Brake light works but stop light doesn't.

[Zbradley1215]

The light for the brake shines nice and bright but doesn't get any brighter when I hit either brake. Is the relay or whatever it is that's hooked to the rear brake universal or is it a specific size for the gs's.

Sorry I don't know the correct term

Thanks

 

[Agemax]

do you mean the tail light works but the brake light does not?
have you checked the bulb?
there is no relay just a switch on the front and rear brake levers.
check to see if you get 12v to the correct wire for the brake light when you hit either brake.
if none of these work you will have to check through the wiring and test both brake light switches, but its doubtful both switches are faulty

 

[tom203]

The wires are likely connected wrong at taillight- the black/white wire must be connected to bulb base ( the cylinder portion of bulb)

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

I would hazard a guess and say that the switch in the front brake lever is stuck "on" all the time. It's time to take it apart, clean it up, put it back together properly and see if the problem goes away. You'll find a "how to" guide on my little website.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[bwringer]

Hi,

I would hazard a guess and say that the switch in the front brake lever is stuck "on" all the time.

Yep.

Take the bulb out and see if both filaments are glowing.

 

[Dogma]

Yep.

Take the bulb out and see if both filaments are glowing.

They won't be if he takes it out. :twistedevil:

 

[Steve]

I would hazard a guess and say that the switch in the front brake lever is stuck "on" all the time. It's time to take it apart, clean it up, put it back together properly and see if the problem goes away.

Could also be the REAR brake switch that is sticking.

Pretty much the same procedure to fix the rear switch, just a different location.

.

 

[Guest]

Yeah check the switch for hanging and then make sure the adjustment is where it needs to be. Found mine running bright and nothing I did with the brake lever or pedal did anything to change it. I checked the connections, bulb then noticed the jam nut on the rear switch just kind of hanging in the wind. For some reason it triggered the brake light on and stayed that way. Once I got the nut back on and adjusted it, everything was fine. I thought the pin switch had to be pulled down by the brake pedal for it to activate. Like I said mine was hanging loose.

 

[Guest]

Hi,

I would hazard a guess and say that the switch in the front brake lever is stuck "on" all the time. It's time to take it apart, clean it up, put it back together properly and see if the problem goes away. You'll find a "how to" guide on my little website.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

I have to agree with Cliff

 

[Zbradley1215]

Thanks for all the tips guys, Ill look into all these over the weekend.

 

[bwringer]

Yep.

Take the bulb out and see if both filaments are glowing.

They won't be if he takes it out. :twistedevil:

Uh, yeah. You make an excellent point...

I was thinking of a different bike where there's a little holder that comes out, then you pull the bulb.

Anyhoo, get real close and peer into the tail light, or remove the lens so you can see whether both filaments are glowing.

 

[Sojourner]

HA. I have this exact same problem. Hopefully your issue is simply wiring and easy to fix. Mine? Turned out that the front switch's wires were broke off inside the housing. I could have soldered the wires back together, but the switch plate was also shot so I spent the $22 on a new unit including wires. As for the rear brake, my switch is there but the longish spring that runs from the brake pedal to it is gone.

I ordered both parts on 10/8 and I'm still waiting. Not the vendor's fault or anything, it's just the damn $1.50 spring has been on back-order for a month and holding up the front brake switch with it.

 

[Redman]

The light for the brake shines nice and bright but doesn't get any brighter when I hit either brake. Is the relay or whatever it is that's hooked to the rear brake universal or is it a specific size for the gs's.

Sorry I don't know the correct term

Thanks

If it is that the tail light AND the brake light are both on all the time (as others have suggested). One option would be to disconnect the front brake switch and see if brake light goes out, and/or disconnect rear brake switch and see if brake light goes out. THat will tell you which is the problem.

.

 

[Killer2600]

If it is that the tail light AND the brake light are both on all the time (as others have suggested). One option would be to disconnect the front brake switch and see if brake light goes out, and/or disconnect rear brake switch and see if brake light goes out. THat will tell you which is the problem.

.

An easier test would be to turn the key to "park" and see if the brightness is less than "on" - the brake light is non-functional in the "park" position.

The word "bright" tells me it's stuck on though.

 

[Redman]

An easier test would be to turn the key to "park" and see if the brightness is less than "on" - the brake light is non-functional in the "park" position.

.....

True.
THat would be a way to get just the tail light on.
(In Park the tail light is powered by the Main fuse, in the ON position the tail light is powered by the signal fuse.

ZBradley,
So, turn to Park so can se what just the tail light looks like.

THen turn to ON, and if lots brighter, then can know that it must be the brake and the tail light both on.

Then pull wire off front and rear brake swtich to determine if it is one of those that is keeping the brake light on.


.
.

 

[Steve]

True.
THat would be a way to get just the tail light on.
(In Park the tail light is powered by the Main fuse, in the ON position the tail light is powered by the signal fuse.

Close.

In the ON position, the tail light is powered by the LIGHTS fuse.

.

 

[Redman]

For purpose of discussion with ZBradley, let's just say that as far as tail light is concerned, in the park position the tail light only will be on, but powered by a different fuse than when in ON position.

Now, Steve, the discussion you referenced.
Headlight fuse ,org/red, goes to yel/wht headlight hi/low switch, and to t/signal switch, and nothing else.
Signal fuse, org/grn, goes to brake circuit, t/signal relay, horns, other things, and jumpers over to green circuit for instrument lights and the things like oil and gear indicator and then to tag light and goes to ignition switch for tail light if switch in ON position.
And ignition fuse blahh blahh.

So, I say tail light is powered by Signal fuse when key in ON position

(Sorry for slow responce, am fighting with his new tablet.)

Maybe I will go in garage and experiment.
Am looking at 1100gk schematic.

