Tail light trouble
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Joined: May 2010
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From: St Louis MO
Tail light trouble
I recently put a smoked laydown tail light with a red led bulb on my bike and now the brake light doesnt get brighter when the brake is applied. I put the original bulb back in and it doesn't change either. The light stays lit as a running light but just wont get brighter when the brake pedal is pushed. She's an 04 superglide. Any ideas? Im thinking it might be a brake switch or something like that but don't know where to begin looking for it. This is my second Harley but the first one I'm doing all the work to myself I can turn the wrenches just need a little help with where to turn them. Thanks for your help.
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From: Ogden, UT
Did you rewire when you installed the taillight unit?
Compare your wiring to this diagram, it sounds like you have a wire missing, or you may have a bad brake switch, check wiring first.
Compare your wiring to this diagram, it sounds like you have a wire missing, or you may have a bad brake switch, check wiring first.
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From: St Louis MO
All i did was unplug the original bulb and plug in the led bulb. But once i found it not working i pluged original back in and it didnt work either, in fact it got just a faint bit dimmer when the pedal was pushed which the led didn't do.
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From: St Louis MO
Ok I called to company that sold me the led. He told me that the led brake light doesn't require a load equalizer only turn signals do to slow down the flash rate of the led. He thinks it was a bad bulb and is sending me two new bulbs at no charge!! What a great company!! They are are called Sorgys out of Bastrop Texas. The only thing that still concerns me is the original bulb doesn't work either. I'm checking the fuses after work so maybe that's it.
Last edited by reedster70; Jul 14, 2010 at 04:35 PM.
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From: Ogden, UT
Ok I called to company that sold me the led. He told me that the led brake light doesn't require a load equalizer only turn signals do to slow down the flash rate of the led. He thinks it was a bad bulb and is sending me two new bulbs at no charge!! What a great company!! They are are called Sorgys out of Bishop Texas. The only thing that still concerns me is the original bulb doesn't work either. I'm checking the fuses after work so maybe that's it.
The fact the stock doesn't work is a concern, I would figure that out before you install the new one.
Do you have a voltmeter?
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From: St Louis MO
Yes i do. You wouldn't happen to have a diagram of the fuse block would ya I can't find my owner manual?
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From: Ogden, UT
Not handy, I am at work. Use the wiring diagram I posted above and check you brake wire while operating both brakes. If you have voltage you will know the fuse is good.
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From: St Louis MO
The front brake is dead right now. When I changed the bars it stopped working after it was dropped. The master cyclinder is full but wont push fluid to the caliper. I have a new one ordered so I will fix that soon. But when I took it off the bar there is nothing attached to the master cyclinder but the brake line. There are no electical lines to it at all so I don't think it has a pressure switch. I took the fittings out and worked the lever and it would not squirt fluid at all so I guess the pump died when it hit the floor. I still have rear brakes and did not mess with those at all it just doesn't kick on the brake light. I'll keep looking for my manual.