P2 - Lost Lights (Dip, Main Beam, Tail and Brake)....

[Stovie]

Hi All.

Sorry if this is something that is already out there. Out with the boys last night on a run and on the road back lost my Dip, Main Beam, Tail and Brake Lights. Still have my horn and indicators.

Nothing really noticed before they went, although think i did have a couple of flickers during some higher revs. But other than that worked fine until about 2 minutes from the house (out for a few hours).

Don't know where to start looking...bit of a worrier and initially thought stator/pick-ups...but is there anywhere I can be looking first. Seems strange to lose that lot at once.

It's a P2 running a 210 kit, T Plate Disc Model. Sure I have battery (will double check once home) but the electric start is off.

Any initial thoughts appreciated.

[sbwnik]

If you have an electric start, then you have a battery.

Best guess is that the wire that comes from the regulator and splits off to the indicator relay has seperated, leaving the indicator wire in place but cutting off the rest of the electrics.
Horn is on the battery circuit, so that should still be working.

[Stovie]

Thanks Nik.

Had a look about this evening and got stranger. Main bulb was blown so thought I was on to an easy fix but alas no...lol. New bulb fitted and when switching between main beam/dip there is a slight orange tinge but nothing you could class as 'light'. Bizarre is I still gave no tail light, however I do have indicators and brake light, only when I have the light switch set to dip...but when I do this I lose the dim orange.

Didn't have a volt meter, so not been able to check volts...not that I am confident in doing this.

Couldn't see any bad earths or shorts....reseated the connectors under the horn cover and checked for corrosion, so lost unless it's the regulator or pick ups on the stator not giving enough voltage.

Must note....all was working fine last night, until I lost the lights on the way home.

Stovie

[sbwnik]

Grab a cheap multimeter, set to vAC and measure the output (the connection that goes into the main loom, not the one from the engine) to see if it's around 12v. If all the connections are OK, it sounds like the regulator has blown. You've not added anything electrical to the system recently, or changed the bulbs for bigger ones?

[kru251]

Sounds to me like a shorted live wire on the loom somewhere. Had this issue twice now on two different Vespa.
Differing places for the short too!!
As Nik says, get a meter.

I use one of these as has temperature probe too.

Gunson Pocket Meter- Amazon

Mine was only 15 quid off of Fleabay.

Or

Pocket meter 1

[henri]

had the same symptoms on my mates px 200 2003 ,was the reg box ,didnt blow the bulbs just wouldnt give more than a glow at headlight an couldnt see anything at tailight.his failed whilst being stood for 1-2 months during the really bad rainy bit jan-feb ,first suspected corrosion/dodgy earths/connections like you .machine mart do a cheap non-digital meter for about 6 quid ,ac / dc / ohms an amps ,i find its easyier to see a needle swing up a gauge than try an read a digital read-out an at 6quid dont care if it gets fried .
as ya dont sound confident around electrics might be worth jus chucking a new cheap reg box on or a known gud 1 .i dont bother using the ducatti/piaggio boxes as at twice the money they dont last any longer .mostly coz were there tucked away out of the airflow there constantly on the verge of overheating. H

[Stovie]

Thanks both. Part two continues this evening. Nik when you say check the connection going into the main loom, where should I be looking to test. Feed will go from Stator to Regulator/Rectifier...correct? Should I be testing at the Regulator/Rectifier (behind battery)?

[sbwnik]

Blue wire to regulator from stator, the wire next to where it feeds into the reg is the AC out feed. This is what you need to be checking. Disconnect the wire, stick one probe to the pole on the regulator and the other to earth on the chassis(don't worry about which way round) and see what it says... Obviously with the engine running. I usually get the engine warm and then wind the tickover up so it's a more realistic rev level to read from (normal tickover is ALWAYS too low!). Alternatively, get someone to blip the throttle.

You're looking for just about 12v, though it's more likely to be in the 11.7v-ish area. Any less than 11vAC and something is wrong.. If you are getting that level, take the feed wire (blue) off and test the input by one probe to the wire, one to earth. If that's lower than about 14vAC then it's going to be stator/flywheel related.... Probably

[Stovie]

Top notch Nik. Really appreciate the help...

[Stovie]

Well all sorted. Incase anyone is interested it was a multitude of issues...lol. Turned out the rear shock rubber had sheared and cables to rear light had rubbed on wheel, breaking the plastic covers and exposing the the wires...causing the short. Also seemed to lose the CDI unit at some point while fixing as once I found the exposed wires I lost the overall spark. Replaced CDI, fixed shock rubber and taped up the wires....bingo everything wonderful again.

Thanks for all the responses, appreciated.

[sbwnik]

Jesus, I'd never have guessed that

[kru251]

Well I got some of it!!!!

"Sounds to me like a shorted live wire on the loom somewhere. Had this issue twice now on two different Vespa.
Differing places for the short too"!!

[Stovie]

It's never easy...lol, a lucky find in the end, and glad the shocky was spotted or that could have ended in tears...

Thanks for all the input guys.