Headlight Puzzle

Grip Fast · Post by **Grip Fast** » Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:10 pm

The headlight bulb on my R1200S failed today while on a run. There was an error message "LAMPF!", so I called into the nearest Halfords and got a 2-for-1 deal on replacement H7s. Replaced the bulb and could see the old one was indeed defunct.

However, with the new bulb fitted, I still had the error message and still no light. I had a good hunt around for fuses, but found none related to the headlight. I had access to a computer, so did a quick search on line, and found a thread about electronic self-resetting fuses.

Time to head home a couple of hours later, and I still had no headlight, so set off on main beam only. Half way home, I noticed the error message had gone and sure enough, when I went off main beam, there was headlight

If this is how the self-resetting fuses work, I'm not impressed. Does this seem normal?

Grip Fast · Post by **Grip Fast** » Sun Nov 02, 2014 11:30 am

Ah yes, found the relevant section in the manual about self-resetting fuses (page 116). They are supposed to get reset automatically after the fault is fixed, by turning the ignition off then on again.

But in the case of the blown headlight bulb, it did not reset until during the journey home, after several ignition off-on cycles before I set off home.

It's going in tomorrow to get the recall check, so I will ask at the dealer.

** Dealer didn't know why that happened. "Probably a glitch with ECU"

Topcat · Post by **Topcat** » Mon Nov 03, 2014 10:28 am

I could be wrong but pretty sure the head light on my R12 does not come on until the engine is running so once its been changed, you have to start the engine for it to work? I’m sure I had the same thing happen to me, error message remained until bike started.

popsky · Post by **popsky** » Mon Nov 03, 2014 1:27 pm

Topcat wrote:I could be wrong but pretty sure the head light on my R12 does not come on until the engine is running so once its been changed, you have to start the engine for it to work? I’m sure I had the same thing happen to me, error message remained until bike started.

This was my experience

Grip Fast · Post by **Grip Fast** » Mon Nov 03, 2014 2:19 pm

Thanks Topcat and Popsky.

Yeh, that may be what happened, although I was sitting on the bike with it facing a wall, waiting for the engine to warm up a bit, and wondering if I should go for main beam or no lights. I didn't see any light reflected back from the wall and the error message was still present. But I don't know exactly when the error message went away.

So I'll put it down to possible operator error and forget about it until the next time a bulb blows.

Cheers all.