Modern Vespa

I generally keep some of this:

https://www.amazon.com/UNI-Foam-Filter-Oil-UFF100/dp/B0022ZN68Y

It seems to work just fine.

That should work. Thanks

Castrol.

Another basic question because I've never dealt with oiled filters on my P200s. How often do you spray the filter and do you spray both sides? Do you saturate the filter?

Foam filters are a type called ´centrifugal´filter. The air is forced to take tightisch corners to pass though the open structure foam.
The idea is that particles will be slung to the outside by ... yes the centrifugal force.
If the filter material is ever so slightly tacky, the particles will stick to it.
Thus very lightly oil the foam, best lightly spray both sides and massage it in and let it dry. It just needs to be tacky.
Only need to re-oil after rinsing it, thus whenever clean fliter is required.

Thanks Petrus. That's just what I needed to know

I need to replace both tires so I will be removing both wheels at the same time. I'm thinking I will put a jackstand under the front wheel and secure the scooter with straps to my lift.

Is that the way to do it or is there a better way?

The underseat bucket upside down under the floor makes for a stable support.

I wouldn't have thought that the underseat bucket would be strong enough but that's good to know. Thanks

Especially one that is 40+ yrs old.....

I HATE having extra parts!

I had to take the wheels of my ET4 so I removed the exhaust and when I moved it to a shelf, I found two black washer-things under the scooter. I have no idea where they came from but I'm thinking I should probably put them back. Can someone please tell me exactly where they go? Maybe on the long bolts that hold the actual muffler to the frame?

I passed on the Pet Carrier suggestion Znomit and am blocking the scooter with a foot stool. So far, so good.

Everything on my "new" ET4 works except for the two headlight bulbs. I pulled one of them, an Osram 8, and it appears to be good... I have continuity through the filament,,, so it appears that power is not getting to the bulbs. I'm not familiar with Twisties so could someone suggest where I should start looking and what I should be looking for?

I should add that I'm not very good with the electrics on these things... Twisties or Shiftys.

Thanks

The washer came from the exhaust. Where the exhaust bolts to the head. It won't kill anything that they're not installed.

Long bolt might be exhaust! See any loose spots behind the fan housing?

Never worked on an ET4, but the LXs had relays hidden behind the Legshield. Is the battery good? Relay might have gone or the fuse that powers the relay might be popped?

Battery is good and the fuses next to the battery are also good. That's why I'm stuck.

I'll see if I can find a relay. I'll also see if I can find an ET4 wiring diagram

You can find one here on the MV wiki. Also other references for the ET4.

https://manuals.wotmeworry.org.uk/Vespa/ET4/

Full disclosure, I am a not a Twisitie Guy but I'm fairly competent on some of the Shifties but even with Shifties I have a terrible time with the electronics. I just don't understand them.

I found a wiring diagram for my ET4 but I'm not very good at reading it so I don't really know what I should be looking for

I don't know what a relay looks like MJRally so I'm wondering if it is in any of the attached pics.

Does anyone see anything obviously wrong in any of the pics... like the female connector in the first pic that isn't attached to anything?

Any thoughts?

The white box is a relay! Either the starter
Motor or the headlight relay. How they work is when it gets 12v voltage, a electro magnet powers up and lifts up a contact. That contact makes a complete circuit and allows different power to flow. 12v power off, and the connection is broken.

So the battery makes the contact close but the AC off the stator actually does the work. Look on YouTube and see if you can find a how to test a relay video. Then try the one pictured.

Aww crap! I replaced the white relay but I still have no headlight and I don't know where to turn next. The larger bulb, on the right, is good and I think the one on the left is too. (Are these High Beam/Low Beam or is the one on the left something else?) Is there another relay, or maybe another fuse that I don't know about? If so, where might that be?

Can someone help me with this please? I'm really stuck.

As a Shifty guy, I'm having a little trouble working on this 2005 ET4 simply because I'm not familiar with the Twistie systems. For example, the two bulbs in the headset are so different from each other that I have to wonder if they are actually high beam and low beam bulbs or if they are something else. Can someone clarify that for me please?

Both bulbs seem to be good and I've replaced that one relay but I still have no headlight and I don't know what I am missing. Can someone suggest what I should try next?

I haven't studied this whole thread (TLDR). Do you have voltage both TO and FROM the dimmer switch?

I don't know. I haven't gotten that far into the headset.

