Interstate Pod lights

[Steve-L]

I have a new to me 99 IS that has the Honda OEM pod lamps. I had a dealer put on new front/rear tires and install a new battery.

I got home yesterday and noticed that the Pod lights stopped working. I figured that they probably either didn't connect a hot lead back at the battery, or maybe blew an inline fuse. Of course these lights were not factory installed, so it may or may not have been wired correctly.

So anyway, I pulled both sidecovers and the the seat and all the battery connections and inline fuses I can find are okay, I pulled the throttle side pod and it looks okay but no voltage at the lamp. I didn't have time to pull the clutch side Pod, the one with the on/off switch, but I'll dig in there tomorrow. I know I need to find where the power for those lamps is and it is probably fused near there. I thought it might be back at the battery, but I haven't been able to identify any broken wires, or disconnected wires, and fuse holders. I did check all the fuses in the box under the sidecover on the throttle side and they are all good.

Any suggestions? Any idea where/how these lamps are wired to power? Assuming someone followed the directions maybe. I do have a volt-ohm meter and am capable of using it.

Thanks for any advice.

Steve

[Jess from VA]

Cannot know how yours are wired, but here are the original directions (scroll down, 2d from bottom).
http://www.valkyrienorway.com/download.html

[Steve-L]

Jess many thanks, the wiring was probably part of the kit, so it should help me trace this back.

Thanks!

leave it to Dag.

[cef2lion]

If yours has the original Pod light harness. The instructions show one lead of the harness goes to the battery. If they replaced your battery I would check that connection first.

The other lead of the harness goes to the accessory connection under the right side cover. There is also a relay in the harness.

[Steve-L]

If yours has the original Pod light harness. The instructions show one lead of the harness goes to the battery. If they replaced your battery I would check that connection first.

The other lead of the harness goes to the accessory connection under the right side cover. There is also a relay in the harness.

I tore into this AM and was able to trace all of the connections in the wiring diagram that Jess pointed out to me, back to their proper points. The Batter connections were correct and all seemed wired properly with the 4 pin connector going to the ACC Power Relay, and then two other wires going to the female ACC connectors.

The fuse on the main battery connection is fine, and all seemed solidly connected. (what a rats nest under there!) I could hear the ACC Relay click when I actuated the FOG on/off switch, but I pulled the left/clutch side Pod and was getting no voltage to the switch and down to the lamps. The FOG switch just actuates the Power relay and then the other two leads of the Power relay supply the power with thicker guage wire to the lamps. After convincing myself that I had everything connected properly and all good connections, I pulled the power relay cleaned it to no avail. Finally I used a set of needle nose pliers to simulate the closing of that relay to the 3&5 pins and viola, let there be light. The relay is bad and even though I hear a click, it's not making contacts over 3/5 to apply power to the lights.

I'm guessing either I just noticed this after the work I had done and it had already failed, or somehow when they installed the battery they caused the relay to fail.

Either way, no one in the area has one, but it's a pretty common part. Honda number 39793-SE0-004 Mitsuba RC-2201. Amazon.com, $45 and $3 next day shipping. With tax to state of Mass about $53 bucks.

I'll confirm that was the fix, but I'm quite certain it is, given the ability to simulate the switch providing continuity to the lamps and them lighting.

Many thanks for the pointer to the original install directions off Dag's site, and also to cef2lion.

Now to close it all up for now.

[Paladin528]

Is it just a Bosch type relay or a different type.  Bosch types can be had off Amazon for quite cheap.

[Steve-L]

Just a basic releay, a coil/resister in parallel on one side wired to the FOG switch and low current, that actuates the relay that is connected to the battery and high current for the lamps themselves.

I thought of going for a generic switch, but I wasn't sure about the mechanical connection, values of the input impedance and all that techy stuff, so I ordered the generic Mitsuba RC-2201

[Paladin528]

I use the 30 amp bosch type relays for everything even if it is overkill.  I am currently putting together a junction box that contains 3 smaller 20Amp relays that will connect to a switch box on my brake reservoir.  This will power Fog lights, Accessories and other lighting.  The junction box will mount under the fairing.  This will make for a clean install with minimal wiring.

[Steve-L]

Please take pictures of that if you can find the time. I'm looking under the side cover of mine and it is a mess. The previous owner had once been rear ended, so he installed long LED strip below the Tourpak, and LED directionals. This caused him to tear into the wiring harness and tap into the barke light wires and add some small modules right there.. what a mess. As if the Valkyrie didn't have enough wiring in there. I may tear into that this winter and see if I can clean it up a bit.

[Paladin528]

Shows the internals of 3 Relays common power to all 3 for load and commpn power to all 3 for coil.
This setup done so the grounds are switched and not the power.


Load side of the box.  Red is main power in and 3 yellow are load out



Trigger side.  coil power in from accessory circuit and 3 ground wires going to a switch box on the Brake reservoir.

[Bone]

What got my attention in the bottom picture was the petcock was left in the on position.

The wiring looks nice.

[BigBad1]

The fuse on the main battery connection is fine, and all seemed solidly connected. (what a rats nest under there!) I could hear the ACC Relay click when I actuated the FOG on/off switch, but I pulled the left/clutch side Pod and was getting no voltage to the switch and down to the lamps. The FOG switch just actuates the Power relay and then the other two leads of the Power relay supply the power with thicker guage wire to the lamps. After convincing myself that I had everything connected properly and all good connections, I pulled the power relay cleaned it to no avail. Finally I used a set of needle nose pliers to simulate the closing of that relay to the 3&5 pins and viola, let there be light. The relay is bad and even though I hear a click, it's not making contacts over 3/5 to apply power to the lights.

