1982 GS1100EZ Stop Lamp on Check Panel glowing for 16 years?

[Anonymous]

Yes 16 years was not a typo. The stop lamp check light has been aglow on and off for some sixteen years now. I have checked for proper ground, its good. Checked for faults in the wiring harness and have found no problem there. I have even resorted to black electrical tape over the lamp and that is not the fix. I have no other electrical problems, charging system is ok, no bulbs blowing. I have just learned to live with the little red lamp on. Oh, strange thing is the brake light comes on when front or rear brakes are applied and sometimes when the brakes are applied the check light will go out, only to come back on after a while. Anyone else have this problem? Any suggestion where to look next? Thanks All
Craig

1982 GS1100EZ Owned for 18 years. My first street bike.

ITS NOT OLD, JUST A BLAST FROM THE PAST!!

[redliner1973]

Very first thing to look for on 'mysterious glows' are bad grounds. My LED aux tail lights glowed very dimly until I cleaned the mounts, and the ground wire paths. went away after that. remember, a 16 year old bike has 16 year old wiring. needs lots of TLC. Hope that helps...

[Anonymous]

Tim; Thanks for the tip. I'll check it out and let you know. If I can't get the light to go out after cleaning the grounding point would it be safe to ground to battery neg?
Thanks
Craig

[Jeff Tate]

I have the exact year and model as you...and have had the same problem for at least 10 years or so. I've just learned to ignore it. Sorry I don't have a fix , but thought I'd let you know you're not alone.

[redliner1973]

If you cleaned and still has probs, runnig another wire to the battery wouldnt hurt, but I would first check all switches, clean them with tuner cleaner, check ALL grounds on the bike (yes, alot of work, but you wil be repayed with a good electrical system) and see if that helps first.

[Anonymous]

:twisted: Here's a very technical way to fix that little light problem.

1)remove enough of the panel to get the bulb out.
2)place bulb on ground
3)proceed to stomp the heck out of bulb
4)replace panel and proceed on marry way.

People with new cars always have problmems with the check engine light coming on (just tells them about emmisoins like bad o2 sensor or something similar to that. I always tell them to remove it if it bothers you. I would.

[focus frenzy]

Have you tried replacing the stop light bulb with one that is specified?
the burned out bulb warning light works by sensing the resistance in the brake light ciurcut, if the incorrect bulb is used the resistance can be out of range and even though the brake light works the warning light will still be on.
so it is important to use the correct bulb, most of the time when a vehicle (motorcycle or car) has a burned out bulb warning system they often, just to make life difficult use a special bulb that is only available at the dealer.

If you have or get the correct bulb and the light still stays on, trace the ciurcut from the bulb to the warning light control box checking for any bad connections that could be causing the problem.

devildog,if you have a new car and the check engine light comes on, take it to the dealer and get it fixed, that is what new car waranties are for.
or if it isnt a new car you should still get it fixed because the problem could be seriouse, drivability could suffer and a deterriation in fuel economy can result from malfunctions in the electronic control system.
also many counties in texas are going to emission checks durring inspection and a inoperative or illuminated check engine light will cause the vehicle to fail inspection.
besides it is a matter of pride to maintain a car in tip top condition, and it is often cheaper to fix them then it is to replace them.
also by fixxing the problem that has caused the light to come on insures that the emissions system is working correctly and not polutting the air that me breath.

Sorry for the rant. :roll:

[Anonymous]

Everyone: Thanks for the input for this ongoing problem, DEVILDOG-I liked your solution but as much as I would like to smash the h*&& out of the little bulb its to much work just to get to it to remove it for the little thrill it would give me. Its back to the drawing board on this one, first thing to check is correct taillight bulb although I don't ever recall replacing it. That bulb must be as stubborn to burn out as the check light bulb. Went for a 200 mile ride this past weekend and the check lamp went out for about 15 minutes, then came back on. Could'nt be so lucky after all this talking about it to just have it correct itself. Thats wishfull thinking.
Tracing the harness back to the check pannel is going to be fun. I will let you know what I find out. Thanks again all for your input.
Craig

1982 GS1100EZ

Its not old just a blast from the past!!

[Jay B]

Solved problem

Craig
I think you just solved the problem You said that the light went out for a while during your ride. I think the only way that could happen is that you have a bad connection somewhere. Rust or a loose, corroaded wire. Maybe a combination of both.