Brake light switches By erinsdad (Read 439 times)

[erinsdad]

hi everyone!
I seem to have run into a weird little problem with my Tank Classic scooter. After I parked for the day (keys removed) Neighbors called or knocked on my door to tell me my tail light was still on. I jiggled everything I could think of & hit pay dirt with the brake switch. I jiggled it again and it shut off. I later ( hours and days) got more calls that the light was on again. I didn't have time to really look into it so I just unhooked the left brake switch. It still started with the right switch and I always brake with both hands so everything else still worked with that switch disabled. I removed the switch and bench tested it along with my spare switch and they both are now reversed. That is, the light goes off when the plunger is depressed. Not depressed, it's always on. Time to buy new switches? Move to a reverse polar universe? Or is there something I can do to reverse it myself? Why is this happening? Especially with my spare switch?

[alleyoop]

Could it be the wires or plug are reversed ?. Try switching the wires. Or check the wires and find which one has voltage.
Alleyoop

[erinsdad]

nope. I tried to switch them, same thing. It's only 2 wires, so power goes straight thru from one to the other & the switch breaks it, or connects it, right?

[alleyoop]

Correct, hot wire coming in from the ignition when on then when you squeeze the brakes it pushs the switch in and it passes it to the other wire sending the voltage to the lights and solenoid. then when you let go of the brake handle the switch pops out and cuts the voltage.

[erinsdad]

Hmm, yeah, that's what's happening only in reverse. I just ordered a new switch. If it turns out the same way, I figure there's a short somewhere, but I cannot imagine how, since it was working perfectly before. Like you guys have always said, in electrical there's always a gremlin!

[alleyoop]

Take a picture of the brake handle and switch I sure want to see this

[tvnacman]

tvnacman.blogspot.com/

the brake light ckt feeds from the ignition switch , see if your horn works with the key off . I wonder if it is the brake light or the running light . unplug the regulator and see if it goes out .

John

[erinsdad]

I just got around to trying to install a new brake light switch. Put in the new one and things are once again right as rain. There's a very powerful urge for me to dig in and really investigate further, but good riding weather is rapidly going away, so I'll take my Grandma's advise and "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"!