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How To - Fix Headlights Not "Turning On" Issue

143K views 95 replies 54 participants last post by  ebjana 
#1 · (Edited)
Before seeking the resolution below, thoroughly check the fuses for the headlights located on the left side of the mid fairing (see image below). This guide is specifically created for 2003-2006 CBR600RR. Newer model bike may or may not applied. Stable hands and soldering experience is required, failure to have this will result in a short on other electrical components.



Problem: Both headlights do not turn on when the key is at the "ON" position or after the engine has started and running. High beam headlight doesn't respond when the high beam button is pressed. On the initial start-up of the gauges, the high beam light indicator is lit, but stayed off.

Cause: Solder point or headlight fuse is broken.

Tools Required:
  • Philip Screw Driver
  • Soldering Iron (Fry's, Radio Shack)
  • Soldering Lead with Flux (Fry's, Radio Shack)
  • Tweezers
  • An additional person to hold the device in place while soldering.
Procedure:

1. Remove the 2 screws located on the bottom of the "start" button housing.





2. Carefully open the housing and unscrew the silver screw.



3. Once the metal plate is removed, check to see if any of the 3 wires are disconnected. Make sure to wiggle the wires to confirm that the connection is solid. It may appeared that the soldering joint are connected, but in fact, it may not. The headlight wire is colored red/black.



4. Next, remove the wire clamp screw (1) along with the screw that hold the "start" button in place (2). Take a careful look at how the wire clamp is assembled, the housing will not snap together if done incorrectly. The plastic tab underneath the metal clap may break off.



5. Carefully remove the "start" button from the housing to expose the electrical component and to ease the job of soldering.





6. Plug in your soldering iron and let it warm up to the operating temperature (2-3 minute). Using an additional hand to hold the button, melt the solder core/lead onto the contact point shown in red and let it cool. Note: if the solder core has flux (solder glue, yellow looking liquid when melted), it will stick very easily without any effort.



7. With one hand holding the headlight wire, while the other holding the soldering iron, melt the solder ball done in step 6 and insert the headlight wire into the liquid solder. Once the connection is secured, pull on the wire to make sure it sticks.

8. Turn the key to "ON" position to see if your headlight turns on. Reverse the steps to reassemble the start switch.


Good Luck! Thanks to DCope17 and a few others for the help.

 
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#3 ·
This would have helped me when I had this issue. Thanks for helping out the site!!

Though I didn't remove the switch when did mine but I worked on airplanes for awhile so I am used to working in tight spots. I just took off the metal plate thing and soldered from there.
 
#4 ·
Would this problem also make the plate light go off? Last night I was about to go out and noticed that my headlights and plate light were not working. The instrument cluster was which they share a fuse with was working fine. Just checked all the fuses and they seem fine, but no power to lights/plate light. 3rd eye/signals/tail light work fine. Could this be a likely cause?
 
#7 · (Edited)
Great post! I'm having the same issue with my bike, but now it won't start either :( how long did it take to get that taken care of? I got a tight timeframe today but hopefully can squeeze it in ASAP.
It doesn't take long. Just unscrew the ignition housing and all the wires shown should expose to you. You can then test for connectivity and voltage. I just know one of the 3 wires are for headlights, not sure about the other 2.
 
#10 ·
i have the same problem sure enough this was the problem now to figure on how to solder it lol i bet if i had took it to a bike shop they would of riped me off and said it was something major thats my luck but thanks to you guys that had ideas on my headlights not coming on this was the problem thanks guys you rock
 
#13 ·
Great post dreamzboy, thx!
Just went on a breakfast run with 3 other guys, all riding suzukis. All of them flamed me for being the only honda rider ( just joking around). Them my lights went out. Then the real flaming started as a result of the faulty lights. Just got home, found this thread, and sure enough it was the lose solder joint on the started. Fixed it in 30min. Just glad it wasnt something major!

Thx agian dreamboy! Now to go flame some suzuki arsh!
 
#17 ·
Wow thanks, I was getting so frustrated trying to figure out the cause for this, almost gave up and took it to the shop. But sure enough, my cable was off. Bought a solder iron today and will fix it tomorrow. Thanks again.
 
#18 ·
Glad I saw this post as well. I was ALMOST tempted to take it to the shop and drop some dough on it. Found this threat, opened up the housing and there it was. Rehooked and soldered and everything worked great!! I also unplugged the headlight relay to try and get it reset as well. GREAT POST!!!!
 
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#20 · (Edited)
I've heard about the possible issue, but I've checked and all is well on my handle bar. I've gone threw a pair of main wire harness and a sub harness with both coming up the same way a fried and crispy harness which leaves me to believe there's a short. Has anybody ended up with this issue? oh and it's only my high beam that doesn't work.
 
#21 ·
I had this happen to me last friday. Lights went out at night in the country on my way out of town for the weekend. Fixed it Saturday morning using this how to. One thing to add that I did was use some "liquid electrical tape" on the solder joint after re-soldering to make sure I didn't get a short.

I also phoned the local Honda dealer and Honda Canada to ask if there was a recall for this as I consider this a safety issue. Neither had ever heard of this issue. I find it funny as this thread was the first thing that came up on my google search! Iwas hoping to get a free throttle switch assembly!
 
#22 ·
can you buy just the start button instead of replacing the whole kill switch? ive soldered mine twice now and had a cow worker do it the second time who is the best in my section who did 23 yrs in the airforce as a electrian and it still didnt hold.
 
#24 ·
Sorry for the late reply, but I would sand the soldering contact first. Then, apply some flux onto it and start soldering. Flux will make it sticks like glue.

