Hawk 250 Headlight problems- My first bike

Nightrider92 · 02-21-2016, 12:49 AM

hello everyone I'm new to this site but from what I've read I think someone will be able to help me! I've recently bought a hawk 250cc enduro, it came with no instructions and I'm having trouble with the front headlight. I have checked all my wiring harnesses and every thing looks okay with my fuses/connections but nothing seems to work.

Every time I turn my lights on the dash cluster lights up but my pass switch does nothing. Please can anyone help?

Thanks in advance

Torgo · 02-21-2016, 08:57 PM

There's a 3 terminal block that connects to the bulb. The connections are low beam, high beam, and ground. You should see the battery voltage using a mulitmeter across the pins for low/gnd and high/gnd depending on your button setting when the lights switch is on. If you read the voltages correctly and they move as expected, then you probably have a bad bulb. If you don't see them at the terminal block, you'll have to move up to the switch cluster and start debugging that. If you have your owner's manual (that's pretty much the only documentation that came with mine), it has a wiring diagram that's so-so, but it shows the headlight connections clearly enough, and it's pretty much just connecting the battery voltage thru the switch cluster.

My high beam is intermittent - if I start in low beam, it sometimes will not come on; if I start in high beam, it generally works OK and can go back and forth. All the voltages check out, so it's probably just how the bulb heats up. Weird. Stuff like this just adds character.

Nightrider92 · 02-21-2016, 10:08 PM

Thanks Torgo I will start there, I'm very new to riding so I appreciate any help I can get! I live in South Carolina and would love to have this bike street legal, only other problems is my bike came with the markings off-road use only! So between the blank MSO I received and the headlight problems I don't think my bike will pass with my light messed up....

Nightrider92 · 02-21-2016, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torgo

There's a 3 terminal block that connects to the bulb. The connections are low beam, high beam, and ground. You should see the battery voltage using a mulitmeter across the pins for low/gnd and high/gnd depending on your button setting when the lights switch is on. If you read the voltages correctly and they move as expected, then you probably have a bad bulb. If you don't see them at the terminal block, you'll have to move up to the switch cluster and start debugging that. If you have your owner's manual (that's pretty much the only documentation that came with mine), it has a wiring diagram that's so-so, but it shows the headlight connections clearly enough, and it's pretty much just connecting the battery voltage thru the switch cluster.

My high beam is intermittent - if I start in low beam, it sometimes will not come on; if I start in high beam, it generally works OK and can go back and forth. All the voltages check out, so it's probably just how the bulb heats up. Weird. Stuff like this just adds character.

So I looked at the terminal block and it is fine, moved to the switch and found nothing

It's weird my headlight works but as soon as I turn my lights on even if set on low the brights immediately turn on and my brights light on my dash cluster lights up. I'm getting power to everything, could it be a bad ground I've found two separate places where the grounds had been melted into a large ball and taped over...

Torgo · 02-21-2016, 11:52 PM

You should contact the place you purchased it from - more than likely, they'll send you a completed MCO in the mail. The one that came with my bike was blank too - I got the completed one a few weeks later. Registering seems to be a state-by-state crap shoot, but here in TX, to title/plate required the MCO, a receipt (for taxes), and the official form from passing inspection (part of the VIN verification). And most importantly, the checkbook, of course.

The off-road use only sticker may be tied to the EPA data - if your state requires some kind of emission verification (mostly blue states) - they have two different lists, on and off road. The Hawk is EPA certified for off-road only, so that has caused problems for some folks. I'm betting you'll be OK in South Carolina.

Another thing on the headlight - if you get in there and check the terminal block voltage, also check the bulb itself for short/open. Both of the elements for the low and high beam should read back some low resistance or show a short, they shouldn't show open. If they do, that'll confirm the bulb for you.

Torgo · 02-22-2016, 12:03 AM

Didn't see your other reply as I was writing.

Are you just stuck on high beam? That sounds like a bad low/high switch or gnd connection in the switch cluster. The main light switch should connect the battery supply to the light, and the high/low should switch between the two elements. Did you open up the switch cluster?

Nightrider92 · 02-22-2016, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torgo

Didn't see your other reply as I was writing.

Are you just stuck on high beam? That sounds like a bad low/high switch or gnd connection in the switch cluster. The main light switch should connect the battery supply to the light, and the high/low should switch between the two elements. Did you open up the switch cluster?

