Author Topic: K100 High Beam Flashing. I'm not able to use my high beam. (Read 12265 times)

PeterJC1966 · « **on:** September 10, 2015, 06:00:36 PM »

I'm not able to use my high beam. When I push the left switch up to the high beam position it flashes. It does the same in the bottom position but it's then flashing on low beam. In the middle position the light is on low beam but doesn't flash. Any ideas what is wrong with it? In the top position it does change to high beam but it's flashing. Thanks for any and all input. Peter

TimTyler · « **Reply #1 on:** September 10, 2015, 06:15:34 PM »

I'd start by taking the switch apart and cleaning it.

PeterJC1966 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 10, 2015, 06:32:42 PM »

Thanks Tim

Can you give me some details on how to take it apart and clean it without damaging it. Thanks Peter

TimTyler · « **Reply #3 on:** September 10, 2015, 06:43:19 PM »

Have a look around this site:

http://www.motobrick.com/index.php?topic=297.0

When you disassemble the switches just be careful you don't lose any of the bits.

PeterJC1966 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 10, 2015, 06:47:51 PM »

I presumed and that's why I asked. Thanks.

PeterJC1966 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 10, 2015, 06:56:57 PM »

Hi Tim,

I read the post. The only mention relating I see is from Mystic Red saying his switch wouldn't go into high beam. Mine does go into high beam but it blinks when it should just be high beam in the top position.

PeterJC1966 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 10, 2015, 07:04:49 PM »

Also I'm reading about spraying WD-40 is it possible that alone could solve the issue without taking it apart and it is safe to spray it and not have to worry about shorting something out?

TimTyler · « **Reply #7 on:** September 10, 2015, 07:09:21 PM »

There's a single phillips screw on the bottom of the switch assembly. Remove it and the switch will come apart. (pull down and back gently)

Look inside and see if it needs cleaning. You can remove the small phillips screws inside and access the contact points. Just don't let any of the pieces fall out.

WD40 is not a cleaner, it disperses water. Use an electrical contact cleaner followed by dielectric grease.

The Mighty Gryphon · « **Reply #8 on:** September 10, 2015, 10:53:45 PM »

The only contact cleaner I would use in there is DeOxit. There are a lot of electrical contact cleaners out there that have solvents in them that will MELT your switch parts. They are not labeled as such, and by the time you have found out you have the wrong one it's too late. How do I know? I destroyed a $350 short wave radio with some of that crap.

billday · « **Reply #9 on:** September 11, 2015, 07:54:07 AM »

My turn signal cancel switch stopped working. I flushed it out with WD40. Works great now.

johnny · « **Reply #10 on:** September 11, 2015, 08:01:39 AM »

greetings...

the best thing to use is dehydrated water... just spray it in there... causes no whack cause its not wet...

j o

gazman · « **Reply #11 on:** September 11, 2015, 08:11:39 AM »

Having" been there done that" 2 pieces of advice I could give are . . . #1 when taking it apart do it inside a container ( wont loose those pesky springs) And #2 when you do loose a pesky spring, one out of an old BIC lighter cut to size works a treat. Oh yeah that dielectric grease is good shit, use it.

PeterJC1966 · « **Reply #12 on:** September 11, 2015, 08:20:58 AM »

So here are 3 questions. One my vision sucks these days and I'm worried about loosing the springs. Am I able to just back the screws off and somehow clean the contacts? I bought the Deoxit last night on ebay and permatex dielectric grease. They won't come until next week. Do I just spray everything with the deoxit and then apply dielectric grease to all the contract points? I've never screwed around with a switch before.

gazman · « **Reply #13 on:** September 11, 2015, 09:54:58 AM »

If your eyes are good enough to ride I'm thinkin they work good enough to fix this. Just hold it together with one hand an take the screws out with the other then s l o w l e y remover the cover so it wont explode in your hand. . . .. remember how it goes . . . . pull it apart . . . clean. . . grease. . . . reassemble.. . done. Don't let fear hold you back. Do it now clean it best you can, then do it properly when you get your products. Everythings easyier 2nd time round

The Mighty Gryphon · « **Reply #14 on:** September 11, 2015, 10:15:33 AM »

It's been a while since I did mine, but I recall that I didn't have to take it apart. It's open enough to get the DeOxit into where you need it. Work the grease in gently with a toothpick and you should be good to go without the chance of losing any tiny parts. Heck, you can do it right on the bike without having to pull the tank to get at the big connector, although at some point you will want to do the contacts there, too.

