83 1100E lighting "Gremlins" have just started

[Grand Rouge]

Been working on barn find E. Figured I was about finished the project...until this morning...

Motorcycle has been running regularly, charging properly, all systems..mechanical and electrical operating as designed. Machine is original.

When I turned key off this morning,,,,,,,,I noticed that the brake light was on. Key off, out of ignition etc. Hmmm....removed bulb to (perhaps) prevent battery drain. I started machine and had the "brake light" dash light on steady and the tail light dash lamp flickering intermittently. Shut down. With ignition off, key out too......pulling brake lever or pushing brake pedal.....dash lights up. Visual inspection reveals nothing...darn electricity is quite invisible...smoke excepted of course. Where would an experienced methodical person start to look and test. Disconnect etc? Thank you.

[Grimly]

Check grounds, especially for the dash and tail /brake light area.
Generally, when things go weird it's often a corroded ground point or wire.

[Grand Rouge]

Grimly, thank you for your response. I shall go over all wiring connectors, slip, ring, etc. paying extra attention to grounds. I have Deoxit electrical contact cleaner etc. so will ensure no corrosion.

[dorkburger]

Definitely agree with grounds. It seems to me that if you're getting lights with the key off that power is getting is getting past the ignition switch or possibly bare / melty wires touching each other somewhere in the harness. Can you simply unplug the ignition switch to see if the problem goes away?

[Grand Rouge]

Began searching / trouble shooting last night. Visual and multi meter checking. I had removed only the 15 amp fuse at fuse block ...thinking it was The main fuse....rest are 10 amp.... The 15 amp connects to starter relay etc. Brake light out......I did re and re the other fuses 1 at a time to check light situation and there is no change. (I was thinking maybe I could perhaps isolate a circuit). I will get back on the project this evening. (I do have good lighting in my garage).

dorkburger, thank you too for your input.

[pdqford]

Began searching / trouble shooting last night. Visual and multi meter checking. I had removed only the 15 amp fuse at fuse block ...thinking it was The main fuse....rest are 10 amp.... The 15 amp connects to starter relay etc. Brake light out......I did re and re the other fuses 1 at a time to check light situation and there is no change. (I was thinking maybe I could perhaps isolate a circuit). .

Are you sure that 15 amp fuse was in the correct slot?
I don’t believe the 15 amp fuse should be connected to the starter relay.
One side of that 15 amp fuse gets power directly from the battery, while the other side connects to the Output side of the R/R and the ignition switch.

Are there any dash lamps on or the license plate lamp on?

Could pop the headlight out of the bucket and see if that unused brown wire has any voltage.

[salty_monk]

I had that same issue on the 1100G.... it turned out that there is a metal shroud inside the speedo case that goes around the bulbs. It had come unseated & was shorting across the Orange wire circuit somewhere & as such it was jumping power across to the switched circuit.

I can't remember the exact details but I know I chased it for a bit (probably a thread here somewhere) and it was pretty random & frustrating (I'd already pulled apart the loom looking for a short at the neck where it bends when you turn... that's another candidate as well as something shorting in the headlamp housing or the switch housing).

Good luck!

[Grand Rouge]

Are you sure that 15 amp fuse was in the correct slot?
I don’t believe the 15 amp fuse should be connected to the starter relay.
One side of that 15 amp fuse gets power directly from the battery, while the other side connects to the Output side of the R/R and the ignition switch.

Are there any dash lamps on or the license plate lamp on?

Could pop the headlight out of the bucket and see if that unused brown wire has any voltage.

15 Amp fuse is in correct spot. I looked at a schematic and it appeared to me that said fuse connected to starter relay.... That said.....my 76 year old eyes may have ..er...fooled me. I will be getting into the actual machine shortly. Only lamp that is on continually is the brake light. Dash enunciator lights illuminate when brake lever or pedal operated. None of the 10 amp fuses affect the light (s) Bucket will be explored. I started disassembly and wire checking at tail section looking for corrosion frayed wire etc. All good. All clean.

The brown unused wire in bucket: I am thinking should Not have voltage? If it does, there is a 'trail' to follow?

pdqford, thank you.

[Grand Rouge]

I had that same issue on the 1100G.... it turned out that there is a metal shroud inside the speedo case that goes around the bulbs. It had come unseated & was shorting across the Orange wire circuit somewhere & as such it was jumping power across to the switched circuit.

I can't remember the exact details but I know I chased it for a bit (probably a thread here somewhere) and it was pretty random & frustrating (I'd already pulled apart the loom looking for a short at the neck where it bends when you turn... that's another candidate as well as something shorting in the headlamp housing or the switch housing).

Good luck!

Salty, good morning from the other part of California :-) Well...... for sure I have exploring to do here. Will get it sorted..... hopefully without too much frustration. Thanks for responding. G R.

[Grand Rouge]

SOLVED. DISCOVERED SOURCE of ISSUE. Repaired and checked and properly routed and secured and checked again all is A OK!

IMG_20231116_123212.jpg

I started (second time) at rear of GS. Tail Light / Brake Light harness revealed and power wire identified. With fuse installed and of course the Brake Light illuminated, I followed the (4 or 5 wires wrapped) loom alongside rear fender....right side.....mada a left turn in and down toward rear of battery box. Disappeared under filter housing.....light tug on the loom made no difference re the light and the harness felt 'secured hard'. Only way to follow visually.....remove filter housing. As I loosened the 2 bolts at top rear of housing..........yes ...you know the story....Brake Light went OUT. Anyway......removed housing. As photo shows.....the wee white and copper colored wire is the culprit...a victim actually.... of being squeezed between large wire bundle above pushed down by bottom of filter housing onto one of the 2 bolt heads that secure the back of battery box to frame. Wore through tape wrapping... a ground occured..... A check of all wires......the few individual ones and looms too....all are properly routed, clamped, booted etc.

Thanks fellow riders

[rphillips]

Feels good, don't it.. Congrats.

[Grand Rouge]

Feels good, don't it.. Congrats.

It is again a grand day. For sure would rather be riding than wrenching. Feels good indeed.

[dorkburger]

Glad you found the issue. A few years ago I was trying to find out why my brake light didn't work from the handlebar lever. Turns out hat a wire had broken internally with no visible external damage.

[pdqford]

15 Amp fuse is in correct spot. I looked at a schematic and it appeared to me that said fuse connected to starter relay.... That said.....my 76 year old eyes may have ..er...fooled me. I will be getting into the actual machine shortly..

I know what you mean. My 85 year old eyes require a magnifying glass to follow some of those wiring schematics.

Good to hear you tracked it down.

[salty_monk]

Good news. Electrical is always frustrating as it's not very visible except as smoke...