Lights and Indicator Problem after Winter layup

Hi all, I have a problem with the lights/Indicators on my 1998 VFR800 FI.
With the lights off the indicators work fine, but when I put the sidelight on the dashboard indicator lights and main beam warning lights glow. The indicators still work. When I put the headlights on, the dash lights glow brighter and when the indicators are used the wrong dash light illuminates. On main beam the dash indicator lamp does not show brightly. I have disconnected every connector I can find on the bike, cleaned the terminals and wd40'd everything. Voltage must be leaking from the lights onto the indicator circuit but I cant find where. Have checked the earth point below the right hand side of the tank but dont know if there are any others. Everything was working fine before the bike was layed up for winter so I am at a loss. Any ideas would be most welcome.
Best regards, Geoff

 

Here in the US we don't have headlight switches...so the wiring isn't exactly the same.

Have you run the bike? Is your battery possibly very discharged? That will sometimes make the indicator lights do wierd things.

Notice any evidence (feces, etc.) of pests where the bike was stored? They like to chew on wires.

Sure sounds like bad ground somewhere. Unplug the pertinent connectors and look for solid green wires (Honda's favored earth color). The best way to verify ground wires is with a test light. Probe the bulb end of the light directly to the battery positive post...the ground end to the connector's harness side of the ground wire you're testing. It should light the test bulb brightly if that wire is a good ground...dim light equals poor ground.

 

...................thaaaaasts right !! Blame it on a simple rodent, eh, the cause of most problems..........

I've seen rodent -nibbled wires and had to replace a few, but my research suggests that the wires were not related to an nutritional interest but chewed mostly for fun and out of bordom. No harm was intended. It's the nature of a rodent to chew, according to science.

 

Thanks, guys. Turns out to be a couple of bad tracks on the PCB. One broken & one dodgy. Soldered jumper wires across the bad bits and problems cured. The dash illumination lights are brighter than ever. At least every block connector on the bike has now been cleaned and waterproofed so look forward to a Summer of riding.
Ride Safe and Enjoy, Geoff

 

Now, now...let's not lump all rodents in the same basket. Notice I used the word 'pests', which I thought was reasonably PC.

 

IT'S still a matter of opinion, Dizzy. Just look in your phone book yellow pages: "Pests" is right next to "Pets" !!!

 

Anyone out there have a wiring diagram they can send me for a 98-2000 model? I'm having similar probs, and I can't get the "running" lights to come on. I think the PO may have turned all this off for a track day, and not reconnected everything back up. Thanks in advance.

 

You shouldn't need a diagram for that. They're the blue and orange wires with white tracers going to the front blinkers. The solid colors are for the turnsignals themselves, the solid greens are the grounds for both. If you've flush mounts or LEDS...most of 'em don't have a provision for the running lights. If everything is hooked up...check to make sure the bulbs are double element. BTW...the running lights work right off the tailight circuit I think.

 

You are correct, I think the bulbs may be single element...will buy new ones tomorrow. But, there's a wire hanging from the plug coming from the left hand switch: a brown/blue stripe one. A wiring diagram might help me figure out if this is part of the problem?

 

Yeah that would have alot to do with it. That supplies power to the running lights inside the left handlebar switch...it originates at the headlight fuse. It supplies power to the headlights through the starter button (unless the starter button is pushed), and also the lights on the dashboard...so if they work you just have to mate it with the brown/blue wire in the connector of your left handle switch.

Normally the blue/brown wire is connected to the orange and blue white striped wires inside the left handleswitch. When you flip one of the turn signals on, the switch also opens running light circuit...so the running lights go out when using the turnsignals.

 

Still unsure, which color do I mate with this? I'm still thinking the diagram would help....anyone got one?

 

I found one on VFRD thanks.