200x lights

[110klt]

OK this is what I have. My headlight works both high and low beam. My tail light does not. Started tracing wires with an OHM meter, Both the Brown and green wires that look like they run the lights show good continuity from the tail light socket to under the gas tank and also to the 2 connectors that go to nothing in the headlight assembly. cleaned the socket, got a new rear bulb, ect. Tried to read DC voltage on the wires and I can't get my meter to read anything. I know somewhere I am doing something wrong.

Any help?

110KLT

[Flyingw]

Put your meter on AC. The stator is an alternator not a generator. On the tail light, the brown wire is power and green is ground. Read both from brown to green and brown to frame.

[110klt]

ok I can do that, I get that it's an altenator but I thought that the rectifier converted it to DC? Guess I don't fully understand how the system works then.

[110klt]

OK I tried it and I got AC voltage. almost 30 volts reved up a little?????? Isn't there a regulator on this thing??? Why isn't my ignition fried???? Getting around 7-8 volts at idle.

HELP, 911, S.O.S., WTH..........................

[Flyingw]

Ok, on the 250R and 350X, there is what people call a regulator. Its not a regulator but a shunt meaning the AC voltage generated by the alternator varies depending on RPM. that voltage can vary from about 11.5VAC to upwards of 50VAC at full throttle. The purpose of the shunt is to cap the maximum voltage at 13.6VAC. On the R or the X, if the shunt is bad the lights will go real bright then burn out when you rev the throttle. This is because the voltage is way over what the lights are capable of handling.

Now, in the case of the 83-85 200X there is no shunt. The natural resistance in the wiring and bulb filiments acts as the shunt. With that said, if one of the bulbs has the filiment burnt through, that shunt effect decreases and voltage increases usually causing the other bulb to blow because the voltage exceeded what the good bulb can handle. Its a very basic lighting system. On those type systems, if you blow one bulb, you might as well replace both bulbs at the same time so with all this said, the readings you are getting is not unreasonable.

In the case of the 86-87 200X, Honda installed the same shunt used on the 250R and 350X.

As for your ignition system, its totally independant of the lighting system. Two different coils, different wires, different controls.

[110klt]

OK you just made my whole day, so cheers to you bud.

And this is why....... Guess you can't leave the headlight unplugged with the multimeter plugged in and expect the voltage to be correct. That is why I was getting high voltage. I plugged the light in and everything was just fine.

And now I have a working tail light......... Thank you.

Could have never done such a simple task without all this valuable information.

You made my day, thanks again.