Brake Lights Always On

v1butche · Jul 23, 2011

I just recently bought an 05 GL1800A with a Motortrike 2 + 2 Trike kit. My brake lights are always on, and the only time anyone knows that I have hit the brakes is because the Backoff brake modulator flashes. Does anyone have any ideas what the problem might be? thanks.

VaThumper · Jul 23, 2011

Switch gone bad in grip where brake lever is. Maybe?? Also if that's it it may be out of adjustment

jfingalls · Jul 23, 2011

Hi V1butche, In addition to what VaThumper indicated, don't forget there is a brake switch on the right foot brake.

dirtdobber · Jul 24, 2011

I adjust a lot of the brake switches for folks. They seem to get out of adjustment. When they get out of adjustments 1 of 2 things will occur, Brake light on all the time or will not come on.

v1butche · Jul 25, 2011

Thanks for the input. How would I adjust the brakes switches for both the front and the back? Thinking that the brake modulator might be the problem I took it off. Here's where it gets interesting. The brake lights on the trike work like they should, but nothing happens to the trunk lights. The trunk lights don't become brighter when either the foot brake or the front brake are used.

dirtdobber · Jul 25, 2011

My first thought is you have the running lights and brake lights backwards on the trunk. Double check the wiring plugs. Disconnect 1 of them and check what happens, the do the other. Reconnect the one you took loose and disconnect the one that was connected. See what happens.
A friend of mine did the brake light mod and had the same problem. He had the wires backwards.
The front bake is nothing but a switch just behind the hand lever, no adjustment that I am aware of. The rear brake has a adjustment. Look just behind the rear brake master cylinder you will see a plastic piece with spring/s going to it. Loosen the nut on the plastic switch-it has wires coming from it. If the brakes are always on move it toward the master cylinder to take pressure off the switch. If they are not coming on move it outward away from the master cylinder to add pressure on the switch.
Since the fender lights are working correctly and the trunk lights are not I am thinking you have wires reversed.

just a thought
dd

TRIKERBOB69 · Jul 25, 2011

There is a primary brake switch under the seat, I have an 08 wing that had one go bad, replaced under warranty so dont know the damage! will need a tech or manual to trouble shoot it

v1butche · Jul 26, 2011

Thanks for the input. I'll look into all suggestions over the weekend. Thanks again.

dirtdobber · Jul 31, 2011

Did ya find the problem?

v1butche · Aug 3, 2011

Ohhhhh yea.............., are you sitting down??? Once I pulled the modulator out, I followed the right and left brake light wires that were connected to the modular back to the brake lights. For whatever reason, whoever hooked up the rear brake modulator, cut the brake light wires for both the right and left brake light on the trunk. I mean completely cut thru them. They then tied together one half of the cut wire, and wired in the wire coming from the modulator. They never wired back the other side of the cut wires, so brake lights were not connected with the goldwing electrics any more. I reconnected the brake wires like they are supposed to be, and the brake lights work like they should. Me, I would have tied in the wire from the modulator to the brake wires, so I'm not quite sure why they completely cut the brake wires. So the brake lights on the trunk would have never worked. Makes me wonder how the trike got past the state inspection.

dirtdobber · Aug 3, 2011

Glad ya found it. Sometimes folks do some really crazy things. This is one of those times.

dd

Rowdy · Aug 4, 2011

v1butche said:
Ohhhhh yea.............., are you sitting down??? Once I pulled the modulator out, I followed the right and left brake light wires that were connected to the modular back to the brake lights. For whatever reason, whoever hooked up the rear brake modulator, cut the brake light wires for both the right and left brake light on the trunk. I mean completely cut thru them. They then tied together one half of the cut wire, and wired in the wire coming from the modulator. They never wired back the other side of the cut wires, so brake lights were not connected with the goldwing electrics any more. I reconnected the brake wires like they are supposed to be, and the brake lights work like they should. Me, I would have tied in the wire from the modulator to the brake wires, so I'm not quite sure why they completely cut the brake wires. So the brake lights on the trunk would have never worked. Makes me wonder how the trike got past the state inspection.

I have had a couple modulators on my trikes. I now have one on my trailer that I installed recently. Cutting the wires is the way the installation instructions instruct you. Seems as if yours was installed correctly but the removal is where the problem was.