Headlights cut out above idle - '09 Super 8 150

[spongella]

Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum, and would like to say hello to all my Kymco brethren, and currently own a green/black Super 8 150, great machine. It was purchased new last June and has 700 miles on the clock with no problems....until now.  Perhaps someone has had this problem: at idle, both my headlamps are on, but when I give it some throttle the lights will brighten up a bit, then go off.  Then, when back at idle, the lights come back on.  Perhaps the problem was there even when the scoot was new, I just never noticed it as I don't drive at night.

A bit of an odd problem it seems.  Since there are no shop manuals out there (?) the only guess is that there must be a bad diode or some type of voltage regulator for the head lamps that has failed.  The tail light and other lights are fine, so it must be in the circuit of the headlamps.

Well I guess a trip to the dealer for some warranty repairs is due, but I would at least like to defer to my fellow brethren's expertise and knowledge as to what it could be.

Thank you very much for reading.

Sincerely,

Spongella

[art]

  That is kinda odd, There is a relay of sorts that will dimm your lights when starting so you are not draining the battery and once generator kicks in should go bright. At least on my s200.
  You got the right idea though take it to the dealer while under warrenty and welcome to the forum

[art]

Maybe looking for this.   http://www.scribd.com/doc/18011837/Kymco-People-125150-EN#key27yq3qrjubzfrdtc79sy]Kymco People 125-150 EN

[art]

 Don't know how that happened just trying to post a link    Oh well there ya go.

[sidthesloth]

Hey art, that is the best link you can post, the book is there and usable. Zombie did that with one as well, I have no idea how, but, hey, its great.

[sidthesloth]

G'day spongella, welcome to the forum, I don't know of that problem personally, but I know someone had the same problem a few months ago. From memory it was the voltage regulator. Sorry I can't help you more than that, but if you look through, you may find the thread. In any case, if still under warranty, then your dealer will fix it for you.

[art]

 Ha I just realized its for the people but may cover what you need. Have no idea how I did it and not sure if it should be here oh well  

[scootergrisen]

Are you sure that both headlight bulbs are working ?
On my Kymco Super 8 (50 cc 4 stroke) is one of the headlight is blown i can get the other headlight to light for a moment but it will shut off after 2 seconds.

So first of all i would check and see if both the short and long light is not blown in both headlight bulbs.
Then remove the connectors and check for rust on the lightbulbs, light control box, voltage regulator, cdi and fuses.
If all the connections are fine i think you have a problem with the voltage regulator or the CDI.

On my scooter after 2 years of use the front light would just turn off... then later turn on by its self... later on and so on.
It might be the problem you are haveing but i was not able to trigger the error it just come and go.
Aynway the solution in my case was a new CDI.
The CDI needs to generate a pulse signal to the light control box and for some reason that signal was not made all the time. Without this signal the light control box (which control the front light) will shut off the front light.
Another Kymco Super 8 have reportet the exact same problem... also after about 2 years.

you can measure the signal from the CDI to the light control box if you like.

This is the light control box. The extra wire i connected to the CDI and on the wire it is suposed to get the pulse signal.


Here you can se how at one time the pulse signal is there.... and then... no signal without changing anything. The error is in the CDI in my cause.

[spongella]

Well thank you all for the comments and information.  Well this morning I figured I'd just start with the fuses, just in case.  One fuse (15A) was cracked, but was still working, the other two (7A) were fine.

Interestingly, the owner's manual says the fuses are rated at 10 and 7 amps, but my scoot has 7 amp (2 of them) and a 15 amp fuse where the 10 amp should be.  Even the replacement fuse is a 15 amp. 

The headlight control unit idea seems to be the most probable cause, or it's connection to the CDI.  I did see one post about the People 200 (250?) having a headlight control connected to an output on the ignition coil.

Electrical problems are always interesting to troubleshoot.  But without a wiring diagram it is harder.

Well to the shop it goes since it is under warranty.  Sure wish I could work on this one myself, but better to let the dealer do it, this way there is no charge.

Again thanks for you help.

Spongella

[sidthesloth]

Yeah, while under warranty let them fix it, its free. Let us know how you get on. It will help someone else further down the line.

[scootergrisen]

I think there was also a bit of a mismatch with my three fuses but i use 10 ampere for all three fuses now.
One of the 7 ampere fuses would fail over time and got hot enough to melt the plasticholder but would not get so hot as to burn the fuse in a normal way.
So after a long time the fuse would eventualy fail and this have happend 2 times now with that 7 ampere fuse so i now use 10 ampere.

Heres som files for the 50 cc and 125 cc and i think its the same for 150 cc.
electrical diagram : http://scootergrisen.dk/scooterhjemmeside/download/super8_eldiagram.pdf
user manualen : http://scootergrisen.dk/scooterhjemmeside/download/super8_brugermanual.pdf
servicemanual : http://scootergrisen.dk/scooterhjemmeside/download/super8_servicemanual.pdf
spareparts : http://scootergrisen.dk/scooterhjemmeside/download/super8_reservedele.pdf

Also because i have a Kymco Super 8 i have taken alot of pictures of my scooter which you can se on my website : http://scootergrisen.dk

You can just click around and look and if you want to understand the text there a link to google translate on the right side where is say translate.

[speedy08]

my headlight did the same thing, I turned the idle up just a bit and it solved the problem, after a few hundred miles from new things may need some adjustments, you should go over your scooter from time to time as screws and bolts do come loose, good luck with your s8.

[spongella]

Scootergrisen:

Wow, a real service manual, and parts catalog!  Hey thanks, have been looking for a service manual with no luck.  Even wrote to Kymco Headquarters down South but no luck. 

On another subject ......I tried to locate touch-up paint or spray paint for the green/black Kymco Super 8.  After many e-mails to dealers around the country, google searches, and a trip to my local dealer the word was that there is no paint available for the flourescent green panels.

Next I went to the local NAPA parts store, they said they could match the paint with some type of special paint reader, then put it in cans for me.  That was an option, but I had to go back at a certain day of the week for them to do it, so in the interim I found that Krylon makes a green fluorescent paint that is close, not an exact match.  I used it to paint some of the retaining screws, washers, and oil dipstick holder to balance out some of the green on the lower part of the scooter.  Maybe I'll take some pics and post them.

Thanks to all for your helpful tips. 

Spongie

[scootergrisen]

Your welcome.

I think i have misunderstod your light problem after reading what speedy08 writes.

When the engine is idleing below a certain RPM the front light will dim... not turn off but dim.
It might look like the frontlight is turned off but it just dossent shine so bright. Look into the front light to se for yourself.
When you twist the throttle a little bit the light with come on at full brightness again.

This is not a fault. Its totally normal.
If it is a problem for you, you can turn the idle screw on the carburetor clock wise a little bit. This will increase the idle RPM.
There is a hole in underneath the seat so you can adjust the idle screw.

What happens is that when the engine is running at very low RPM... the light control box senses this and instead of sending the normal 12 volt to the front light it will only send 6 volt. This will make the front light dim so it will only be half as bright as normal.
The reason why it does this is to advoide the engine from stopping.

You can try this yourself by turning the light on and off manualy and notice how it affect the engine at idle.
If the light are on the engine will have a harder time running it self.
When the lights are off the engine will run more easyly and will not as easyly stop at very low RPM.

[spongella]

Well it is in the shop today for warranty repair, I will report back when they find the problem.  The headlights turn off when the engine speeds up, luckily I don't drive at night.  Thanks for all the help.