So now I have a new problem. My driving light works in the tail light assembly, but the brake light doesn't. I veirified that only one filament is lighting up so its not an issue with the brake light staying on. It's a brand new bulb and both filaments are intact so it's not that the brake light can't work.

I pulled the two wires at the brake light switch and checked them with the test light connected to the negative battery terminal and the test lights lights up with both wires. I was under the impression that only one should come on, so is that my issue?

I also used a paper clip to work as a jumper between the two wires and operate as a brake light switch that's always on and I still got no brake light. This means the issue almost has to be the brake light assembly itself, yeah? Also, there are only two wires coming out of the mount that holds the bulb, a solid red and a solid yellow. Shouldn't there be a ground wire as well?

If I'm missing something or if somebody has run into this issue in the past, any advice on resolving this issue would be greatly appreciated.

 

get yourself a voltmeter instead of just guessing.

 

One of those wires is always hot, but the other one will be hot if you activate the front brake lamp switch.

No, the lights are grounded through the tail light assembly to the fender, and since the running lamp is working you know the ground path is good.

Find the connector for the tail light, unplug it and check for voltage in the wire that comes from the brake lamp switch.

If the (brake lamp) wire has power at the connector, you know the problem is farther back, either in the wires going to the tail light assembly or in the tail light assembly itself.

 

I just dealt with this on my wife's 2003 RKC - tail light worked, brake light didn't and tried several bulbs. I thought I had broken the front brake switch during a lever swap, but the voltage cycled at the connector (and you could hear the relay switching) when the front brake was applied. I found both a blown fuse, as well as a bad socket (where the bulb screws in). I found that the socket had deformed to where the bulb would no longer seat deep enough in the socket to make a good connection. For her bike the part number for the socket/harness was 68370-03, FWIW.

 

Did you check the fuse?

 

Ha...I just realized the OP said he tested the wire with a test light, so we really don`t know if there is power going to the circuit....

 

Tested with a test light,but bass-ackwards.

 

Damien, let us know when you have the voltmeter ready....

 

he should be able to diag the problem with a test light.


Damien, you didn't say which brake switch you were checking ? did you try light check on both frt brake and rear brake ? if it doesn't work off either one then most likely have a broken wire at the harness splice or maybe under the rear fender. check and make sure the harness didn't fall down and rub on the tire.

with the tail light working you can pretty much rule out a bad ground since they both use the same ground. if the tail light dims down when applying the brake then you could have bad ground because theres too much resistance in the circuit causes the bulb to glow dim. IE low voltage flow.

a brake switch circuit is pretty simple. a hot wire going into one side of the switch, when switch is depressed voltage is applied to second wire sending voltage to bulb. if you have it coming in and out of switch and the bulb has been replaced with the correct bulb it more or less has to be a broken wire from switch to socket.

i have seen some bulbs where the solder button/contact on the bulb base is not formed correctly and won't make contact with the socket terminal.

you didn't say what yr and model bike. some use the spade 3157 bulbs others use the brass 1157 bulbs.

with the lens off and lights on, one terminal(tail light circuit) in the socket should have voltage.. when applying brake the other terminal in socket has power. if you have power at the brake switch but not the socket then it has to be related wiring in between.

 

I found this thread, thinking that I had a tail light, but no brake light. After reading some of the comments, it's beginning to look like the brake light is burning all the time. I popped off cover on 2008 Night Rod and found that both filaments are hot all the time, the smaller being much brighter than the larger.

Is this correct or should only one be burning when not braking? Also, when I pulled off the previous owner's blacked out cover, the area right above light is melted, further convincing me that the issue might be an always-on light.

Thoughts?