Tail light no workie...

[flux]

Anyone got any ideas for me?  The brake light works, but not the tail light.  Fuses are all good.  All connections seem good and tight.  It's not the bulbs... I just went to Autozone and bought $18 worth of LEDs and the issue remains the same.  

The previous owner did some weird things to the wiring in the rear of the bike and I am finding out he loved electrical tape.   :roll:

[coachgeo]

if there is weird things back there then IMHO he might well have been chasing problems with the rear area before unless he had added stuff previously that lead to the odd wiring.

soooooo... with that in mind... check all your grounds reallll good.

Also you said your fuses were good.  ..... how do you define that?  Do they LOOK good?  or did you test them with a meter, testlight  or swap them out to power other items that were known to work and current flowed thru them activiating these known working items just fine?

[walker]

check the voltage on the wires.... there should be 3 - brake, tail, and ground. pin #3 is the tail light, #2 is ground, #1 is brake light. The power from the tail light should go right along the harness to the fuse.... so...

check for power at the fuse itself, make sure you get power there! then, at the connector for the brake light assembly - disconnect the connector, and test for voltage at pin #3 (red wire). After that, check for voltage on the brake light side of the connector when it's connected.... then at the bulb socket itself....

that should cover fuse to connector, connector itself, connector to socket.... could be a break anywhere along there....

if you don't even have power at the fuse, the power comes to the fuse from the ignition switch.... on that connector it's pin #3 (8 wire connector or something like that).

ignition swtich to fuse, fuse to pigtail connector, pigtail connector to tail light.

[flux]

Thanks guys, I always get puzzled with electrical stuff.  I'll give the advice a shot today.

The previous owner may have had some items wired into the OEM wiring.  The 3 wires to the brake and tail light were cut and wrapped with electrical tape.  I yanked the tape and used joints to put them back together (I suck at soldering and this method works 2nd best in my experiences).  

I did check the fuses with a test light, and even pulled them when I couldn't figure it out.  

I'll be sure to update, thanks again.

[jmurguia]

Turned out to be the ignition switch had been chaffed where the wires exit out of the bottom. The wire for the rear light was cut and a few more were damaged b/c of poor placement.

I argued with the local dealer that they were the cause b/c only Triumph had worked on my bike to that point.

I actually got reimbursed @ $450 buck even though they did not perform the repair (because I had lost faith in them)...

...might want to look at the ignition switch.  Good Luck, JCM

[flux]

Can you guys believe that this whole time I was checking the WRONG DAMN FUSE???   :oops:   I was looking at a 15 amp fuse which I guess is the brake like fuse, when I should have been looking at a 5 amp one.  I mean, I've spent all day doing this!!!   :roll:

Too much going on.... man I need a vacation!  

Thanks guys!

[walker]

hey - it's fixed! rockin!

sometimes it takes a step back, and to question everything from the beginning.

[flux]

hey - it's fixed! rockin!

sometimes it takes a step back, and to question everything from the beginning.

True, thanks again for the help.  Electrical problems always get me but at least I'm learnin'.   8)

[stook]

hey - it's fixed! rockin!

sometimes it takes a step back, and to question everything from the beginning.

True, thanks again for the help.  Electrical problems always get me but at least I'm learnin'.   8)

Any idea what caused the fuse to blow? They usually don't just "go bad." There's always a reason and if they go once, they will usually do it again soon after the new one goes in.