Headlight Relay, cheaper alternative?

[mattcfish]

Looking for a replacement headlight relay for my /6. Don't want to pay the BMW price, seems like identical replacements for the little silver cube are out there and have been discussed. Is there something I can pick up at the local auto parts shop?

[melville]

I had a heckuva time finding one and eventually just got the genuine article from Hucky. There are similar relays at your FLAPS, but they seem to have only one switch inside, with the park lights and headlight spades connected inside. If you run this sort of relay, your headlight will run off the park light circuit, backflowing through the relay. I'd worry about the combined headlight and parklight load on the parklight wiring.

Hella or Bosch relays of similar but wrong configuration were $15ish and Hucky gets $22 for the genuine article. It's the only electrical part I've ever seen with what appears to be a Kolbenschmidt mark on it.

[mattcfish]

Thanks. Looks like it's just a bad connection. But a spare relay would be something to have on long rides.
Too bad there isn't a common substitute.

[wirewrkr]

20 bucks is not that expensive for a factory part that under normal use, may go bad once in the life of bike. But that's just me.

[ME 109]

20 bucks is not that expensive for a factory part that under normal use, may go bad once in the life of bike. But that's just me.

Ya know what those old BMW riders are like tho'

[Rob Frankham]

FWIW,

The headlamp relay is a generic type and can be obtained from any decent auto electricians.

You are looking for a 'Dual make SPST (Single pole single throw) relay. This will have 5 connections marked 30, 85,86, 87 and 87b. There are a number of other types that are visually almost identical. One type will have a second 87 terminal and another, a 87a terminal in place of the 87b. Although they will fit the socket and are visually identical, these will not work right.

Regards

Rob