No BRAKE light!!! help
Thread Starter
|
6th Gear
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Nashville
No BRAKE light!!! help
I took the bike out for a spin the other day and noticed the brake light is not working. All running light, blinkers, etc are working just fine. I checked the bulb and all fuses but just cant seem to find what is causing this. Any suggestions?
Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,916
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio, Texas
Is the light not working with both front and rear brakes? The switches are separate, that's why I ask. Guessing you checked the bulb with an ohm meter or in another bike to see if the bulb is indeed good? I would start looking at connectors - mine did something similar in that the fender mounted brake light stopped working but the tour pack brake lights still worked - turned out to be corrosion on a connector under the seat.
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 855
Likes: 1
From: Puyallup, WA
No Taillight and no brake light....or just no brake light. The reason I ask is I swapped levers a while back and ended up braking off the little pin in the control housing. Here is how I think it works. When you pull the brake lever the pin extends and turns on the brake light When the lever is let go, it contacts the pin and pushes it in which turns off the brake light.
Luckiliy I had a set of LED taillights so it was easy to notice but I have a friend who did the same thing and thought his brake lights were not working becaus when he steped on his brake lever the light stayed the same, but it was actually the brake light we were seeing "on" rather than the tail light being on. We replaced the pin in the switch housing (what a biatch) and all was fine after.
Luckiliy I had a set of LED taillights so it was easy to notice but I have a friend who did the same thing and thought his brake lights were not working becaus when he steped on his brake lever the light stayed the same, but it was actually the brake light we were seeing "on" rather than the tail light being on. We replaced the pin in the switch housing (what a biatch) and all was fine after.
Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,832
Likes: 37
From: Rockland County, NY
Answer all of the above questions to be more specific. Newer bikes have recall on the rear brake light switch only, so your light would work using the front lever. I think it's '09 and newer.
Tell us the year of your bike.
Check to see if your front lever activates the light.
Do a thorough voltage check at the lamp fixture to isolate it to the bulb or elswhere.
Switch good bulbs for bad, etc.
There's a lot of simple logic to follow to narrow down the possibilities.
Tell us the year of your bike.
Check to see if your front lever activates the light.
Do a thorough voltage check at the lamp fixture to isolate it to the bulb or elswhere.
Switch good bulbs for bad, etc.
There's a lot of simple logic to follow to narrow down the possibilities.
Trending Topics
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 12,653
Likes: 18
From: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider
Verdad Gallardo
The recall is on 09's and newer The cat in the exhaust is close to the location of the rear brake switch and melts the switch. HD is simply swapping to a switch with a higher melting point ( still getting hot there) There is a good article in the Feb Thunder Press about it. I did however just had to change the switch on my 08 RKC. Switch went bad. Cruise would not disengage either when I tapped the rear brake. Simple job and 19.00
