I installed a kuryakyn smoked, laydown LED tail light and chrome license plate holder this morning.

I never noticed there were 2 tiny bulbs under the directionals chrome crossbar....

I cannot tell if they are working or not, but they appear to be inop. Is there a sensor that illuminates them during darkness, or are mine just dead?

My manual was no help other than providing part numbers for the bulbs.

There are 2 allens to remove the cover to remove the bulbs. But, even after I removed the screws, the cover didnt want to come all the way off so I could change the bulbs.

Any trick to this? are the bulbs ez to replace for the license plate?

 

Never replaced them but those bulbs are wired into the tail light (aka running light) circuit. My guess is that your bulbs are fine but you disconnected them when wiring up your new tail light. Recommend you check your wiring before trying to disassemble your directional crossbar.

 

Looks real nice!

 

the only disconnect in installing the kuryakyn was to unplug the old tail light, and install the new tail light into the same socket. The control module installed under the seat has 2 switches - one for using the outer chevrons of the tail lights as blinkers, and the other to pulse the stop light when first braking, or keep the brake light steady when braking all the time (DOT Mode).

Soooooooo....what could I have disconnected? I should note that I never noticed if the plate bulbs ever worked.

 

Sorry, mine's an '11 so the wiring is different. Could be bad bulbs if you never noticed them before. Could also have something to do your new LEDs interfacing with existing tail light circuit. Not familiar with the Kuryakan setup you have but others with LED tail lights have had to add load equalizers, etc. for proper operation. Those would likely be included in the underseat control module.

Understand the taillight was plug and play. What about the control module - did you have to splice any wiring to plug it in?

 

First, the license plate lights are LEDs, not light bulbs. There in not a "Cover". Just the sealed LED assembly. It can only be removed from the turn signal bar when the bar is off the fender.
Second, the LEDs are powered from the tail light. You may have inadvertently unplugged the license plate LEDs when installing the other light.

 

That makes sense.....NOT taking that turn signal bar off again tho...major PITA...I have large hands.

BUT again...I did not inadvertently unplug anything. All ports under the tail light are connected. as is the module under the seat.....that is an in-line assembly...so unless the module itself is faulty (doubtful), then I am still thinking the LED bulb assemblies for the plate are inoperative....

the kuryakyn tail light has ONE pigtail plug that plugs into the port you remove the stock one from.

 

How exactly did you take off the signal bar without disconnecting it or disturbing the connector? Since you previously removed the signal bar, that's most likely when/where the problem was introduced.

Sounds like you don't make mistakes and have no desire to troubleshoot it so your choice is simple: Live with no plate lighting or pay someone to fix it. Good luck!

 

Unplug the module under the seat and reconnect stock configuration and check plate lights.

 

Sorry Sparky....didnt mean to come off like dat

I checked the wiring before putting the bar back on and it looked ok. I just now noticed that when I installed the laydown tail light there was a step I skipped....yup I SKIPPED IT - BONEHEAD!!!!!!

Basically it said to take the power wire and ground wire from the connector above the tail light connector....cut them from the connector, determine which is power, and splice into a supplied pigtail that plugs in line with the tail light harness. Blue on new connector being power. So I go out and do this (in darkness with a small flash light in my mouth just like my old Navy days working on aircraft on the flight deck during darken ship condition). My meter is fried so I took a 50/50 guess as to which was power...I lost and popped the fuse. Replaced that, and tried again...still no lights on the plate. THEN a small red "caution" says check lights with engine running.....great.....so I replace the fuse, reverse the wires, and fire it up...no license plate lights still.

Wondering if I popped 2 fuses....

I have my connector all set with butt splices now...everything cleaned up and borrowed my friends meter. Will have a go in the morning.....but will dwell on it all night

I wonder if I just should have left the two wires I cut in the original connector, and then fired the bike up to check lighting....UGH...didnt do that. I used to be a very step by step troubleshooter, but older age and patience, and other factors have me jerkin myself around.

I did try twisting wires together in every combo I could do, but still not plate lighting....

If ANYONE has installed a Kuryakyn laydown smoked LED tail light and can tell me exactly what I need to do to get my plate lighting back on...please feel free.

The worst thing about all of this is I never recall conciously checking my plate ligting ever before - bike is used and I have owned it for 3 months.

HELP...and sorry to Sparky