Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech No tail lights

I wanted to try the LED replacement bulbs I bought on ebay to "brighten up" my tail/brake lights today.

They felt loose (sloppy), and wouldn't light. If I wiggled them around, they would light for a brief moment, but basically, no go.
After trying for a few minutes, the rear tail lights went out completely, even the original ones.

I thought "No big deal", probably just blew the fuse. Well, the fuse (#10 in the fuse block) a 5 amp looked good, but replaced it anyway, and still no power. No power to any of the contacts in the bulb socket, and no power to the yellow (?) wire on the supply side of the tail/brake light wire connector plug under the seat.

The brake lights work, as do all others. Horn works, everything else works. What's kinda odd, is when I put the key in the "parking" mode, the lights come on, but BRIGHT, like it's the brake lights instead of the tail lights. Maybe that's the way it should be in "parking" mode. I never paid any attention before.

Anyway, in the past, no tail lights was a "ground" problem, but I didn't disconnect anything, and the ground seems fine.

Is there another fuse somewhere in the tail light circuit??? The book says if there is no power to the yellow wire at the socket connector plug under the seat, to check the light switch/key switch, and other connectors. But I don't know If/where there's a "tail light switch" on the America, and I didn't F' with ANYTHING other than the tail lights themselves.

I don't know how to trace anything electrical, so again, I'm wondering if there's another fuse somewhere in the circuit other than the one in the fuse block?

Oh, by the way, the LED's appeared DIMMER than the 1157's I had for years. (Not original lights, they are the generic "Beehive" trailer lights sold everywhere.)

$10 for the bulbs down the drain, and probably $100 labor to get someone smart to figure it out! OUCH!

Only help I can offer is - i do know the fuse block is the only fuse in the circuit.

And I'd test the circuit for crosses with the continuity function. Maybe a cross in the socket its self?

I'd get some 3 foot sections of wire and straight line it to rule out loose connections. Doesn't sound like a short or you'd have blown fuses. Sorta sounds like the socket.

. I'm with wade with the socket being suspect. If the two + wire are crossed (touching) both filaments will be lit.
the hand contol brake has a brakeswitch and there's a inline pressure switch on the left side behind the square looking part of the frame. But if ya didn't play with them you should be cool there.

Yea, I'm leaning to the sockets too.
The worry is, I didn't show voltage at the yellow wire on the supply side of the plug under the seat. But tomorrow I will straight wire from the battery to the plug on the side that goes straight to the rear lights.

Did you try the ignition switch in the park position?

Yes, and it seemed like they were as bright as the BRAKE LIGHTS usually are, not the brightness of the regular taillights, when in the "parking" mode.
Is that what you guys get when you switch to "parking"???
But again, the lights work in "parking", and the brake lights work with both the hand brake and foot brake.

Just for kicks, did you retry the OEM bulb?

Yea, the originals are back in, cause the LED's SUCKED!

This is ALL DUE to a cheap-sh1t product, purchased by a cheap-sh1t tightwad.

Don't be so hard on yourself Robert.Somtimes when switching to LED bulbs you need to add a resistor to the line,also sometimes the contacts in the socket will bend and not make contact.Will those lights work straight off a 12volt battery?

They were supposed to be direct replacements for the 1157's that are currently in the aftermarket lights.
They fit poorly (loose/wobble) in the sockets, and the bulbs contacts were oblong, not round like 1157's.
I had to hold them just right to get them to light, and then the brightness appeared less than the 1157's.

On a side note, I tried to follow the wiring diagram to troubleshoot, and what I found was no power coming out of the ignition switch plug from the brown wire of the ignition switch to the red w/yellow wire in the #2 pin that goes to the #10 fuse. When I supply 12 v to that red w/yellow wire on the #2 pin, the tail lights do work. Current will flow thru the ignition switch from gray to brown, #1 and #2 pin, and thru the #10 fuse.

The speedometer light bulbs run off that same power, and they also don't light, so I guess I'll see if they light with an alternate power source, or if the bulbs are blown.
MAYBE if the speedo bulbs are blown, that will affect the tail lights, but I doubt it.

Another hour of my time tomorrow, then it goes to the shop.

I'm having this exact same issue now, Erle did you get this puzzle figured out?

Appreciate any input

Well, I fixed it, but I don't know what in the hell I did.
I'm guessing that with one more run through the system, I must have corrected a ground, or a contact.