Brake lights driving me mad!!

[imdying]

I've pretty much come to terms with having to reroute new wires to the brake pedal switch..

That would seem to be an awfully brutal approach to take on what is an extremely simple light switch circuit. You could be able to find both ends of every wire in the brake light circuit, and divine from there which one is broken.

[Phenoix]

Yea, as said. There's problably only 1 wire broken, but it may not even be a wire. Could be within the ignition or the likes.
So new wires would only make the headace bigger.
If your still stuck on Sunday, PM me.
I got the contact cleaner, the air brush's, multi metre ect as part of work

[sAsLEX]

the air brush's

FF will be pleased if you can cover most of that orange up with pretty much any other colour!

[bugjuice]

funny bugger..

I know that it's a simple circuit, which makes me more pissed at it. I'm going to put the test lamp on the positive of the battery and tap both wires individually and see what happens. If a bulb blows, I think I've got a couple more. If the fuse goes, got heaps of them..

Voltimeter is only going to tell me there's a current or not. The test lamp does the same job pretty much. I've got a VM which isn't reading anything thru the switch wires at the mo. But even just a fraction of a volt would wind me up too. It's all or noffin baba!! I just need to get those damn lights working

[imdying]

Voltimeter is only going to tell me there's a current or not. The test lamp does the same job pretty much. I've got a VM which isn't reading anything thru the switch wires at the mo. But even just a fraction of a volt would wind me up too. It's all or noffin baba!! I just need to get those damn lights working

It's not always all or nothing, some obscure problems are highlighted by things like only 0.5v showing (say), or 0.5 a volt showing all the time (for example).

Do you have a wiring diagram?

[bugjuice]

yup, got the kawa workshop manual. The wiring diagram looks like the London underground on steroids, but I'm used to that and can follow it fine. It's physically tracing the wires that's the tricky part. Didn't get to check it tonight, it'll have to be tomorrow now..

[Motu]

I'm wary of using a multimeter or LED test lamp on circuits - they will show a voltage supply,but that circuit may not be able to pass a current.The test lamp with a bulb will show it's ability to flow a current through the circuit.Stay away from auto ranging too - it's a bugger,I've been caught out a few times with a flip between .5 and 5 volts.I like my graphing multimeter,it's a quick visual check - tumbling numbers on a digital gauge are a pain.

[Phenoix]

It could also be a broken diode, or depending on the electircal system, a transistor.
Just some more things to consider.

[bugjuice]

I'm wary of using a multimeter or LED test lamp on circuits - they will show a voltage supply,but that circuit may not be able to pass a current.The test lamp with a bulb will show it's ability to flow a current through the circuit.Stay away from auto ranging too - it's a bugger,I've been caught out a few times with a flip between .5 and 5 volts.I like my graphing multimeter,it's a quick visual check - tumbling numbers on a digital gauge are a pain.

my thoughts too. If it can light a test bulb, it can light the back bulbs. If it can't, then it's broke and I don't want to know, move on.

As for diodes etc, according to the underground map, it's as simple as can be. Which is half the taunt.

[texmo]

[QUOTE=Motu]You don't need both levers working the brake lamp [QUOTE]
nah rear brake and front both need to activate the rear light. Might be diffrent for a warrant.

[texmo]

just bring it in kit im sure your bike will pass....

[Motu]

nah rear brake and front both need to activate the rear light. Might be diffrent for a warrant.

Depends on the AVI - some would say the vehicle was complied with two brake light switches,so both must work.I go by the VIRM where it doesn't mention front or rear brakes at all.Bikes always only had a rear brake switch (when the rule came in) and there has been no change since.So for compliance both need to work,for a WoF it only has to work when the brakes are applied...how or why doesn't enter into it.

[Macktheknife]

replace power in to switch, betcha it works. run a test wire to check from fused point.

[texmo]

Depends on the AVI - some would say the vehicle was complied with two brake light switches,so both must work.I go by the VIRM where it doesn't mention front or rear brakes at all.Bikes always only had a rear brake switch (when the rule came in) and there has been no change since.So for compliance both need to work,for a WoF it only has to work when the brakes are applied...how or why doesn't enter into it.

I will drege up the info tomoro but. unless your bike is pre 1980 thats 1979 or older for a re-reg the brakes need to work when applied by the front or the rear.

[Motu]

You are talking VIN.....I'm talking WoF.....