brake light problems

[Tyler Oxton]

ok so heres where im at so far. my running light works but when i hit both the front and rear brakes they dont illuminate. checked the brake/horn fuse. its fine. started checking with ohlm meter. at the metal tab at the rear brake no power on the actual brake part. power on running light. test at the connector near where ur rear master cylinder is. again no power getting to the brake wire. Now from here everything is inside the harness. can someone please help me out on what to do next....

 

[dallasb]

Are our bulbs dual filament? If they are I'd start by replacing the bulb.

 

[Tyler Oxton]

already done that. bulb is good. assume that im not a complete idiot. and not getting power there to start as i stated...

 

[Tyler Oxton]

sry if i just was an ********. not my intentions dallas. just super frustrated with it right now. got too much goin on to deal with it sorta thing. but my apologies. i still need suggestions though

 

[dallasb]

Its cool man. I just got done working on my brothers bike that had a short in the ignition switch. I completely understand the frustration. When we were tryign to figure out what wire was shorted I just would bypass one wire at a time until I figured out which one it was. I know it long and tedious but I really didn't want to take out the wiring harness.

 

[Riderdie]

Not that this will help your situation but I'm having the same problem but only with the front brake. The rear still lights up. No loose connections or blown fuses. Just need to find some time to take it apart and put it back together... For some reason that usually works.
I'm wondering if my switch which the lever presses is bad.
Tyler have you looked at or found the wiring diagram for the lights? Might help narrow the problem a little more.

 

[Tyler Oxton]

ok got mine fixed. had a wire the burn a connector. just bypassed it and it now works fine. thanks for the help. and good luck riderdie. just get an olhm meter and check. but that kinda sounds like it could just be a front brake switch

 

[gpion]

Same problem here no power both switch

We're was your problem coming from ?

 

[thrstrmech]

had a wire the burn a connector

which connector? don't stop there, trace it back to see what caused it to happen in the first place, you may have put a band aid on for now and it could happen again...cause and effect, you found the effect, now find the cause if you can

 

[Shawns]

The wire you bypassed should be fused with the same size the original circuit required. Was the burned wire the result of it rubbing on something? It is possible that the fuse in the box was the wrong size and the wire burnt through at the weakest point due to a dead short. If the terminal at the connector is loose this will cause excessive heat and can melt the connector. Remember these puppies shake like bitch. If that is the case you would be better off replacing the connector and the pins inside. In some cases you can purchase better connectors that won't give you these issues.

 

[liran]

Hi guys,
i'm so frustrated from this issue...
so i noticed a few days ago that only the tail light is working and when i hit the brake (both of them) nothing happens...
after googling it for a week and trying all of that:
1. change the bulb
2. change the bulb to LED bulb
3. electrical connector spray

i understood that it's not the reason for why it's not working.
i also took the front brake lever switch off, and tried to directly connect the two pins, then the brake light came on. so i tried a random switch that i had and it worked at well when turning the switch on but the rear brake won't initiate the brake light so i also detached the connector below the sit, directly connected the two pins and it also worked.

at that point i can't understand what's the source of the problem. i do have a multi-meter at home, but i'm not sure where i should check and what's the result i should get.

help. please. i'm desperate.

 

[TPEHAK]

Check Brake-horn fuse.

Also check key switch relay.

If it is OK just open service manual, find main harness wiring diagram and follow the wires from brake light and brake levers switches to understand how it works. Then use your multimeter to check continuity between wires where it should be. Once you will find the area without continuity, start narrowing it until you will find the issue. You can also take a shortcut and check if there is a 12V current between ground and Brake-horn fuse when switch key is ON to make sure the wires and relay before the fuse are OK.

 

[TPEHAK]

-check if there is 12V between Brake-horn fuse and ground when key is ON (just hit your horn button, no need to use multimeter, your horn will check relay and fuse simultaneously)
-if it is OK turn OFF the key and check continuity between ground of the motorcycle (or ground of battery) and black wire on the brake light or brake light plug
-if it is OK the issue is here, check the brake light wires continuity

This picture is for 2009 Buell XB 12 Scg. You need to find service manual for your motorcycle. The wires color might be different, but the circuit configuration is probably the same

It is very easy shouldn't take more than 5 min to find the issue

Also check the light bulb socket itself, probably even before checking the wires, the issue might be right there.

Also check the bulb itself, maybe before the wires too.

 

[user_deleted]

Hi guys,
i'm so frustrated from this issue...
so i noticed a few days ago that only the tail light is working and when i hit the brake (both of them) nothing happens...
after googling it for a week and trying all of that:
1. change the bulb
2. change the bulb to LED bulb
3. electrical connector spray

i understood that it's not the reason for why it's not working.
i also took the front brake lever switch off, and tried to directly connect the two pins, then the brake light came on. so i tried a random switch that i had and it worked at well when turning the switch on but the rear brake won't initiate the brake light so i also detached the connector below the sit, directly connected the two pins and it also worked.

at that point i can't understand what's the source of the problem. i do have a multi-meter at home, but i'm not sure where i should check and what's the result i should get.

help. please. i'm desperate.

liran: contrary to all the jibberish above the key switch relay and other assorted mumbo-jumbo has no bearing whatsoever on your very simple problem. all of your brake components including the F&R switches are nissin items. your front brake switch is a simple button circuit switch....your rear switch is a pressure modulated switch.
if i'm understanding you correctly you removed the front switch and replaced with a generic spare and you then had functional brake light? if that's correct simply replace the OEM switch. readily available....crosses over to many jap bike applications...only a few $. be sure it is mounted correctly and that the lever tang just barely touches the switch button when installed.
again if i'm understanding you correctly you went thru same procedure with rear pressure switch and got a functional brake light? correct? the pressure switch is either clogged or faulty. remove it and replace. again readily available and reasonably priced. you can try spraying cleaner into the fluid port, blowing out with compressed air, and reinstalling to see what you have but it's a hassle and i prefer to just replace it.
lastly....closely check your harness to rear tail light plug under the seat area. it's susceptible to dirt and corrosion and if compromised you'll have no brake light. IF YOU NEED the part numbers for front and rear switches i have them.