Yes I did and couldn't find anything. But yes you are correct, I am stuck on high beam only. I think it's in the ground some where. I'm going to work on it again today! I'll keep you informed, thank you for the help

Nightrider92 · 02-22-2016, 06:48 PM

Okay so today my good friend and me tore into it and just started from scratch, we started at the battery and worked out way back we found a large amount of solder under the dash cluster linking together about six different wires but that was it. I think I'm just going to start with replacing the bulb if that doesn't work then I'm just going to reroute the ground wires all the way through! In the end to be honest this isn't much of a deal breaker because South Carolina only requires a working headlight! So if they want to get technical my light does work just one setting though, but it's something so in a state with no emissions,
No inspections, and this bike meeting all of my States dot required equipment I think I'll be just fine..

Just in case when I receive my mso I'll be starting a new thread in registration, that way anyone wanting to own and tag a new hawk 250cc
Will know just what to expect in South Carolinas dmv!

02-21-2016, 12:49 AM	#1
Nightrider92 Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 9	Hawk 250 Headlight problems- My first bike hello everyone I'm new to this site but from what I've read I think someone will be able to help me! I've recently bought a hawk 250cc enduro, it came with no instructions and I'm having trouble with the front headlight. I have checked all my wiring harnesses and every thing looks okay with my fuses/connections but nothing seems to work. Every time I turn my lights on the dash cluster lights up but my pass switch does nothing. Please can anyone help? Thanks in advance
	0

02-21-2016, 08:57 PM	#2
Torgo Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Texas Posts: 93	There's a 3 terminal block that connects to the bulb. The connections are low beam, high beam, and ground. You should see the battery voltage using a mulitmeter across the pins for low/gnd and high/gnd depending on your button setting when the lights switch is on. If you read the voltages correctly and they move as expected, then you probably have a bad bulb. If you don't see them at the terminal block, you'll have to move up to the switch cluster and start debugging that. If you have your owner's manual (that's pretty much the only documentation that came with mine), it has a wiring diagram that's so-so, but it shows the headlight connections clearly enough, and it's pretty much just connecting the battery voltage thru the switch cluster. My high beam is intermittent - if I start in low beam, it sometimes will not come on; if I start in high beam, it generally works OK and can go back and forth. All the voltages check out, so it's probably just how the bulb heats up. Weird. Stuff like this just adds character.
	1

02-21-2016, 10:08 PM	#3
Nightrider92 Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 9	Thanks Torgo I will start there, I'm very new to riding so I appreciate any help I can get! I live in South Carolina and would love to have this bike street legal, only other problems is my bike came with the markings off-road use only! So between the blank MSO I received and the headlight problems I don't think my bike will pass with my light messed up....
	0

02-21-2016, 11:52 PM	#5
Torgo Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Texas Posts: 93	You should contact the place you purchased it from - more than likely, they'll send you a completed MCO in the mail. The one that came with my bike was blank too - I got the completed one a few weeks later. Registering seems to be a state-by-state crap shoot, but here in TX, to title/plate required the MCO, a receipt (for taxes), and the official form from passing inspection (part of the VIN verification). And most importantly, the checkbook, of course. The off-road use only sticker may be tied to the EPA data - if your state requires some kind of emission verification (mostly blue states) - they have two different lists, on and off road. The Hawk is EPA certified for off-road only, so that has caused problems for some folks. I'm betting you'll be OK in South Carolina. Another thing on the headlight - if you get in there and check the terminal block voltage, also check the bulb itself for short/open. Both of the elements for the low and high beam should read back some low resistance or show a short, they shouldn't show open. If they do, that'll confirm the bulb for you.
	0

02-22-2016, 12:03 AM	#6
Torgo Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Texas Posts: 93	Didn't see your other reply as I was writing. Are you just stuck on high beam? That sounds like a bad low/high switch or gnd connection in the switch cluster. The main light switch should connect the battery supply to the light, and the high/low should switch between the two elements. Did you open up the switch cluster?
	0

02-22-2016, 06:48 PM	#8
Nightrider92 Join Date: Feb 2016 Posts: 9	Okay so today my good friend and me tore into it and just started from scratch, we started at the battery and worked out way back we found a large amount of solder under the dash cluster linking together about six different wires but that was it. I think I'm just going to start with replacing the bulb if that doesn't work then I'm just going to reroute the ground wires all the way through! In the end to be honest this isn't much of a deal breaker because South Carolina only requires a working headlight! So if they want to get technical my light does work just one setting though, but it's something so in a state with no emissions, No inspections, and this bike meeting all of my States dot required equipment I think I'll be just fine.. Just in case when I receive my mso I'll be starting a new thread in registration, that way anyone wanting to own and tag a new hawk 250cc Will know just what to expect in South Carolinas dmv!
	1