Above you said that you can hear the relay click when you actuated the fog light switch but there was not any voltage at the switch. Sorry but that is not possible. This switch would have to have voltage in order to trigger the relay. Are you positive that there was not any voltage at the switch? Or maybe you heard an echo from the switch while actuating the switch and though maybe that was the relay clicking. If you do not have power going into the switch, there is no way it will trigger the relay. [Power flows from the switch to close the relay. That would be the clicking noise at the relay.] I am not sure of the terminal numbers on that relay but if 3 and 5 are for the high amp and trigger terminals, by using pliers to close the circuit and having the lights to come on, you have verified that the relay is working properly.  If there is not any power to the switch, your fuse for the accessory terminal is most likely blown. (This is where the two bullet type connectors are connected under the right side cover). This is a 5 amp fuse that is located in your fuse box towards the rear of the bike under the right side cover.  You said you checked the inline fuse. That is the circuit that powers the lights but did you check the fuse that powers the switch/triggers the relay? If you have power going to the switch but not coming out of the switch, you have a bad switch (fairly common problem for the pod switch).  If you have power going to the switch and coming out of the switch, then you most likely do have a bad relay. I think your 5amp accessory fuse in blow or the bullet connectors at the accessory terminal are not connected properly. Let us know what you find.  

[Steve-L]

The fuse on the main battery connection is fine, and all seemed solidly connected. (what a rats nest under there!) I could hear the ACC Relay click when I actuated the FOG on/off switch, but I pulled the left/clutch side Pod and was getting no voltage to the switch and down to the lamps. The FOG switch just actuates the Power relay and then the other two leads of the Power relay supply the power with thicker guage wire to the lamps. After convincing myself that I had everything connected properly and all good connections, I pulled the power relay cleaned it to no avail. Finally I used a set of needle nose pliers to simulate the closing of that relay to the 3&5 pins and viola, let there be light. The relay is bad and even though I hear a click, it's not making contacts over 3/5 to apply power to the lights.

Above you said that you can hear the relay click when you actuated the fog light switch but there was not any voltage at the switch. Sorry but that is not possible. This switch would have to have voltage in order to trigger the relay. Are you positive that there was not any voltage at the switch? Or maybe you heard an echo from the switch while actuating the switch and though maybe that was the relay clicking. If you do not have power going into the switch, there is no way it will trigger the relay. [Power flows from the switch to close the relay. That would be the clicking noise at the relay.] I am not sure of the terminal numbers on that relay but if 3 and 5 are for the high amp and trigger terminals, by using pliers to close the circuit and having the lights to come on, you have verified that the relay is working properly.  If there is not any power to the switch, your fuse for the accessory terminal is most likely blown. (This is where the two bullet type connectors are connected under the right side cover). This is a 5 amp fuse that is located in your fuse box towards the rear of the bike under the right side cover.  You said you checked the inline fuse. That is the circuit that powers the lights but did you check the fuse that powers the switch/triggers the relay? If you have power going to the switch but not coming out of the switch, you have a bad switch (fairly common problem for the pod switch).  If you have power going to the switch and coming out of the switch, then you most likely do have a bad relay. I think your 5amp accessory fuse in blow or the bullet connectors at the accessory terminal are not connected properly. Let us know what you find.  

Yes, I misspoke. Sorry about that. What I meant to say was there was no power on the lamp leads (output) of the relay, but there was low current voltage to the relay, which as you say, it wouldn't work or click otherwise.

And yes, you're right about the 5amp ACC (2nd from the bottom in the small fuse box under the throttle side side cover) fuse also needing to be checked, as I blew that once trying to determine which pins were the FOG switch side and which pins where the high current side.

And right again on the Relay being bad. The new one arrived yesterday and put it in and works like a charm now.

I was surprised, that I would hear it click but the lamps didn't work, but it may have been self-inflicted. When I first got the bike I had one faulty intermittent fog lamp and couldn't get the 35W so I opted for Autozone 50W. Then I read here that going to the higher wattage may have caused heat problems for some, so I sourced and replaced with the correct 35W. I wonder if when I had the higher 50W ones in there, I maybe pitted the contacts inside the relay due to the higher current. Hence hurringing the failure of that relay.

[Steve-L]

Shows the internals of 3 Relays common power to all 3 for load and commpn power to all 3 for coil.
This setup done so the grounds are switched and not the power.


Load side of the box.  Red is main power in and 3 yellow are load out



That's a very cool unit and keep that all together in  one contained box. Where are you locating that to mount on the bike?

Trigger side.  coil power in from accessory circuit and 3 ground wires going to a switch box on the Brake reservoir.

[Paladin528]

Petcock is always ON.  There is an electric fuel valve under there.
The box will be mounted under the fairing as will an accessory fuse box to cover the accessories. Mounting specifics are not worked out as yet as I need to fit an amplifier under there as well.

[Steve-L]

Petcock is always ON.  There is an electric fuel valve under there.
The box will be mounted under the fairing as will an accessory fuse box to cover the accessories. Mounting specifics are not worked out as yet as I need to fit an amplifier under there as well.

Cool solution. Using the fairing space is a great idea to clean up all that wiring inder the seat.