bit cruddy. I cleaned it out with some sandpaper, blew it out with the air hose, and then used some electrical contact cleaner in an aerosol can to clean it out. Thinking I have a faulty connection since sometimes it works and other times it won't. Any other actions I should take?

[DenverWinger]

No relay for the headlight on this bike. But headlight power does go thru the start button, Kills the headlight while cranking for more power.

Next time the headlight doesn't come on, try wiggling the start button, and I bet it will come on. Mine does the same thing. Need to disassemble the start button and clean out the contacts.

[gdhubert]

Thanks. I'm try that. So what's that click click I'm hearing?

[WingAdmin]

On my 1982 GL1100, the headlight high/low beam swtich got cranky, and at times would illuminate neither high nor low beam.

I ended up rewiring it with an SPDT relay, so that the output of the high beam contact on the switch actually energized the coil of the relay. The relay then switched power to the headlight.

This means that the low beam was ALWAYS on no matter what. When the high beams were switched on, it clicked the relay on, and the high beams then came on. However if the switch failed or otherwise wasn't working, the low beam was still on, instead of having NO headlight at all.

You might also want to check your ignition switch. They can get loose and dirty as well.