To save you the trouble of reading the entire thread, I'll summarize by saying that I've been riding and wrenching old P200s for more than 10 years and I know my way around them pretty well. I'm not a mechanic by any means but I've learned enough to keep my old Shiftys running. My weakness though is the electronics. I don't know much about how it all works and I often need help.

Now, I've picked up this virtually new 2005 ET4 which has been garaged for more than 15 years and I'm getting it running again. Everything is working now except for the headlight and that's why I'm asking for help.

I was hoping that there might be a bad relay or bad fuse someplace that I can't see but if no one can answer that for me, I guess I'll check the dimmer switch once I figure out how to gain access. I'm thinking that everything should be working since the scooter has only 106 original miles on it.

Thank you for the synopsis!
I think that age would be a far larger factor than mileage in this case. Sitting around for 19 years would indicate some bad/corroded switches and/or connections, even if it were kept in ideal conditions.

Good point. I've been lucky so far in that every other switch works. I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and tear into the headset... once I find out how to do it. Thank goodness for YouTube

Could someone tell me please if these are the high beam and low beam bulbs.

I think the bulb on the left is the primary with maybe the little parking lamp hooked to it. Bulb on the right looks newer, so maybe an aftermarket high beam?

If you have a multimeter, check for resistance through each bulb (unplugged). There should be continuity through the high to ground, and low to ground, but not high to low.

OR If you have a 12V battery, rig up some wires off it and test the bulbs with that. They either light up or they don't.

I think the one on the right is the low beam and the one on the left is the high beam.

Your headlight should switch on when you start the engine and it is running. It does not come up when you only switch on the ignition.

When the engine is running the headlight should be always on, there is no switch to shut the light down. The only switch you have is between low and high beam.
I do not have an ET4 but I would expect that this switch will be at the left side of your steering rod.

Yes, that's the same as with Shiftys... the headlight runs of AC only when the engine if running. I think I'll follow MJ Rally and Olde Riders suggestions and trace power back from the bulbs to the dimmer switch.

I was hoping that someone would say "Did you check the fuse behind... (someplace) but I guess it's not that simple. Damn!

Your scooter did only run for 106 miles. There cannot be anything really wrong with it. On the pictures you shared I also do not see signs of corrosion. Everything seems to be in good condition.
So I expect it will be a simple problem.

You could first check if your generator is working.

Measure the voltage over the battery.
It should be a bit above 12V with the engine off.
Then start the engine and rev it. You should see the voltage rising to some 14 - 14.5V.

If that is the case the generator is working and is loading your battery.
Then you can start following the wiring up to your front light. There must be an interruption somewhere, maybe a connector that is loose.

If that is not the case and voltage stays at some 12V then the generator is not working, at least not delivering power. I do not expect it to be broken considering the low mileage.
Then you can follow the wiring from the generator to the battery. Also there I expect you will find a loose connector, something like that.

Yes PeterCC, I'm getting 12 volts with engine off and 14.5 with engine on so generator appear to be working. There has to be an interruption someplace along the circuit but I haven't been able to find it.

I've come up with two solutions though for now. First, I'm putting this scooter, along with my two Shifites, up for the Winter and Second, in the Spring I'll only ride during daytime.

Well, while that would be the easiest, it's not the best solution, so I'll trace down the wiring problem but not until it gets warmer.

Indeed, the generator works fine. No problem with that.

So there must be an interruption.

I would not advice to run it during the day without headlight on. All motorcycles have the headlight on. Running without it may lead to car drivers thinking you are on a slow bicycle and that could be dangerous.

After winter recess.
You can split up the wiring in your testing. You already replaced the headlight relay. With the engine running check if current gets to the relay. Measure it in AC and in DC to be sure what contacts get power. If nothing is there then the problem is in between engine generator and relay.
If you find good reading it is in between the relay and the headlights.

You are almost there. I am sure you will find the culprit.
Success.

Headlight working!

After replacing the relay and extensively studying the wiring diagram, I've got the headlight working again.

Ok, in the sense of full disclosure, I was getting ready to replace the highbeam/lowbeam switch but found that just jiggling the switch back and forth half a dozen times, cleared whatever crud had built up over the past 15 years of sitting. Now it works properly in both positions.

Ok, ok, ok, in the sense of REALLY full disclosure, it was my brother-in-law who jiggled the switch and got it working, not me. Damn!... I'm going to be hearing about that for years!