Brake electrical problem

[gordonv]

Had a problem today, turn signal on my trailer. Short story, found that my brake light wasn't working on the bike. Traced it to the 3 pin connector for the IS trunk lights.

Don't know what more to do.

I have power to the running lights into and out of the connector. But for the brake, I have power at the connector, but not out to the lights. I even tried a wire to jump from one side to the other, but no go.

Any more suggestions?

[gregk]

Gordon ,  no help but something to boggle your mind more an something to learn from this. Was a  83 Venture with trailer, found no rear lights up in Copper Harbour. Spent night at a campground. Had a meter along, could only scratch my head and headed to a Honda dealer in Hancock and they said they only know how to work on Hondas. I located a Yamaha dealer in Marquette Mi. And the wiz kid was at a meet in Green Bay an I would have to wait a day but be their at 8 Sharp. ,so I was there a bit early.  Now those bikes had the barrel fuses like on a car.  Had a dissuccison with Brain tech--- fuse is good had it out a couple times and the ears were good on the fuse.  He ruims it through his mind an no sheet he grabbed the ears an pinches them together an says see if you have lights. Yes!         He had some new ears an put them in.  He blew me away when he said even though they seemed good their was not enough tension on the fuse , this was pure BS , hard to believe but it was pure fact. After a cruise around Lake Superior an home again i was not going to let that happen to me again an built a fuse block to accept the newer style car fuses an trashed the fuse block that came with the bike.  Good luck to you.

[gordonv]

Was trying to pull the connections out of the connector, so I could singly plug them together. Thought also was a loose connection. But then I took a bare wire, plugged it in one end, and actually soldiered it on the other (the trailer leads where spliced in), and still noting.

Will try again, and might even go as far as making/getting a new wire harness.

[gordonv]

I played with this again today. Was able to remove the pins from the connector.

I plugged the brake lights into the running lights, and they come on. Nothing wrong from the connector back.

Take the meter to the main wire harness side of the connector, and check for voltage. Check, I get battery voltage when using the hand brake, nothing on the foot. 1/2 is working it would seem.

Again, try the brake lights, no joy. Try plugging in the running lights, and use them as brakes, no joy. I take out my Hyper lites LED lights, and using jumpers, quickly wire it in. It works on the hand brake, but barely lights up. Low AMPs???

Came back into the house to look over the wiring schematics to see how the brakes are wired, or how voltage is supplied to the lights.


Wiring comes in hot into the ignition, through the on switch, then out to the fuse block. Through the tail/stop light fuse, where it splits to the tail lights, and to the brake switches (front/rear).

I see nothing where there should be a drop of power on the brake side, that wouldn't affect the light side also. There are these boxes with letter/# in them, but I don't really know if they are actual connections, or just splits in the wires. SP2 and SP3.

http://www.rattlebars.com/valkfaq/schematics/rpage03i.html

I wonder if a dirty connector, or ignition switch could be doing this? I hadn't done anything to the bike, just noticed that the brakes where not working.

[big poppa pump]

I played with this again today. Was able to remove the pins from the connector.

I plugged the brake lights into the running lights, and they come on. Nothing wrong from the connector back.

Take the meter to the main wire harness side of the connector, and check for voltage. Check, I get battery voltage when using the hand brake, nothing on the foot. 1/2 is working it would seem.

Again, try the brake lights, no joy. Try plugging in the running lights, and use them as brakes, no joy. I take out my Hyper lites LED lights, and using jumpers, quickly wire it in. It works on the hand brake, but barely lights up. Low AMPs???

Came back into the house to look over the wiring schematics to see how the brakes are wired, or how voltage is supplied to the lights.


Wiring comes in hot into the ignition, through the on switch, then out to the fuse block. Through the tail/stop light fuse, where it splits to the tail lights, and to the brake switches (front/rear).

I see nothing where there should be a drop of power on the brake side, that wouldn't affect the light side also. There are these boxes with letter/# in them, but I don't really know if they are actual connections, or just splits in the wires. SP2 and SP3.

http://www.rattlebars.com/valkfaq/schematics/rpage03i.html

I wonder if a dirty connector, or ignition switch could be doing this? I hadn't done anything to the bike, just noticed that the brakes where not working.

Have you tried adjusting the switch at the rear brake pedal?

[gordonv]

I started too, but without the front brake switch even working, why bother? I need to just get the brake lights working first. Then I can see why the rear/foot brake isn't working.

[indybobm]

The little boxes with SP# are splices. Usually they are crimped connections. There could be a poor connection in  one. With a poor connection, without a load on the wire you can read 12 volts but with a load it would drop to zero or a low voltage. This would be after the splice in the circuit.  Check SP3, it feeds both brake switches through a black wire.

[indybobm]

Also the foot brake switch could be bad or misadjusted as suggested earlier. So you could have two problems. Having fun yet?

[gordonv]

Having fun yet?

Oh Ya!!

At least it is a continuous problem, and not an intermittent one.

I was looking for the wire from the rear brake switch, but lost it as it went to the LH side under everything. Figure I have to take the over flow and center cover off, to be able to track it over.

[gordonv]

It was the proverbial "Forest for the Trees".

Couldn't sleep so just got up early. Pulled the wires from the front brake switch and using my needle nose pliers, jumped the leads. Brake light came on strong.

Seems I have a faulty front brake switch AND a non functioning rear brake switch. Need to buy a new one.

Then it's time to look at the rear swich. I think I have a spare for that one, but I was working on the foot pegs, so maybe something came loose or it needs adjusting. I just wonder how long that one wasn't working?

Thanks for the suggestions, it was an issue of basics, just one thing at a time.