Side light on with breaks....

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Solarboy
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Location: Ramsey Essex

Side light on with breaks....

Post by Solarboy »

Hi all, how’s it all going? Been a bit busy of late so not spent much time on the forum. I cleaned the garage out today and thought I would run the old girl up for 10 minutes just to get some oil on the seals in the engine. I had the dipped and side lights off and noticed that when I used the front or back break the dash and side light comes on!! I tried turning the lights on and the break light still works as normal so I’m wondering if the bike is supposed to do this?? As I normally have the lights on anyway this would never be an issue or noticed come to that, it was only as I was checking the switches etc that it came to light....no pun intended..
anyone have the same thing happen on their bike or do we think that someone has been over excited with a scotch lock somewhere??
Thanks all
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E.Marquez
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Re: Side light on with breaks....

Post by E.Marquez »

Not normal (even for those bloody "foreign" VTR's ...LOL

You have some power back feed from one circuit to another Id guess.
Any non stock lights? gadget add ones?
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Solarboy
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Location: Ramsey Essex

Re: Side light on with breaks....

Post by Solarboy »

The rear light is stock but all of the indicators have been changed. I did change the small bulbs in the dash and small side light at the front for LEDs but I can’t see how that would do it. Looks like I need to investigate with a multi meter.....
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Solarboy
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Re: Side light on with breaks....

Post by Solarboy »

It really can only be the wiring around the tail light thinking about it. That’s the only place the break feed cable will be near the lighting circuit. But it would have to involve a relay somewhere otherwise the back feed would power the break light whenever the headlight was on.
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eamonn
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Re: Side light on with breaks....

Post by eamonn »

Hello, I had this problem before, the rear stop / tail light had silvered, (the inside of the glass was coated in fine powder. Bits of the lighting element which had burnt off and coated the inside of the glass. When I applied the brakes the current shorted through the inside of the bulb to the sidelight and the dash lights. Try changing both the rear bulbs .
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Solarboy
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Re: Side light on with breaks....

Post by Solarboy »

Hi, the tail light was going to be my first place to start looking. It sounds like you have given me a good place to start by changing the bulbs. I’ll let you know how I get on. Thanks for your help.
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jchesshyre
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Location: Chester, Cheshire

Re: Side light on with breaks....

Post by jchesshyre »

Likewise, if changing the bulbs doesn't solve it, the earth connection for the rear tail light could be faulty - I had this on my CB500 a few years back and the headlight came on when I applied the brakes.
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Solarboy
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Re: Side light on with breaks....

Post by Solarboy »

All good information and thanks for your help.
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sirch345
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Re: Side light on with breaks....

Post by sirch345 »

I had a similar thing happen on a car many years ago. After a lot of head scratching and hours of searching, it was one of the twin filament stop/tail light bulbs at fault. The top filament had blown allowing it to drop down and bridge the filament below it, hence applying the brake powered up the lighting circuit,

Chris.
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Solarboy
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Re: Side light on with breaks....

Post by Solarboy »

Thanks Chris, it’s got to be something simple I think and I’ll start by changing the bulbs.
All the best
James
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sirch345
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Re: Side light on with breaks....

Post by sirch345 »

Good luck in finding the culprit James,

Chris.
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Solarboy
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Re: Side light on with breaks....

Post by Solarboy »

Well new bulbs in and works a treat! Who would have thought that both bulbs would have broken down like that. Very strange how the power only flowed in one direction though, brake to lights and not the other way around.
Still thanks for your help gents, good call on your part.
James
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sirch345
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Re: Side light on with breaks....

Post by sirch345 »

Solarboy wrote: Thu Jan 03, 2019 8:41 am Well new bulbs in and works a treat! Who would have thought that both bulbs would have broken down like that. Very strange how the power only flowed in one direction though, brake to lights and not the other way around.
Still thanks for your help gents, good call on your part.
James
That is strange how that happened on both bulbs I agree, glad you've fixed it James :clap: :D

Chris.
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