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This rattle is taking all the fun out of riding

Discussion in 'XJ Technical Chat' started by leaningleft, Aug 23, 2008.

  1. leaningleft

    leaningleft Member

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    Any idea's on how to fix or why my headlight is rattling.I've took it apart and tightened everything a few times not that anything has been loose.The bike is running great but this noise is driving me to drink.I just put a hand on the light and no rattling.It's fine when on the throutle then rattles when coming off.As we come so intuned to the sounds of our bikes this is destroying my fun and my liver.
     
  2. mlew

    mlew Well-Known Member

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    Are you sure it is the headlight. Your speedometer can make rattling noises also. My neighbor had a similar problem and spent many hours trying to fix the noise in his headlight, it turned out to be a bad speedometer. Sometines the spedo cable can make noies too. Check your exhaust headers they can also rattle at times driving you nuts.
     
  3. leaningleft

    leaningleft Member

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    One of my first checks was the cables.Exhaust is solid so can't see that as causing a rattle.Have checked the rubber mounts as well.just a light touch on the headlight and it go's away.
     
  4. KrS14

    KrS14 Active Member

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    Possibly something in the aiming adjustment for the headlight?
     
  5. Captainkirk

    Captainkirk Member

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    My guess would be either the "ears" which attach the headlight bucket to the forks, or something INSIDE the bucket rattling. Process of elimination.
     
  6. wizard

    wizard Active Member

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    check spring # 12 that it has not rusted & stopped performing.
     
  7. MN-Maxims

    MN-Maxims St. Paul Minnesota

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    I had to do this on my bike. Up on the center stand she went. Then I put a jack under the engine just enough to get it off of the floor. I took a rubber mallet and bonked the front tire so I could see what was going on. It was a bad rubber under the Headlight stay. Hope this helps. Good Luck
     
  8. RickCoMatic

    RickCoMatic Well-Known Member

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    I had a noise like that ... that drove me crazy, too.

    I thought it was the headlight because that's where I heard the noise coming from.
    Plus, the noise was GONE when I took-out the Headlight and road-tested it listening for it and any other noisemakers.

    It wasn't the Headlight!
    It was a Quick-connection in the birds nest -- behind the Headlight -- that was tapping up against the back of the light and causing me all that grief.

    I put some Plastic Tie-wraps in the birds nest holding all the Harness Connections together in a tight bun-wrap and that was the end of that story!
     
  9. leaningleft

    leaningleft Member

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    All great idea's and i'll give it a full going over in the morning.I'm sure this will be the end of the rattling headlight and getting back to enjoying the ride.Thanks all
     
  10. Robert

    Robert Active Member

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    You can try some weather stripping on the connector bodies to quiet things down as well. VW used this stuff and it worked great.
     
  11. leaningleft

    leaningleft Member

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    Took it all apart.First found the spring to be very weak.Don't think it was a stock spring. Looks like something madeup.I'll go to the auto parts store tommorow and find something better.Tie straped the wiring in the light bucket up.With pulling the spring out and the tie straping it sounds much better but i know with a better spring that will be the end of the rattle.Thanks all
     

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