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[Twolanerider]

I'm trying to find my phone.

Uh oh; where's my beer!

[Twolanerider]

Ok, we learned a little.  We didn't solve anything.  But we learned a little.

With both ballasts plugged in to the headlight sockets on the bike the lights fire but the garage door opener does not work.  It seems to not function at all.  Not an electronic interference issue keeping the receiver from hearing the transmitter.  Just no transmission.

Unplug the ballasts from the main harness's headlight sockets and the GDO works fine. 

Plug either ballast in to the low beam socket and the GDO works fine.

Plug either ballast in to the high beam socket and the GDO does not work.  It's in no way cumulative -- does not work with either single ballast plugged in to the high beam socket and nothing in the low beam socket.

The ballasts are attaching to the harness downstream from the connection of the harness to the GDO.  So I can't immediately think of anything else to cause what's happening.  I know the headlight and GDO harness connections are different on Dave's newer bike than on my 05 but I don't have a schematic here newer than 05 so can't look to see what's what and where it all ties together.  Dave traced his connections back and it appears polarity is correct on all the connections he's making.

Anyone familiar with the newer bike's headlight connections got any ideas?

[CVORick]

Isn't the low beam always on no matter what, which would give you a battery and ground path for the opener to work?  Not sure, just asking.  It would seem when you plug in the high beam you are either opening the ground path or shunting battery.  Would be interested to know if you figured this out and what the vendor suggested.  Would like to install these lights also.

[1abastarsmda]

Isn't the low beam always on no matter what, which would give you a battery and ground path for the opener to work?  Not sure, just asking.  It would seem when you plug in the high beam you are either opening the ground path or shunting battery.  Would be interested to know if you figured this out and what the vendor suggested.  Would like to install these lights also.

No, I have not figured it out.  The vendor's technical support consisted of the woman that answered the phone in customer service and she was absolutely no help whatsoever.  She seemed to be a bit impressed that I had a garage door opener in the first place.

[kraut]

I'm wondering if something like this item could make the problem go away.  http://www.ddmtuning.com/index.php?p=product&id=130&parent=94

nice part, it could make your problems go away indeed - finally:

"Warning: Some vehicles may have reverse polarity. Reverse polarity can cause a BOW to explode. We recommend wearing safety glasses and closing your hood before testing the BOW on your vehicle."

Wonder how much of a shelter a fairing may provide

[CVORick]

nice part, it could make your problems go away indeed - finally:

"Warning: Some vehicles may have reverse polarity. Reverse polarity can cause a BOW to explode. We recommend wearing safety glasses and closing your hood before testing the BOW on your vehicle."

Wonder how much of a shelter a fairing may provide

Yeah.  Thank goodness HD does not have a "Bulb Out Warning" unit.

[CVORick]

1abastarsmda,  Find the fix yet?

[1abastarsmda]

1abastarsmda,  Find the fix yet?

No. 

[1abastarsmda]

I changed the ballast on the high beam to a completely different one and now the garage door and all lights work fine.  BUT, there is a loud electrical humming noise when the high beam is on now.  If you look at the photos that I posted earlier in Reply #3 to this thread (I'll try posting the same photo below again), on the left side of the photo there is a wire that comes from the ballast with a relay half way down the wire and at the end of that wire, it splits into 2 connectors that connect to the headlamp.  The relay on the wire that I'm talking about is just below and to the right of the speaker on the left side of the photo.  If I pull that relay as far away from all else as possible while still hooked up, the humming noise goes away.  How can I shield that relay and wire to stop the interference?  I tried wrapping it in aluminum foil, but it only helped slightly.  I didn't even know if that was a legitimate way to try to make it go away.  I'm getting no interference in radio signal or anything like that.  There's nothing that I can do to even keep it as far out as it has to be pulled, since once the fairing goes back on, it will be tight against everything again.  Any suggestions?

[CVORick]

Did a lot of Google searching about your issue.  The weird thing is that even the $500 plus dollar MOCO HID version is only for the Low Beam.  Only found that the HID ballast can cause interference to the FM section of radios (move the antenna as far as possible from ballast, like 3 to 4 feet) and sometimes induce noise on the positive side.  Glad you came up with a solution, but it seems the cure is just as bad.  When you say "different ballast" do you mean another brand?  There are metal EMI shields, like your foil, but you might have to shield the wires as well as the relay.  Does the relay produce more heat when you shield it with foil?  Definitely a concern.

[1abastarsmda]

Yes, it's a different brand ballast this time.  As I said, there is no interference with the FM radio.  I did just figure something else out.  It's that relay that's making the noise.  The only reason the noise is a little less with the foil on is because the foil is blocking the sound.  I also found out that it's louder when I first switch to high beam and then it's not really very loud at all.  I don't even think I would hear it with the fairing on, and definitely not with the bike running.  The only thing I'm worried about is frying everything or a fire starting.  I didn't check to see if it gets hot, but I'll turn it on for a bit and check it out.  It's not like I ever have the chance to leave the high beams on for any length of time to start with, but I'd sure like to know if I have a potential problem if I ever left them on by mistake in the daytime for a while.  I have yet another ballast that should be here tomorrow or the next day...I hope...and I'm going to hook it up and see if it does the same thing also.  I WILL GET THIS DOWN TO A SCIENCE BEFORE THIS IS ALL OVER!

[hdbrad03]

Maybe that is why some light kits cost $17.50 and some $300.00?? Maybe we have too pay to stop the inteference. Kinda like paying to Mod our Bikes so they will run cooler. Only saying.

 
     Brad

[1abastarsmda]

Maybe that is why some light kits cost $17.50 and some $300.00?? Maybe we have too pay to stop the inteference. Kinda like paying to Mod our Bikes so they will run cooler. Only saying.

 
     Brad

No arguments there.  I'm definitely finding inconsistencies amongst these el cheapos.

[skreminegul07]

You really cannot see the high beam in the dual config that I've noticed.  I had to argue with the guy doing the motor vehicle safety inspection due to that.
I bought high quality HID from xtralights and it caused interference with the Tune Trapper antenna internal to the fairing.  Had to go to the external shortie.

[1abastarsmda]

   It all works now!  I disconnected it all and put it back together again and now everything works as designed.  Something must not have been making a good contact somewhere, but the lights work, the garage door opener works, and the humming noise is gone.  All I need now is to receive the new bulb in a different color temp for the low beam...the one I have in there is a bit too blue for my taste.  I haven't tested the high beam outside at night yet, but there seems to be a big difference on the garage wall.