.and. when you say 'light fuse', do not know if you mean headlight or if mean signal (which is instrument lights)


>> later note.
Last night I did verify by experimentation that taillight powered by signal fuse, not headlight fuse (1100gk) with key in On position, and when in park is powered by main fuse.
.

 

[Steve]

Well, I don't have an 1100GK, so I am using an 850G(k) schematic.
It's actually the one that is on BassCliff's site as a very good diagram with colors.
Except for the few differences that came with the '82 models, it still applies very well.

Tracing back from the tail light, it is powered by a brown wire.
The brown wire comes from the ignition switch.
In the PARK position, it is fed by a red wire that comes from the MAIN fuse.
In the ON position, it is fed by a gray wire that comes from a connector that is fed by an orange wire with a red stripe.
That orange/red wire also feeds the yellow/white wire that goes to the headlight beam selector switch to power the headlight.
The orange/red wire comes directly from the end fuse, which is LIGHTS, and powers the headlight AND the tail light.

In that same wiring diagram, if you follow the second fuse from the end (SIGNALS),
you will find that it is an orange/green wire that powers the turn signal control unit, turn signal relay,
brake lights, horns, fuel gauge regulator, neutral light and oil pressure light (but not the tail light).

Just for the sake of completion, the third fuse is the IGNITION fuse. It has an orange white wire that goes first to the "kill" switch, then to the starter button, coils and ignitor.

EDIT: I just took a good look at the 1100GK diagram that is on BassCliff's site. It is one of several that I have found to have a mistake in it.
To show you the mistake, please follow along with me here:
Start at the battery, follow the red wire to the MAIN fuse, then continue to the ignition switch. When the switch is in the ON position, it appears that the red wire will be connected to a GRAY wire. Follow the gray wire, you will see that it powers the front running lights (in the turn signals), the dashboard lights and the license light, but nothing else.

Now go back to the problem at hand: powering the tail light. Let's follow it from the light to the source in that diagram. Follow the brown wire from the tail light to the ignition switch, it appears to be powered by the orange wire. Follow the orange wire, you will see that it ends at the fuse box, where it is connected to three fuses.

The mistake in the diagram is that the orange wire and the gray wire are reversed in the ignition switch. The red wire from the MAIN fuse should be connected to the orange wire, and the gray wire should be connected to the brown wire.

.

 

[Redman]

ZBradley,

Again, can put key in Park to power only the tail light circuit (and tail light only, only thing powered in entire bike actaully).
Put key in ON to power both the tail light circuit and brake light switch circuit (and everything else).

ANything further to report?

Please excuse Steve and I whilst we discuss this point that does not effect your situation too much.


Steve,

Am using Suzuki factory schematic. Yes, some Clymers GS schematics show ignition swtich wires in wrong place on the switch. And I do like the color schematics for some purposes and the b/w for other purposes.

To the main point we mentioned. Yah, I see on 850GL schematic is different than my (Suzuki factory) 1100GK schamatic relative to which power circuit (head or signal) is jumpered over to the circuit that goes to ignition switch for the tail light.
Hum, I should look to see if 1100G(GL) is differernt from 850G(GL),
or if it is that GK is different than 1100G.
(I had always thought only difference between GK and G schematic would be an extra connectors to fairing and maybe extra connectors to t/signals in bags, but basic circuits the same.

(I did test on my GK, pulled the signal fuse and tail light went out. Pulled head fuse and lost headlight not tail light.)

So, I will print out 850G(GL) schematic and 1100G schematic. Maybe use the 850G(GL) for reference when making statements.

And maybe print out schamatic for 450L to serve for the twins.
(I already have a 78 750 schamaitc, cause I know those are different.)

.

 

[Redman]

Steve and everyone intersted in what fuse powers the tail light,

If following along on schematic, this all has to do with what is jumpered to the "Gr" wire on the connector top/center of schematic. The other end of "Gr" wire goes on to ignition switch to power the tail light "Br" wire (when ignition switch is in ON position). But we are talking about that "Gr" wire up at that connnector top center of page. That connnector also has the O/G wire from the signal fuse and the O/R wire from the headlight fuse, all there in that same connector. And the single connector for the Y/W wire to headlight switch is nearby.

I now see that the 1100GK (that I was looking at) schematic is different than the 1100G relative to that jumper that powers the "Gr" wire. And the 1100G is more like the 850GL (that Steve was looking at).

SO, when I said that tail light is powered by signal fuse when key in ON, that is true for GK, but now I see is specific to GK and maybe GK only. Is that way on GK because that "Gr" wire is jjumpered over to the Signal fuse circuit (O/G). So, I should not use GK scahmatic when talking about other bikes. Okay, Steve, I stand subject to further critisism.

On 850GL and 1100G that jumper goes over to headlight fuse circuit (O/R) (and also jumpers over to Y/W headlight switch circuit.)
So, the 850GL and 1100G is probably more representive of most all others: Tail Light powered by Headlight fuse.

Other confusion is that my 1982 suzuki factory manaul schematic for 1100G lists "Gr" as Gray (and G as Green) and the GK schematic lists "Gr" as Green (but doesnt list a Gray, so I conclude that G is green and Gr is Gray).

Some other confusions:
- Clymer schematic shows the wires going to wrong places on ignition swtich on some schamatics (or shows internals of swtich wrong, either).
- 83-84 GK ignition swtich also has accessory position.
- 82 1100GL factory schematic is all messed up at that connector, has lots of wrong colors on one end of wire verse other end of wire, and wrong color going to color on other side of connector and other stuff that seems to be all messed up, at least in the version of 1982 factory manaul I have, again 1982 1100 GL. Schematic for 1100G seems okay.