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Back light won't stay on

  • Thread starter Thread starter bexabarr
  • Start date Start date
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bexabarr

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The back light which normally is constantly on, is no longer staying on. The break light works... also I checked the filament on the bulb and it is fine. I recently changed the front brake (direct swap with another kit). When I turn the key completely to the right (lock the steering wheel) the light does come on. The fuses are fine, and it was working a few days ago (I believe).

Any ideas? Thanks again!
 
The back tail light, right? Thats what your are talking about, right?

That is good that you mentioned that it does come on with the ignition switch in the park position.

THe brown wire of the tail light goes to the ignition switch and only the ignition switch (per schemtics I have for 850s and 1100s, I assume same for 550). The only difference between the circuit for the tail light being on in the run position and being on in the park position is the internals of the ignition switch. So I would conclude your problem is internal to the ignition switch.
Maybe someone else can verify this with a schematic for your 550.

When you say "wont stay on", you mean it does come on some times?

Here is wire colors of ignition switch:
- red. Power feed from Main fuse.
- Orange. back to the fuse box to power the other fuses (when switch in run position)
- Green. to all the instrument lights and licence plate light. (when switch in run position)
- Brown to tail light and tail light only.

Does your licence plate light work? Does your intrument lights work?

If you can verify that probelm is internal to the ignition switch.... maybe a solution, other than repacing the igntiion switch, might be to move the tail light from the Brown circuit to the green circuit, just that the park position will no longer light the tail light.
 
Last edited:
bexabarr said:
The back light which normally is constantly on, is no longer staying on. The break light works... also I checked the filament on the bulb and it is fine. I recently changed the front brake (direct swap with another kit). When I turn the key completely to the right (lock the steering wheel) the light does come on. The fuses are fine, and it was working a few days ago (I believe).

Any ideas? Thanks again!
Click to expand...

I'll defer to redman for the switching details, but one additional thing to check really quickly.

On my gs650, the lighting to the tail went under the fender.
When I got it, it was intermittent.
Turned out it hung down just a bit, and was worn away by the tire.
So before you look at the hard to get to stuff, take a peek between the rear tire and fender.

Martin
 
Hey guys thanks for all the responses... It started working all of the sudden again tonight. I didn't do anything. Tomorrow I'm going to clean out all the connections with wd-40 and check the ignition switch.

By the way I checked the wire if it was hitting the tire and it was fine... it was very good point never the less.

One quick question... Is the back light connected through the headlight switch? - in other words if the headlight is off so is the back light (and vice versa).


You guys are awesome... thanks for the one billionth time!!
 
Yep. On the older models with a seperate headlight switch(not the always on type), the taillight goes off when the headlight switch is off. In park mode, the ignition switch turns everything else off, but connects the power to the taillight only. In regular on mode, the taillight power goes through the headlight switch. If the headlight is on, the headlight switch sends power to the instrument lights and ignition switch via the green wire. The ignition switch then connects the green wire to the brown wire and on to the taillight.
 
relic-rider said:
Yep. On the older models with a seperate headlight switch(not the always on type), the taillight goes off when the headlight switch is off. In park mode, the ignition switch turns everything else off, but connects the power to the taillight only. In regular on mode, the taillight power goes through the headlight switch. If the headlight is on, the headlight switch sends power to the instrument lights and ignition switch via the green wire. The ignition switch then connects the green wire to the brown wire and on to the taillight.
Click to expand...

Aha!! that is exactly the information I was looking for. Thanks Relic! I'm going to take a long look at all these connections today...
 
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