Tail light always on...

[DavieDarkoR1]

Hello everyone. Have another issue thats been preventing me from riding safely. I believe my problem started when I realized my ride side stock rear set was cracked. I bought some ducabike sets and went off to remove the stockers. I tried everything to remove the brake switch from the stock rear set but had no luck. I decided I would cut the wiring and run a woodcraft banjo brake switch later down the road off the rear master cylinder. Once I had the new rear sets on I went off on a test ride forgetting that I had an exposed brake switch wire dangling. The wires made contact with the metal on the exhaust and pop goes my main fuse. I capped off the wires and replaced the 30A fuse and went back home to park my bike until the new banjo switch came in the mail. Yesterday the switch came in the mail so I went off to install it. Low and behold I get everything together and the brake light is stuck on. Im pretty sure I reconnected all the connectors correctly on the light itself. So now I'm stumped. I suck at crimping but theyre pressed on very tight.

Thanks

[Speeddog]

If you put the bulb in 180deg out, it will do that.

Try unhooking the brake switches, first rear, then front, to find the issue.

[Buckethead]

Also, stop by AutoZone and get some heat shrink tubing.

You need to cover the stripped wire on those crimped ends or you're gonna spend a lot more money on fuses.

[Slide Panda]

Or you could do it right, and buy the same plugs that Ducati uses - fix the harness and and reterminate the switch side so you don't have ghetto wiring causing headaches and looking terrible

http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-015-0080/AMP-superseal-2-pole-connector-set

[nickshelby500kr]

Or you could do it right, and buy the same plugs that Ducati uses - fix the harness and and reterminate the switch side so you don't have ghetto wiring causing headaches and looking terrible

http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-015-0080/AMP-superseal-2-pole-connector-set

I second this. Wiring is already a pain in the ass, make it easier on yourself later by using connectors.

[suzyj]

So if my logic is right, when you applied the front brake with the brake line shorted to ground, 30+ amps went through the brake switch before the fuse went.

I wouldn't be surprised if your brake switch contacts are fused together. Might be an idea to test that.

[SpikeC]

 Probly the battery.

[DavieDarkoR1]

Thanks for the replies. I of course want to go to legit connectors in the future but my main concern is to have them wired correctly first.

To reiterate my issue the bikes tail light is a solid on, as if the brakes were being applied. To cause this the brakes would have to not be making contact with the switch at all.

If you put the bulb in 180deg out, it will do that.

Try unhooking the brake switches, first rear, then front, to find the issue.

I only have a front brake switch. My rear is a banjo pressure switch.

So if my logic is right, when you applied the front brake with the brake line shorted to ground, 30+ amps went through the brake switch before the fuse went.

I wouldn't be surprised if your brake switch contacts are fused together. Might be an idea to test that.

How would you go about it? Where do you think they would be fused together?

[DavieDarkoR1]

   

Need helppppp don't want to get pulled over

[Howie]

No magic bullet, they can be fused anywhere, including inside the harness .  Or it can still be a switch if you did not disconnect them.  Start with disconnecting the switches one at a time.  As suzyj more likely a switch fused than a wire, particularly if you have no other electrical problems.  Your rear switch, though hydraulic, is still a switch.  Also, check the wires at the tail light as well as the bulb position  Yellow is tail, gray/red is brake.

[memper]

I vote soldering. Connectors, unless they are of the water tight variety tend to fail.

[suzyj]

I vote soldering. Connectors, unless they are of the water tight variety tend to fail.

I disagree. Soldering can be very reliable, but the sort of soldering that I see commonly is a long way short of that. The OPs problems aren't caused by crimps vs soldering. They're caused by chewing on wires to strip them, and failing to insulate the resulting mess.

If you need to be able to disconnect something, crimp a connector on, using the proper tool. I like amp super seals, but there are plenty of other equivalents. If you're just joining wires, use a butt splice.

For reference, these are what I use to join wires:

http://au.element14.com/te-connectivity-amp/31818/crimp-terminal-butt-22-16awg/dp/2139108

It's a solistrand butt splice.  I crimp it using a tool similar to this:

http://www.newark.com/ideal/30-428/cut-strip-crimp-tool/dp/59F1118

Before I do so, I slip a short piece of glue filled heat shrink on, which I shrink on afterwards, sealing the connection nicely. This stuff:

http://au.element14.com/pro-power/hs115-1-2m/heatshrink-3-1-4-8mm-black-1-2m/dp/1187633

The result looks like this:



See the little black bit on the yellow/red wire. It's joined. Reliably.

[DavieDarkoR1]

Damn I guess its time to start taking a hard look at the harness : (