You can also cut the wire and strip a new section with new lead on it. Sometimes, the lead gets old and dry which makes it no longer stick.
 
#26 · (Edited by Moderator)
Recently, I've experienced this issue again but it's not quite the same as my guide above. If you've tried my method and it's still not working for you, you might want to try the below method.

After constantly thinking about the circuit, I realized that somehow the low beam is "connected" to the high beam; hence, when the low beam is out, so is the high beam. With that said, I traced the wiring all the way back to the battery and analyzed where the ckt got disconnected.

First, I want to know whether the blue/white (+) wire from the start switch housing delivers any current so I connected it to a light bulb in one end, while the other end is connected to ground as demonstrated in the Test 1 (blue line) from the diagram below. That didn't work so I moved on conducting a Test 2 (red line) and discovered the low beam finally turned on. I knew right away that there's a disconnect between the black/red wire and the blue/white wire as illustrated in the "OFF" position from the diagram.

NOTE: Do Test 1 or Test 2 one at a time, DO NOT TEST THEM AT THE SAME TIME.

I pushed the wiring plate and the start switch apart to see how it is connected and its contact points (be careful the spring from the start switch is easy to come off). I saw that the copper contacts were dirty and didn't quite conduct so I sanded off on both the start switch and the switch wiring. The start switch contact pictured below in Figure 2 has 2 springs underneath the copper lines that pushes it against the bottom of the start switch wiring (Figure 3), that needed to be adjusted or sanded to get the proper contact.

Bottom line: The blue/white wire must connect to the black/red wire in the start switch housing in order for both headlights to receive power.
 
#45 ·
Recently, I've experienced this issue again but it's not quite the same as my guide above. If you've tried my method and it's still not working for you, you might want to try the below method.

After constantly thinking about the circuit, I realized that somehow the low beam is "connected" to the high beam; hence, when the low beam is out, so is the high beam. With that said, I traced the wiring all the way back to the battery and analyzed where the ckt got disconnected.

First, I want to know whether the blue/white (+) wire from the start switch housing delivers any current so I connected it to a light bulb in one end, while the other end is connected to ground as demonstrated in the Test 1 (blue line) from the diagram below. That didn't work so I moved on conducting a Test 2 (red line) and discovered the low beam finally turned on. I knew right away that there's a disconnect between the black/red wire and the blue/white wire as illustrated in the "OFF" position from the diagram.

NOTE: Do Test 1 or Test 2 one at a time, DO NOT TEST THEM AT THE SAME TIME.



I pushed the wiring plate and the start switch apart to see how it is connected and its contact points (be careful the spring from the start switch is easy to come off). I saw that the copper contacts were dirty and didn't quite conduct so I sanded off on both the start switch and the switch wiring. The start switch contact pictured below in Figure 2 has 2 springs underneath the copper lines that pushes it against the bottom of the start switch wiring (Figure 3), that needed to be adjusted or sanded to get the proper contact.


(Figure 2)


(Figure 3)

Bottom line: The blue/white wire must connect to the black/red wire in the start switch housing in order for both headlights to receive power.
Dreamboyz, This is the issue with my bike now. I can get the highlights to come on if I slightly push in the switch. I took apart the assembly and have the contact plate and switch apart as you have shown. I believe my problem is proper contact. Are there springs underneath the contacts you can adjust? I tried cleaning off the copper heads but this did not work. I might be able to adjust/bend the stripes on the switch so they make better contact with the plate contacts. Maybe it's just better to buy a new switch assembly. Thanks in advance.
 
#28 ·
I'm experiencing the same/similar problem for some time now on my 05. My lights aren't dead all together, and the start button will actually make the lights come on, but only if pressed ever so slightly (before the starter begins cranking). It use to be hit and miss, if I pressed the starter button slighting in and out enough the lights would stay on for the ride, and now it's becoming impossible to get them to 'stick' on in this manner.

I re-soldered the wires this afternoon and am still experiencing the exact same problem. Is there any better guess for my problem than the relay, or does anyone think it is worth while to consider replacing the switch, given what I've just described?

Mahalo!
 
#29 ·
Trying testing the connectivity using the diagram in post #26. Even though you have re-soldered it, the contacts from the switch to the contact plate in figure 2 & 3 may not connected firmly. It's like you're holding a positive wire and a negative wire and tapping onto the battery terminals without securing it. With my case, I can see the solder point started to heat up and melt away before my eyes. If you're going to re-solder, make sure the solder is as big as the other 3 joints; otherwise it will melt. Bigger solder points equals more heat is needed to melt.

If all fails, I would buy a new start switch. I'll have to order one too just in case.
 
#30 ·
Magic!!

Excellent informational post. Spent hours tracing through the loom testing for power. Everything seem ok until I got to the switching .......... where I gave up in favour of a cup of tea.

Quick Google whilst drinking said tea and hey presto!. Exactly the same symptoms as described here.

Quick check of the start switch and sure enough ............. wire has come completely away from its joint. 10 minutes to fix ................ 1 hour to put everything back on.

Superb!

cheers
 
#31 ·
Excellent informational post. Spent hours tracing through the loom testing for power. Everything seem ok until I got to the switching .......... where I gave up in favour of a cup of tea.

Quick Google whilst drinking said tea and hey presto!. Exactly the same symptoms as described here.

Quick check of the start switch and sure enough ............. wire has come completely away from its joint. 10 minutes to fix ................ 1 hour to put everything back on.

Superb!

cheers
Glad you found the link and got it working. Sometimes a cup of tea works wonder.

You probably signed up just to say thank you and I appreciate that. Hope you stick around as this forum will be quite beneficial.
 
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