brake lights

[Nightengale]

for some reason today my brake light is not working, the tail light (running light) is working but when i put on the brake (front or back) no change. I do have a custom led tail light. i havent had a chance to really look at it, so just wanted everyones opinion as to what it could be.

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there John,

Without knowing what type of custom LED tail/brake light you have, it's a little difficult to tell you exactly. You said the running light is working. The brake light is a separate power line than the running light wire. The LED light may have a ground wire, or it may ground thru it's casing? Again the running light is working, so the ground is working. That leaves the brake light line either not carrying the power, or it's connected to the wrong wire on the LED light? The running light wire "might" be connected to the LED Lights brake light wire, so the DIMMER LEDS won't show up when the brake light wire is energized when you depress the brake levers??? Get a meter and test the brake light wire for the presence of 12 volts when you hit the brake lever.

Also take the running light wire from the wire it's connected to, and test it on the OTHER wire on the LED light and see IF the tail light lights up and whether it looks brighter or dimmer??

T.C.

[Nightengale]

just a fuse

Hey there John,

Without knowing what type of custom LED tail/brake light you have, it's a little difficult to tell you exactly. You said the running light is working. The brake light is a separate power line than the running light wire. The LED light may have a ground wire, or it may ground thru it's casing? Again the running light is working, so the ground is working. That leaves the brake light line either not carrying the power, or it's connected to the wrong wire on the LED light? The running light wire "might" be connected to the LED Lights brake light wire, so the DIMMER LEDS won't show up when the brake light wire is energized when you depress the brake levers??? Get a meter and test the brake light wire for the presence of 12 volts when you hit the brake lever.

Also take the running light wire from the wire it's connected to, and test it on the OTHER wire on the LED light and see IF the tail light lights up and whether it looks brighter or dimmer??

T.C.

i finally got a chance to check things out and it was just a blown fuse. should i be running a larger fuse with the leds, its a 20amp now. i should have checked before i posted this but since i did the wiring on the tail light myself i was just worried that i might have done something wrong since it is a LED light. And on another not TC i have learned where every pothole and bumps are on the interstate 64 between the beach and my house, and its not as bad a ride as i thought it would be. i have ridden it to work everyday that it wasnt raining, and i love it. i was a little nervous at first since it is a hardtail, but it rides great and i love it.

[natemoen]

It depends on what else you have on that circuit. 20 amp is way big if it is just the brake light. If it is just the brake light on the circuit a 5 or 10 amp fuse would be plenty. LEDs draw very little current so you need to figure out why that fuse blew, something must have briefly dead shorted somewhere!

[Nightengale]

fixed problem

It depends on what else you have on that circuit. 20 amp is way big if it is just the brake light. If it is just the brake light on the circuit a 5 or 10 amp fuse would be plenty. LEDs draw very little current so you need to figure out why that fuse blew, something must have briefly dead shorted somewhere!

there was an exposed wire going to the rear brake that had touched the frame, which is now fixed. as far as i know the only thing that is on that circuit is the brake lights, but not sure. i didnt take away or add anything to that circuit. it is still has what was connected to that circuit from the factory. all i did was to hook up the led tail light to the existing wiring and connect the wires to the new front brake lever, again using the factory connections. i dont have a wiring diagram on me right now to see what else is on that circuit.

[GLoweVA]

John, the things on that circuit are:
Front/Rear Brake switch then brake light

flasher cancel unit
flasher relay
horn
High beam warning light
neutral light
oil warning light
Power for the Tach

You've got all those things diconnected/removed.
I don't remember about your horn wires. Those tan wires that ran to each horn are hot and if one of those shorts out then, you'd blow the fuse too.

[Nightengale]

John, the things on that circuit are:
Front/Rear Brake switch then brake light

flasher cancel unit
flasher relay
horn
High beam warning light
neutral light
oil warning light
Power for the Tach

You've got all those things diconnected/removed.
I don't remember about your horn wires. Those tan wires that ran to each horn are hot and if one of those shorts out then, you'd blow the fuse too.

ill check the horn wires, but i think they are all taped up till i can figure what kind of horn i want to use, but i will check to make sure. thanks george.