No tail light or brake light

[ibcormac]

1996 RSTD - Tail and brake light not working. Can not relate malfunction to any event. Bulb is good. Strange, but there is no fuse for this circuit either. I do not mean it is missing the fuse. I mean there is no place in the fuse box labeled for the taillight or brake light. All fuses are good also. Anyone have any ideas before I start stripping off the bags and rear fender? Sure would appreciate any help.

[M61A1MECH]

There is a fuse it is in the fuse box, I know because I had one blow on my 98 when some wires I routed poorly chaffed thru and shorted.

Do the other instrument lights and front turn signals work?

If they do, then you have a connector disconnected or a cut harness that feeds the rear lights.

 

There is a connector under the seat that connects the main harness to the fender harness and takes all of the rear lights circuits back to the area behind the license plate.

Check under the seat for a white 6 pin connector, it may be disconnected.

[ibcormac]

Thanx for the help. I will try it. The fuse box on my bike does not have one labeled for tail or brake light. It does have one labeled "backup" but that fuse, and all the others, are good. Do you think the one labeled "backup" be for the tail and brake lights?

[Bodaggit23]

1996 RSTD

 

A 1996 Tour Deluxe?

[M61A1MECH]

On my Venture it is labled SIGNAL, it is a 15 amp fuse. I am pretty sure it called the same on the original Royal Stars.

 

Yes they had Tour DeLuxe in 1996, it was based on the original Royal Star that came out in 1996. They ended the original Royals in 2001 and brought out the Venture based Tour DeLuxe in 2005. Always confusing.

[Sexagenarian]

......Do you think the one labeled "backup" be for the tail and brake lights?

 

The "backup" fuse is actually for parts of the speedometer. The tail and brake lights actually get their juice from the "headlight" fuse. Your brake switches, provide the ground to power the brake light side of the circuit. If your speedometer lights, headlights, front left and front right position lights are working your tail lights should be receiving power unless their is an "open" circuit somewhere between the tail light and the rest of the circuit. As mentioned above, their is a connector under the seat for this wiring. If it is connected, pull it apart and check with a meter to see if you are getting power here when you turn your key on. If so, then your problem lies in the wiring between this connector under the seat and the rear fender. If this was a sudden occurence, you may want to check for a bad or broken connector/connection. Good luck.

[ibcormac]

Thanx a lot for the info. Very helpful. No time to work on it today. Maybe Saturday. Thanx again