New Brake light Blowing Fuse

[awGS550]

Hey all,

Last week I threw on my new cafe-style seat which meant I needed to replace the stock tail light (which obviously utilizes a dual filament bulb). I threw together a shock mount for the new light and license plate. The new fixture uses two single filament bulbs, one for the tail light and one for the brake light.


I wired the new light as I thought I should and grounded it as would make sense to me and have run into an issue. I can turn on the lights and the tail light comes on as it should. If I use the brakes, one of two things happens. Sometimes the headlight dims/goes off completely OR I blow the 20A main fuse and I lose all power.

This tells me that there is a grounding issue but, I have both bulbs grounded to the single ground wire that used to ground the stock fixture.

Has anyone run into this issue/does anyone have a suggestion for me? I have a feeling I am overlooking something quite simple.

Thanks!

-Andrew

[rustybronco]

Incorrect bulb used for the brake light? I.E. two contact bulb where a single bulb is required.
Internally shorted (defective) bulb?
Bulb socket and or wire shorted to ground?

[Matchless]

I wired the new light as I thought I should and grounded it as would make sense to me and have run into an issue. I can turn on the lights and the tail light comes on as it should. If I use the brakes, one of two things happens. Sometimes the headlight dims/goes off completely OR I blow the 20A main fuse and I lose all power.

This tells me that there is a grounding issue but, I have both bulbs grounded to the single ground wire that used to ground the stock fixture.

Has anyone run into this issue/does anyone have a suggestion for me? I have a feeling I am overlooking something quite simple.

Thanks!

-Andrew

You more than likely have the power wire coming from the brake switch wired to ground or shorting out to ground. This will be the white wire going to the rear brake light. Disconnect it and see whats happening.

[posplayr]

You more than likely have the power wire coming from the brake switch wired to ground or shorting out to ground. This will be the white wire going to the rear brake light. Disconnect it and see whats happening.

This is highly likely, I would make sure that the wires coming from the light are as you expect. Use a 12V battery to test each light circuit of the light fixture it self.

(I was playing with a light that was wired Red and Black and it was a two filament 1157 bulb. Turns out those are for the two different filaments and there is yet another ground (i.e. metal stock)

[rustybronco]

I guess I'm just not used to people wiring things incorrectly...

[awGS550]

Turns out it was faulty manufacturing of the tail light housing. The bulb was moving around causing it to ground itself out. Wiring was right the whole time!

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

-Andrew

[Matchless]

Turns out it was faulty manufacturing of the tail light housing. The bulb was moving around causing it to ground itself out. Wiring was right the whole time!

Thanks for the suggestions guys.

-Andrew

A genuine clone part from China?

[awGS550]

The BEST!