Valve Stem Seals, or maybe throw in the towel

[dorkburger]

If the fuse blows only after activating a switch I'm thinking the glitch is after either switch. A quick and easy check might be to pull out the taillight bulb and check for continuity to ground. Not sure of your exact setup, but I'm thinking two contacts (running and brake) and the socket is grounded. If the brake contact shows continuity to ground start tracing the wire backwards. Checking the switches is a good idea, but it would be surprising if both failed at the same time.

[pdqford]

What Glen said ^^^

If I found the correct wiring diagram on bwinger’s site (and it is in color!), there is a white wire from each brake light switch that are spliced together in the harness. From that splice a single white wire runs through a 3(?) wire connector and on to the brake side of the tail/brake light.

Break out your DVOM, put it in ohm mode, and remove the brake lamp from its socket. With the brake switches off, place one of the meter probes on the white wire contact in the brake socket and the other meter probe to a good ground.

If the meter reads OL or infinity, the white wire is not shorted to ground.
In that case the bulb and/or socket might be shorted to ground.

If your meter shows some resistance, the white wire is grounded.
Move back up the white wire and repeat until you find where the white wire is shorted to ground.

You could also disconnect the white wire from the switches.
Then activate each switch. If the fuse blows, the switch is suspect.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Thank you both. That gives me some good guidance.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Merry Christmas all.

Been a few weeks. It didn’t take long to find my short. Took the front brake lever light switch apart to clean and inspect.

Was going to cut back the wires and re-solder, but just decided to buy a new switch. eBay took a week or so then got busy with Christmas stuff and car shopping with my son.

Finally today got everything buttoned up, tightened up an exhaust bolt underneath, believe I fixed the leak. Went for a 20mile ride. Engine sounds great. I’m super happy with the results of all this work. Thank you all who chimed in with tips and advice. Aside from maybe needing to fiddle with the choke cable adjustment at the carbs, I think I can call this a successful job. Thank you all!

[pdqford]

.
And a Merry Christmas.

[Eli69]

Way to go rich.

[rphillips]

Congrats, appears to be a job well done. Those little switches are so cheap, hardly worth trying to repair old one. Just think, if they'd left the dang choke down on the carbs, where they always worked perfectly forever, instead of installing a stupid choke cable, you'd be done... Oh yeah, did I mention I've always hated them choke cables, totally useless.

[Nessism]

Excellent job, Rich. Thanks for keeping your GS on the road!

[93Bandit]

Excellent! See, that wasn't so bad was it?