Rear brake light dimming
#1
12-29-2018, 05:07 PM
Rear brake light dimming
My son recently bought a 1990 Electra glide. The previous owner took off the front fairing so there are a lot of unused wires in the headlight bezel. I fixed the turn signals but I cannot figure out the rear brake light. The tail light works but when I push the front or rear brake levers the lights dim. I tried a new bulb with no luck. I attempted to jump the two wires at the rear brake light but the paper clip immediately got hot and turned red. I have a wiring diagram but I’m not sure where to start. I should also add that the previous owner added 16” bars so there are splices in the wiring from the handle bars. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advanced.
#2
12-29-2018, 05:28 PM
Seasoned HDF Member
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Michael Edward (12-29-2018)
#3
12-29-2018, 06:42 PM
#4
12-29-2018, 07:56 PM
Seasoned HDF Member
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Michael Edward (12-30-2018)
#5
12-29-2018, 11:15 PM
Tourer
I fixed the turn signals but I cannot figure out the rear brake light. The tail light works but when I push the front or rear brake levers the lights dim. I tried a new bulb with no luck. I attempted to jump the two wires at the rear brake light but the paper clip immediately got hot and turned red.
I advise you to get a multimeter or at least a volt meter so you can see what's going on when electrical problems are happening.
The two wires going to the brake light are two different circuits (the tail light and the brake light) so you shouldn't short them together.
Not sure what exactly you mean by "when I push the front or rear brake levers the lights dim", but if you're saying the running lights dim, then something is shorted in the brake light circuit that's causing a drop in voltage to the running lights.
I would check for shorted wires under the seat or under the rear fender going to the brake light, where the insulation of the wires there have been worn off or cut.
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Michael Edward (12-30-2018)
#6
12-30-2018, 06:37 AM
The lights dimming indicates a short because the power is getting use somewhere else but it's a high resistance short so it's not blowing a fuse.
Temporarily jumping the 2 wires won't hurt anything. The reason the paper clip is getting hot is because it's back feeding to the short and is acting like a heating element completing the circuit.
You'll have no choice but to trace the wires back, start at the last place YOU touched, because it didn't do it before YOU screwed with it.
Temporarily jumping the 2 wires won't hurt anything. The reason the paper clip is getting hot is because it's back feeding to the short and is acting like a heating element completing the circuit.
You'll have no choice but to trace the wires back, start at the last place YOU touched, because it didn't do it before YOU screwed with it.
Last edited by RANGER73; 12-30-2018 at 06:38 AM.
#7
12-30-2018, 07:53 AM
The lights dimming indicates a short because the power is getting use somewhere else but it's a high resistance short so it's not blowing a fuse.
Temporarily jumping the 2 wires won't hurt anything. The reason the paper clip is getting hot is because it's back feeding to the short and is acting like a heating element completing the circuit.
You'll have no choice but to trace the wires back, start at the last place YOU touched, because it didn't do it before YOU screwed with it.
Temporarily jumping the 2 wires won't hurt anything. The reason the paper clip is getting hot is because it's back feeding to the short and is acting like a heating element completing the circuit.
You'll have no choice but to trace the wires back, start at the last place YOU touched, because it didn't do it before YOU screwed with it.
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#8
12-30-2018, 09:24 AM
Seasoned HDF Member
Was this a batwing bike from the factory? I've got the same bike, and have spent a lot of time inside inside the rat's nest of wiring inside the fairing. Deleting the fairing and re-wiring all that would be an enormous job.
Are you sure this isn't an FLHS? Before there was a Road King, there was an Electra Glide Sport, which was the un-faired version.
You can run the VIN through this decoder
https://serviceinfo.harley-davidson....cle/lookupForm
to find out what you're working with.
My gut tells me that if this was an FLHS from the factory, you've got a chance at sorting out the wiring as it stands. If it turns out this was an FLHTC from birth, then you're looking at an enormous amount of unknown re-work from some prior owner, and you may be better off stripping out all the wiring and starting fresh with a new harness.
Are you sure this isn't an FLHS? Before there was a Road King, there was an Electra Glide Sport, which was the un-faired version.
You can run the VIN through this decoder
https://serviceinfo.harley-davidson....cle/lookupForm
to find out what you're working with.
My gut tells me that if this was an FLHS from the factory, you've got a chance at sorting out the wiring as it stands. If it turns out this was an FLHTC from birth, then you're looking at an enormous amount of unknown re-work from some prior owner, and you may be better off stripping out all the wiring and starting fresh with a new harness.
#9
12-30-2018, 10:51 AM
Was this a batwing bike from the factory? I've got the same bike, and have spent a lot of time inside inside the rat's nest of wiring inside the fairing. Deleting the fairing and re-wiring all that would be an enormous job.
Are you sure this isn't an FLHS? Before there was a Road King, there was an Electra Glide Sport, which was the un-faired version.
You can run the VIN through this decoder
https://serviceinfo.harley-davidson....cle/lookupForm
to find out what you're working with.
My gut tells me that if this was an FLHS from the factory, you've got a chance at sorting out the wiring as it stands. If it turns out this was an FLHTC from birth, then you're looking at an enormous amount of unknown re-work from some prior owner, and you may be better off stripping out all the wiring and starting fresh with a new harness.
Are you sure this isn't an FLHS? Before there was a Road King, there was an Electra Glide Sport, which was the un-faired version.
You can run the VIN through this decoder
https://serviceinfo.harley-davidson....cle/lookupForm
to find out what you're working with.
My gut tells me that if this was an FLHS from the factory, you've got a chance at sorting out the wiring as it stands. If it turns out this was an FLHTC from birth, then you're looking at an enormous amount of unknown re-work from some prior owner, and you may be better off stripping out all the wiring and starting fresh with a new harness.
#10
12-30-2018, 11:22 AM
Was this a batwing bike from the factory? I've got the same bike, and have spent a lot of time inside inside the rat's nest of wiring inside the fairing. Deleting the fairing and re-wiring all that would be an enormous job.
Are you sure this isn't an FLHS? Before there was a Road King, there was an Electra Glide Sport, which was the un-faired version.
You can run the VIN through this decoder
https://serviceinfo.harley-davidson....cle/lookupForm
to find out what you're working with.
My gut tells me that if this was an FLHS from the factory, you've got a chance at sorting out the wiring as it stands. If it turns out this was an FLHTC from birth, then you're looking at an enormous amount of unknown re-work from some prior owner, and you may be better off stripping out all the wiring and starting fresh with a new harness.
Are you sure this isn't an FLHS? Before there was a Road King, there was an Electra Glide Sport, which was the un-faired version.
You can run the VIN through this decoder
https://serviceinfo.harley-davidson....cle/lookupForm
to find out what you're working with.
My gut tells me that if this was an FLHS from the factory, you've got a chance at sorting out the wiring as it stands. If it turns out this was an FLHTC from birth, then you're looking at an enormous amount of unknown re-work from some prior owner, and you may be better off stripping out all the wiring and starting fresh with a new harness.
Looks like it was an Electra glide