Tail-light filament keeps blowing!

[paulleonard47]

i have a CBR600f, 2000 model and the permanent filament on one of the brake light bulbs has blown twice now, the new bulb was about an hour old! has anyone had this problem before? the normal break filament still works on both bulbs and the other bulb is completely fine....

thanks, Paul

[skidMark]

i have a CBR600f, 2000 model and the permanent filament on one of the brake light bulbs has blown twice now, the new bulb was about an hour old! has anyone had this problem before? the normal break filament still works on both bulbs and the other bulb is completely fine....

thanks, Paul

It has a short in the wiring, probably in the brake light switches.

EDIT: hang on so it's your tail light not brake light...read it wrong, you have a short somewhere in the tail light fitting then, or maybe the first bulb just went from being old, and new one was slightly wrong type and is shorting itself, the fittings spring is shorting out on the outer.

Time to get out ze toolbox matey.

[arj127]

put a multimetre across the light socket and check that there is not excessive voltage

[FROSTY:Me]

Dude are you sure its the bulb?
Try swappin the bulbs left to right and see. Might just be a dirty fitting or a loose wire to that bulb holder

[davereid]

Dude are you sure its the bulb?
Try swappin the bulbs left to right and see. Might just be a dirty fitting or a loose wire to that bulb holder

Good point.

If only one bulb is blowing regularly, and all the others are fine, its not a wiring fault, or excessive voltage - a short or wiring fault could stop a single lamp working, but would not cause it to blow. And excessive voltage would affect all lamps equally.

It may be just bad luck with cheap lamps from China.

A mechanical fault is also possible.

I had an XJ650 which used to blow headlights regularly.

It normally chose the middle of the night, on rural roads, a long way from home, in rain. Or at least thats how I remember it !

I tried everything. Finally I noticed that I could hear a vibration at certain RPM. I tracked it down to the front mudguard. I hacked an inch off the front and back. No vibration, and no more blown bulbs.

Since then, I have found that mechanical shaking can be really tough on lights, so look for poor mountings on the lamp, dodgy rattling earths, missing rubber mounts and that kind of thing.

G'luck

[CookMySock]

It may be just bad luck with cheap lamps from China.

Yes, I have had a lot of problems with this on commercial vehicles.

No vibration, and no more blown bulbs. Since then, I have found that mechanical shaking can be really tough on lights, so look for poor mountings on the lamp.

Yes, I have had the exact same problem.

Both good calls.

DB