Parking lights work but not the tail and riding light??

Missenden Tim

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What I mean is that the lights work fine when the key is turned to parking lights but if I turn the switch on the bars to sidelights the front riding light and rear tail light don't come on even though it's the same bulbs - any ideas at all please??
 
So, 2001 R1150GS - Sounds like either the switch or a wiring fault under the tank.

Presumably the tail & brake lights work OK with headlights?
 
The tail light and parking light should be on all the time the ignition is on. It’s a safety function.

The only thing that is different between the two applications, ignition on and parking lights on, is the ignition switch itself as the wiring leaving the ignition switch is identical for both applications.

I suspect you have some corrosion inside the ignition switch.
 
The tail light and parking light should be on all the time the ignition is on. It’s a safety function.
.

Not on a 2001 model. When the ignition is on the parking lights run off the light switch on the handlebar ..
 
Not on a 2001 model. When the ignition is on the parking lights run off the light switch on the handlebar ..

I stand corrected.

Nevertheless.

The power for the tail and side lights still comes from the ignition switch and it’s internal contacts.

In P the ignition switch internal contacts switch power direct from the battery line to the tail and side light.

In IGNITION ON, the power is fed from the load relief relay through the light switch back to the ignition switch and then across a separate set of internal contacts out to the tail and side light.

So It could still be a broken contact or corrosion inside the ignition switch. But more likely to be the light switch.

If any of that makes sense………:D
 
Interesting thank you. I opened up the right hand switchgear and it all looks in very good condition but I gave it a good squirt of contact cleaner but no difference.

Thinking about it the ignition switch has become very difficult to turn to the steering lock and park settings so there must be something wrong in there so I guess I'll have to get someone to put a new one on any idea the best place to go to get one please?
 
If anything, it’s likely to be the electrical switch unit which is a separate item attached to the bottom of the key assembly.

Part No 61322306103.

But it could also be a broken wire leading to it. There was a big problem with the ignition switch harness in the early days. The manufacture cable tied the loom to tightly to the headstock preventing the loom from flexing with the steering causing wires to break.
The fix was to remove all the cable ties allowing the loom to flex with the steering. But a stressed wire will overtime break. So it might be worth checking just in case.

But if you’re experiencing difficulty in turning the key then it does point to the internal contacts of the switch.

If it was me, I’d be checking the switch out electrically and cleaning it prior to dismantled it to see if I could repair it before considering replacing it, but that very much depends on your skill level.
 
My skill level is low. Small update. I just noticed that the handlebar light switch does turn on the instrument lights when on the middle/running light setting just not the rear light and running light so i guess that's another indication the ignition switch area is at fault?
 
My skill level is low. Small update. I just noticed that the handlebar light switch does turn on the instrument lights when on the middle/running light setting just not the rear light and running light so i guess that's another indication the ignition switch area is at fault?

It is a good indicator, but it could also indicate to a poor wiring. The connector blocks under the tank at the headstock are not water proof and can and do corrode. You proved the right hand switch gear block is OK because the instrument lights illuminate (same power) So it might be worth checking the 8 way orange connector block which is the ignition switch harness. A good way of clearing corrosion on the contacts is to break and make the connector blocks a few times.

Wiring loom ———connector block———ignition switch Harness
Red—————————-2—————————-Red
Green————————3——————————Green
Grey/Blue——————-6—————————-white or grey /blue
Grey—————————-7—————————-Grey
No connection ——————————————-violet

The feed from the ignition switch to your lights is Grey (7) and the feed in from the light switch to power the lights under normal condition is Grey/blue (6). So with ignition on and lights on you should be looking for power at 6 which should go through the ignition switch out to 7. Then on through fuse 2 to the tail and side light.

Try flexing the ignition harness to see if you can get the lights to flicker, which would point to a broken wire.
 
Do I have to take the tank off to do that do you think?

To get to the connector then yes, but to flex the cable loom no, as it’s accessible on the left hand side of the headstock.

To change the ignition switch and loom you would have to take the tank off anyway.
 
You can remove the ignition barrel by inserting the key, turning on the ignition, then inserting a small pick or jewelers screwdriver into the small in the front of the ignition unit about half way up next the ridge that runs down the front. Then you can pull out the ignition barrel and clean out the bottom of the ignition unit where the steering lock is located. The electrical switch on the bottom of the unit can be removed by picking away the spot of red sealer on the R/H side of the ignition barrel, inserting a very small flat bladed screwdriver and undoing the small grub screw. With that removed the white plastic section of the electric switch at the button of the unit can simply be pulled out.
 
My skill level is low.

That is awkward, as it’s difficult to know what to suggest. Maybe best left for someone better skilled to diagnosis and repair for you.

There is a small work around (bush fix) you could try without being too invasive, and you wouldn’t need to lift the tank. It would require you to remove a portion of the black sleeving on the ignition loom harness to expose the wires.

Locate the grey/blue or white/blue wire ( not sure of the master colour, but there is only one wire with a blue stripe). Get a dress makers pin and push it through the wire so that it makes contact with the copper core. This will allow you to check for power at that point or working your way back along the wire until you do. Once you establish you have power (assuming broken wire) and as a temporary fix. You could push the same pin all the way through the Grey wire. Joining the two together electrically and and then Cutting off any excess exposed dress makers pin, then taping the join, making sure it’s well taped. This will electrically connect the tail and side light circuits together via the pin, bypassing the ignition switch connections for the light circuit. You will still maintain full functionality including parking lights.

This will Buy you time to sort out a more permanent fix, assuming you need the bike.

Well you have just about got all the information you need, either changing the switch or affecting a temporary repair/bush fix. Let us know how you get on.
 
That is awkward, as it’s difficult to know what to suggest. Maybe best left for someone better skilled to diagnosis and repair for you.

There is a small work around (bush fix) you could try without being too invasive, and you wouldn’t need to lift the tank. It would require you to remove a portion of the black sleeving on the ignition loom harness to expose the wires.

Locate the grey/blue or white/blue wire ( not sure of the master colour, but there is only one wire with a blue stripe). Get a dress makers pin and push it through the wire so that it makes contact with the copper core. This will allow you to check for power at that point or working your way back along the wire until you do. Once you establish you have power (assuming broken wire) and as a temporary fix. You could push the same pin all the way through the Grey wire. Joining the two together electrically and and then Cutting off any excess exposed dress makers pin, then taping the join, making sure it’s well taped. This will electrically connect the tail and side light circuits together via the pin, bypassing the ignition switch connections for the light circuit. You will still maintain full functionality including parking lights.

This will Buy you time to sort out a more permanent fix, assuming you need the bike.

Well you have just about got all the information you need, either changing the switch or affecting a temporary repair/bush fix. Let us know how you get on.

:thumb ..
 


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