Rear brake light HELP!

[tbcfreerider]

So I did use the SEARCH...and read a few things but feel I came up empty.

My rear brake light only comes on with the had brake lever NOT the foot brake. ANY thoughts?

82 xj11

[TomRodgers]

Any ideas.....on this site.......ahhhh ROOKIE!!!!

My guess is that there is either a broken wire from your rear brake switch, or it is WAY out of adjustment, or the wires from the foot brake switch are not connected in the rear assembly. remove the 'tag' bracket and check all your connections. i had a similar issue. due to the lights operating from front and back, there is a "y" bullet connector. the side for the rear was loose. i had to pinch the female end a bit (and she didnt slap me!!!) and shove the male end in deep viola..... rear brake light!!! just my $.02 good luck!!

[fredintoon]

- - - My rear brake light only comes on with the hand brake lever NOT the foot brake. ANY thoughts? - - - 82 xj11

Hi free,
well, you know the bulb is good. Find the footbrake stoplight switch, pull the wires off it and bridge them together. If the stoplight don't work when you do that it's a wiring problem. If the stoplight does work, the problem is in the switch but the wires are OK.
Check the switch by manually shoving the switch operating rod all the way across. If the stoplight works then, the operating rod needs to be adjusted. If it don't, the switch internals are dirty or broken.

[tbcfreerider]

hahaha... thanks for the dirty and clean truth.. i will check it out when its not raining.

[tbcfreerider]

Hi free,
well, you know the bulb is good. Find the footbrake stoplight switch, pull the wires off it and bridge them together. If the stoplight don't work when you do that it's a wiring problem. If the stoplight does work, the problem is in the switch but the wires are OK.
Check the switch by manually shoving the switch operating rod all the way across. If the stoplight works then, the operating rod needs to be adjusted. If it don't, the switch internals are dirty or broken.

IM SOOOO CONFUSED! iM A TOTAL ROOKIE TO WORKING ON MOTORCYCLES... ANY PICS?

[DiverRay]

No pics, but if you look at the rear brake lever you will see a small spring going up to a plastic bit with two wires going out of the top. That is the rear brake light switch. Unplug the two wires from the switch, and touch them together with the ignition switched on. If the brake light comes on, the wires are good and the switch is bad. This is the most likely problem, but the switch is a bear to get out sometimes. You can buy a replacement from ebay for about $15 to $20. HTH

[tbcfreerider]

Ok that makes since... I noticed that spring is really haggard!

[fredintoon]

Baby steps

IM SOOOO CONFUSED! iM A TOTAL ROOKIE TO WORKING ON MOTORCYCLES... ANY PICS?

Hi free,
first, check this out:-

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Multimeter

then go buy yourself a multimeter. A cheap one ( ~$20 ) will do for working on a bike. Practice with it by checking the a.c. Voltage in power outlets, the d.c.Voltage of batteries and the Ohms resistance of lightbulbs.
Armed with your newfound knowledge and your shiny new multimeter, trot out to look at your bike.
Turn on the ignition, squeeze the front brake lever to see the stoplight work then push the rear brake pedal down to see the stop light NOT work.
This confirms the condition as you have described it.
Lean the bike on it's side stand and remove the right-hand plastic side cover so you can see things better.
Now get a crawl mat and lay down so you can see the rear brake pedal where it works the rear master cylinder.
You should also see a tension spring pulling a rod that comes out of an electrical switch that is bolted to the bike frame. That's the rear light switch.
You should be able to find a two-wire cable sheath with a green/yellow wire and a tan wire in it.
Those two wires should end in female spade connectors that plug onto the switch.
First, check that both of the spade connectors are pushed onto the switch.
If no, push on and check if the light now works.
If yes, pull the tan wire off the switch, set the multimeter to read d.c.Volts and check between the terminal and ground.
The tan wire should have 12V on it when the key is on.
If not, there's the problem.
If there is 12V on the tan wire, set the meter to Ohms and check the green/yellow wire. That's the wire that feeds power to the brake light. You should see an Ohms reading to equal the Wattage drain of the brake light filament.
If not, there's the problem.
If the tan wire has power and the green/yellow wire shows resistance, bridge the two spade connectors together with a short piece of wire to see the brake light come on.
Now check the resistance between the two switch terminals.
With the brake pedal at rest, the switch should be open, having an infinite resistance reading.
Push the switch all the way across. The switch should close to give a zero resistance reading.
If the switch will not conduct power (stays at infinite resistance) when it is manually activated) it's not working, it's most likely unfixable and needs replacing.
If the switch works, plug the wires back on and work it manually once more, if the brake light works when the switch is operated manually the pedal is not pulling it far enough to work as you ride.
There's an adjustment screw on the back of the switch.
Mebbe try that first?