83 Aero 50 No Lights

[mbilderb]

I have finally started putting the 83 Aero 50 back together and no lights are working. The battery is brand new and fully charged. all connections are made except where noted below. The bike starts with a kick and the display and bright indicator light work. I have been able to check and see that all lights work when connected to the battery, except the headlight. I cannot get it to show or even to indicate resistance with a multi-meter (but that may be my incompetence).

It appears that the turn signal relay is missing. Will this prevent all other lights working? Since a relay for this model is difficult to find, will any other year or anything else work? It is a 12 volt relay right?

The starter button causes no reaction.

When running the horn does not work.

The stop run switch does work, but the bike will start regardless of the position of the key. Is the key supposed to impact the running or just lock the steering and control lights?

Any help in determining the cause and solution to this will be appreciated.

matt

[mousewheels]

I have finally started putting the 83 Aero 50 back together and no lights are working. The battery is brand new and fully charged. all connections are made except where noted below. The bike starts with a kick and the display and bright indicator light work.
Gauge lamp and Hi beam indicator says AC stator used to power the Headlight output is ok

I have been able to check and see that all lights work when connected to the battery, except the headlight. I cannot get it to show or even to indicate resistance with a multi-meter (but that may be my incompetence).
--
If checking upstream of lamp connector contacts - get a reading there & verify lamp is ok. Headlight switch has been an issue on a few of my scooters.

It appears that the turn signal relay is missing. Will this prevent all other lights working? Since a relay for this model is difficult to find, will any other year or anything else work? It is a 12 volt relay right?
Flasher will only impact turn signals. An automotive flasher will work ok. With your scooter running, do any of the signal lamps light?

The starter button causes no reaction.
Brake needs to be pulled and brake light circuit needs to be working. It powers the 'high side' of the starter relay coil
Starter button pulls the 'low side' of starter relay coil to ground.
If starter relay does not 'click' check relay coil drive, and the relay itself.

When running the horn does not work.
Check horn switch first, horn and it's ground

The stop run switch does work, but the bike will start regardless of the position of the key. Is the key supposed to impact the running or just lock the steering and control lights?
"Off" position of the ignition switch should keep the CDI from generating a spark

Any help in determining the cause and solution to this will be appreciated.

matt

[mbilderb]

Thanks for the tips. Fortunately, it was a case of the lowest denominator. The connections at the multi connector were corroded. I began by checking everything for continuity, and added an auto turn signal relay. Some checked out and some didn't. I checked the key and found they positions matched for continuity, which I found odd since the engine would start regardless of position. When I pulled the mulit connector, I found it had been jammed in overlapping the bottom. So, I pulled each connector off, checked them and gave them a light coating of lithim grease. Everything works now, except the headlight.

I purchased a second headlight off of ebay, and remarkably, it was as bad as my existing headlight. I got out the propane torch, melted the solder and replace the bulb with an H3 bulb, soldering on a ground wire. I now have a single beam headlight, until I find a replacement.

[bradthreee]

I have a few left over parts from an 84 aero 50 if you're looking for anything

[CaptonZap]

Thanks for the tips. Fortunately, it was a case of the lowest denominator. The connections at the multi connector were corroded. I began by checking everything for continuity, and added an auto turn signal relay. Some checked out and some didn't. I checked the key and found they positions matched for continuity, which I found odd since the engine would start regardless of position. When I pulled the mulit connector, I found it had been jammed in overlapping the bottom. So, I pulled each connector off, checked them and gave them a light coating of lithim grease. Everything works now, except the headlight.

I purchased a second headlight off of ebay, and remarkably, it was as bad as my existing headlight. I got out the propane torch, melted the solder and replace the bulb with an H3 bulb, soldering on a ground wire. I now have a single beam headlight, until I find a replacement.

That is quite interesting! I just got an 83, and the headlight was soldered in with a torch, screwing up the reflective silvering on the inside of the reflector. I assumed that a PO had done the dirty deed, but your statement makes it sound like that may have been a factory fix. There are some holes in the reflector that look like a wire retainer could be inserted, to hold a bulb into the reflector. Did you get the scooter used? Does anybody know how the stock bulb was retained in the reflector?
IMWTK CZ

[mbilderb]

I have a few left over parts from an 84 aero 50 if you're looking for anything

Please let me know what you have. I am up and running, but I am finding non-oem parts everyday on this bike that I want to replace.

[mbilderb]

Thanks for the tips. Fortunately, it was a case of the lowest denominator. The connections at the multi connector were corroded. I began by checking everything for continuity, and added an auto turn signal relay. Some checked out and some didn't. I checked the key and found they positions matched for continuity, which I found odd since the engine would start regardless of position. When I pulled the mulit connector, I found it had been jammed in overlapping the bottom. So, I pulled each connector off, checked them and gave them a light coating of lithim grease. Everything works now, except the headlight.

I purchased a second headlight off of ebay, and remarkably, it was as bad as my existing headlight. I got out the propane torch, melted the solder and replace the bulb with an H3 bulb, soldering on a ground wire. I now have a single beam headlight, until I find a replacement.

That is quite interesting! I just got an 83, and the headlight was soldered in with a torch, screwing up the reflective silvering on the inside of the reflector. I assumed that a PO had done the dirty deed, but your statement makes it sound like that may have been a factory fix. There are some holes in the reflector that look like a wire retainer could be inserted, to hold a bulb into the reflector. Did you get the scooter used? Does anybody know how the stock bulb was retained in the reflector?
IMWTK CZ

I had two headlights, the one I purchased on Ebay was bad too; so I wasn't too worried about screwing it up. A stock bulb essentially is made to look like a sealed beam headlight. It has three wires coming off of it and it essentially is a two way bulb stuck through the reflector and soldered out the back with three wires on it, then the front glass must have been attached.

I got the idea from another thread on this board that showed someone using a propate torch to melt the back of the solder on the back of the reflector, then breaking the bulb once it was loose, dumping out the broke bulb and soldering in a small car headlight. I used JB Weld to fasten the bulb to the reflector.

It sounds like someone already modified your housing to allow the changing bulbs.

[geezer101]

I got the idea from another thread on this board that showed someone using a propate torch to melt the back of the solder on the back of the reflector, then breaking the bulb once it was loose, dumping out the broke bulb and soldering in a small car headlight. I used JB Weld to fasten the bulb to the reflector.

I was forced to modify the sealed beam on my SE50 in a similar fashion, but instead of permanently fixing a H3 globe I used my hobby grinder to cut a hole big enough to mount a H4 halogen car globe. I cut the retaining clip and globe socket from a broken car headlight I got for free from a wrecker and soldered it onto the back of the modded Elite headlamp case. The H4 halogen kills the old sealed headlight for performance and if it fries out, all I need to do is pull the lamp out and unclip the blown globe (now it's a 5 minute job!). Yes the soldering of the globe socket did make the reflective lining peel - I gave the affected area a light polish with some metal compound and a soft cloth (as best I could). A trade off for never having to hunt a replacement headlamp - ever...

[bradthreee]

I have a few left over parts from an 84 aero 50 if you're looking for anything

Please let me know what you have. I am up and running, but I am finding non-oem parts everyday on this bike that I want to replace.

Just off the top of my head I know I have a good seat with no tears in it, a complete engine, a complete carb, and a few other things I need to dig around for to see exactly what I have. Anything in particular you are looking for?