Urgent: Brake lights inop

[Smely]

Need urgent help. I'm getting ready to leave for Biketoberfest in the AM and my brake lights quit working on my '04 Midnight Venture. I removed both seats and loosened up the wires underneath and the brakes started working again so I'm pretty sure it is a short somewhere. Now they have stopped working again. While troubleshooting voltage/grounds at the bulb socket I must have blown a fuse because now the tail light portion of the bulb does not work. Can anyone tell me where the fuse is for the tail/brake lights? Also, the grounds check good.

 

Thanks for any help or suggestions

[Dano]

Located under the drivers seat is the main harness connection going out to the lights. It sits right behind the battery. The cable actually travels inside the fender (right next to the tire!!) and then connects to the rear lamps right behind the license plate (that little egg shaped chrome piece). Make sure you check the connections there also. The fuse should be in the fuse block right next to the battery.

 

I'll be on here for a bit, so go check that and let us know what happened.

 

Dano

[Smely]

Thanks Dano, going to check now.

[Smely]

OK, I'm trying to get some pics off of my phone now but I found 3 fuses just behind the battery and they all ohm out good. I did find the wire harness going under the fender and it looks like it comes out of the front of the fender and goes back to the connector that you were talking about. The connector that I found is under the passenger seat though. I did find another connector with a blue, yellow and black wire to it under the drivers seat by the battery and I can see that the previous owner installed a "Back Off" relay to make the brake light flash.

[Smely]

OK, the first pic is of the 3 fuses behind the battery. The second pic is of the wires coming out of the front of the rear fender back to the connectors under the passenger seat and the 3rd pic is of the connector with the blue, black and yellow wires. Also, I just checked the headlight and it is not working as per the wire schematic but it is not one of those 3 fuses.

Edited October 10, 2011 by Smely

[Old Texan]

Try disconnecting the plug under the seat ( the one with the yellow, blue wires ) Then apply your brakes and check voltage between the yellow and blue and a ground, your battery will work for a ground. I don't remember if it's the blue or yellow that's the brake but you should get voltage to both when the brake is applied. What this will tell you is if the problem lies from the plug back to the brake light or somewhere else.

[Smely]

Try disconnecting the plug under the seat ( the one with the yellow, blue wires ) Then apply your brakes and check voltage between the yellow and blue and a ground, your battery will work for a ground. I don't remember if it's the blue or yellow that's the brake but you should get voltage to both when the brake is applied. What this will tell you is if the problem lies from the plug back to the brake light or somewhere else.

 

Thanks O T,

I plan to go there next but right now I'm looking for the headlight fuse (also fuse for brake/running lights). I blew it shooting voltage at the brake light socket.

[Old Texan]

The headlight fuse is located behind the panel on the left side of your bike, it should be the third one from the left. If you have a owners manual it would help you a lot in locating all the fuses.

[Dano]

Left side of the bike beside the battery, under the cover. Remove the rear screw, there's a pin/grommet connection at the front. Just pop it out and the fuse block is behind that.

[Smely]

The headlight fuse is located behind the panel on the left side of your bike, it should be the third one from the left. If you have a owners manual it would help you a lot in locating all the fuses.

 

Got it! Thanks for the Help Texan and Dano, now back to square 1 looking for the short

[wes0778]

Got it! Thanks for the Help Texan and Dano, now back to square 1 looking for the short

 

I may be wrong, but from your 1st post I think you are looking for an "open" not a "short". That is if all the fuses were ok when you 1st started. A "short" blows fuses. You mentioned the back-off relay, if you can take it out of the circuit and see if your brake light starts working. Otherwise start behind the license tag with a volt meter and check for voltage at each connection in the circuit.

Here is a link to online manuals from the tech section.

http://venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1828&highlight=service%26amp%3Bmanual

[Smely]

I may be wrong, but from your 1st post I think you are looking for an "open" not a "short". .......

 

 

OK, bad terminology on my part, you are correct. The short to ground was caused by me while checking voltage at the bulb socket. (I must have touched the probe lead on my meter to the socket while touching the hot point). Yes, there must be an open in the power wire to the bulb socket.

[saddlebum]

Try bypassing the backoff box. Maybe it has decided to fail and left you with an open circut. At least if it is the issue, you can leave it bypassed and deal with that later.

[Smely]

Got it , it was a loose connection to the Back Off module. Thanks for all the quick responses from everyone. I love this site:guitarist 2:.

 

Anyone heading down to Biketoberfest? Looks like I'm heading down a day late now. Plan on visiting the Custom Dynamics booth and letting them have the bike for awhile and mod all of the turn signals and brakes.

 

Once again, thanks all!