Brake light problem

[Skid]

Greetings All,

Just on the off chance that I may have missed / done something really obvious.

Lights off = front and rear brake lights work fine, though not particularly bright.

Lights on = front and rear brake lights doesnt seem to come on. However, when I took the rear light lense off, it is illuminating the upper filament in the bulb, but its barely visible. It almost seems like the brake lights are stuck on though, the rear light is so bright?

In a normal double filament stop lamp bulb, is it the upper or the lower element that should illuminate when the brake light comes on?

It almost seems like the wrong elements are illuminating for the brake light / tail light.

By the way, all I've done is swap the front brake hoses for stainless and take it for a brief test ride with some gentle, then some abs cutting in firm braking.

I cant be 100% sure but I think that the brake lights were working fine previously? I normally check them with lights off first and the with the lights on again.

The bike has HID fitted to the front dipped and main beam.

Just want to check that its not something really obvious before I have to pay someone else to try and fix it. Electrics are beyond me I'm afraid.

Any ideas appreciated. Cheers Skid

 

[NeilDD]

If you have the servo ABS then when the tail light filament goes, it uses the brake filament at half power the give tail light.

Just buy a new buld and try this first, as it will onlly cost you a couple of quid at most.

HTH

 

[Skid]

Hi NeilDD,

Thanks very much. I should have said that its not the servo ABS (its a 2001 ABS normal model).

I have tried another new bulb and sadly this hasn't made a difference.

Cheers anyway.

 

[NeilDD]

Hi Skid

In that case, first thing to do is look at the back of the bulb holder, is is rusty and gunged up?
If that's OK then we're into wiring problems that are hard to diagnose at distance.

If you have the standard GS then you can remove the tool tray and see the wiring to the rear light, try carefully disconnecting all connections, cleaning them and re-assembling.

Best of luck
Neil

 

[Skid]

Okay Neil,

I'll give it a look when I get back from work tomorrow hopefully.

Cheers

Skid

 

[oneeleven]

Check to make sure you haven't put the bulb in the wrong way round?
Regards Paul.

 

[Myke Rocks]

Check:

Almost certainly a bad earth.
Easy to check.with cover off light, take a piece of flex and run it from the battery negative to the outside of the lamp. Just touch the metal case of the lamp and if everything works ok you have a bad earth on the lamp.
Note that I am using the correct technical term. Bulbs are things you plant in the ground and they grow.
Myke

 

[Marlou]

Note that I am using the correct technical term. Bulbs are things you plant in the ground and they grow.
Myke

Bulbs grow and lamps glow