PeterJC1966 · « **Reply #15 on:** September 11, 2015, 11:29:02 AM »

Ok so I've done some more reading and the rain let up here today so I had some time to play around with the bike. In the reading I did I learned that I probably have a European bike. The switch on the right control has a 0 or shutoff position. From what I've read they were only supposed to be in Europe because of the mandatory headlight on all the time in the US. On the dash there is a switch which looks light a light, 2nd from the right. Of course it's no where in the manual to identify what it is. I did however find one on ebay iit says it's a light switch. It does nothing when pushed. I removed it today and tried jumping across the solder points on the wires in back but nothing changed with the headlight. I investigated the left switch that blinks further as well. In the bottom position it returns to the center (neutral position) when let go. At the top it stays locked in place. In blinks both at the top and bottom. In either position it turns on the blue high beam light in the instrument cluster. I did take the switch apart and looked at the contact points made when the switch is moved and it appears to me that it's doing what it was intended to do. I think it is supposed to stay blinking in the top most locked position. My next thought is that the switch on the dash is as it's listed on ebay, a light switch and that it is the high beam switch. I built a house for the last 3 years so I left the bike un-ridden. I hadn't ridden that particular BMW all that much in the 4 years I had it prior. I DID have a high beam I just can't remember how I got it to operate. Pictures of all switches are attached. Again I think based on the way it's functioning and looking inside that the left blinking switch is operating properly.

TimTyler · « **Reply #16 on:** September 11, 2015, 11:36:14 AM »

Is the high beam blinking with a consistent frequency, or does it blink like there's a bad connection?

PeterJC1966 · « **Reply #17 on:** September 11, 2015, 11:38:33 AM »

It's very constant Tim. Again I think it's functioning correctly and so my main question at this point is the switch 2nd from the right on the dash in the picture a high beam switch?

PeterJC1966 · « **Reply #18 on:** September 11, 2015, 03:15:44 PM »

The person who has a listing on ebay with this switch (the one on the dash 2nd from the right) says it was only on the naked K bikes and was for optional fog lights. I have a naked K and the switch but no fog lights.

The Mighty Gryphon · « **Reply #19 on:** September 11, 2015, 03:31:45 PM »

Do you have a headlight flasher on your bike? There is a module that is sold that goes on the back of your headlight bulb that flashes the high beam during the day. A photo cell senses nighttime and stops the flashing. I suspect you have one of these modules on your bike. Can you get a photo of the back of your headlight?

PeterJC1966 · « **Reply #20 on:** September 11, 2015, 08:04:43 PM »

Holy shit! Hats off to the man in black. Ding ding ding ding we have a winner here folks. So let this fall into the realm of what an idiot I feel like/wtf is the manual deaf on this issue. So the genesis of all of this was changing the angle of the headlight. As I said in a previous post I had laid the bike up for 3 years while building a house and just started riding it again. Also I hadn't ridden it much in the 3 years prior I had it either especially at night. Anyway what I didn't know until late this afternoon from the last post was there might be a daytime flasher in the headlight. I waited for dark tonight and bang high beam. I had been at a friends house last week and we tried to adjust the headlight in his garage to be able to see it during daylight. Evidently there was enough light in the garage to cause the blinker to go. I didn't get back to trying to figure it out until yesterday and again today. Both times of course during daylight so I could see clearly. YIKES! Why couldn't the manual just say daytime high beams blink??? I am extremely glad for all of the assistance. I went so far as to buy a set of PIAA 910 driving lights yesterday. I'm still going to put them one because I'm not satisfied with the amount of light the high beam throws. One good thing that came out of all of this is I learned the light switch on the dash is for fog lights. Since I don't have foglights on the bike it's already pre-wired and switched for the PIAA's I'm going to put on. The last thing I'll ask about is the headlight bulb. Currently I have a PIAA 60/55w which claims to be the equivalent of 110/100w. I found and bought a Japanese NOS 80/80w which claims to to 135/115w. Is it safe to use that bulb or will it melt anything. I'd like to have a brighter bulb but I don't want to damage anything. AGAIN TO EVERYONE, THANKS!!!

The Mighty Gryphon · « **Reply #21 on:** September 11, 2015, 08:24:53 PM »

The high beam flasher is an aftermarket item that was probably added by a previous owner. Because the flasher isn't a BMW part it won't be mentioned in your owner's manual. Since it's inserted between the headlight bulb and the connector it is simple to remove.

PeterJC1966 · « **Reply #22 on:** September 11, 2015, 08:50:49 PM »

Well the bottom position of the left switch is supposed to make it blink which it does during the day. At night it doesn't. It shakes down this way. During the day the top and bottom positions both make the high beam blink. The top position is stagnant and stays in place. The bottom position returns to the middle (neutral) when released. At night both are high beam. The bottom position though it's supposed to make it blink doesn't.

The Mighty Gryphon · « **Reply #23 on:** September 11, 2015, 09:09:17 PM »

The bottom position of the dimmer switch doesn't make the head light blink. It is a momentary switch that turns on the high beam only as long as it's held. It is used to momentarily flash the high beam. It's used, for example, to signal an oncoming driver to dim his high beams. Push it, the high beam comes on, release, the high beam dims back to the low beam. No blinking if it is held down. As mentioned above, the blinking is a function of an aftermarket flasher module that a previous owner installed in the back of the headlight.

The Mighty Gryphon · « **Reply #24 on:** September 11, 2015, 09:23:11 PM »

You probably have one of these installed on your bike:

http://kisantech.com/mag/index.php/pathblazer.html?p=1

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Author Topic: K100 High Beam Flashing. I'm not able to use my high beam. (Read 12265 times)

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