Finally put the bike together...but no tail light

Discuss everything about Honda GoldWing. Feel free to ask any question related to GoldWing.

Moderators: CYBORG, Oldewing, robin1731, Forum Moderators

Post Reply
nakedinterstate81
Titanium Member
Titanium Member
Posts: 345
Joined: Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:53 pm
Location: East TN

Finally put the bike together...but no tail light

#1

Post by nakedinterstate81 »

Hey guys,
After one year I finally have the bike together.
Bought a new ignition switch and an Amazon LED head light (photo) since I couldn't make a headlight out of the parts I have.
The headlight comes on together with the gauge cluster when turning the key, it does not turn off. High Beam works.
No tail or brake light.
All fuses ok, new bulb.
No voltage on any of the wires leading to the tail.
There were several unconnected wires in the old headlight bucket that I taped off and tucked away.

Where should I start investigating?
Attachments
20201013_222842.jpg
20201013_222842.jpg (184.16 KiB) Viewed 391 times
20201014_213846.jpg
20201014_213846.jpg (198.12 KiB) Viewed 391 times
20201014_213855.jpg
20201014_213855.jpg (160.96 KiB) Viewed 391 times
20201014_213917.jpg
20201014_213917.jpg (160.52 KiB) Viewed 391 times
20201014_213925.jpg
20201014_213925.jpg (196.02 KiB) Viewed 391 times
1975 Gl1000
1981 Gl1100, looking for a used good engine.
nakedinterstate81
Titanium Member
Titanium Member
Posts: 345
Joined: Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:53 pm
Location: East TN

Re: Finally put the bike together...but no tail light

#2

Post by nakedinterstate81 »

LED head light
Attachments
headlight.JPG
headlight.JPG (137.09 KiB) Viewed 390 times
1975 Gl1000
1981 Gl1100, looking for a used good engine.
nakedinterstate81
Titanium Member
Titanium Member
Posts: 345
Joined: Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:53 pm
Location: East TN

Re: Finally put the bike together...but no tail light

#3

Post by nakedinterstate81 »

So this bike used to be fully dressed at some point of it's life.
This connector was hanging out of the front (photo).
Could this be the reason I don't get power to the tail?
Attachments
20201016_224351.jpg
20201016_224351.jpg (186.49 KiB) Viewed 362 times
1975 Gl1000
1981 Gl1100, looking for a used good engine.
User avatar
Track T 2411
Honored Life Member
Honored Life Member
Posts: 8482
Joined: Thu May 29, 2008 9:37 pm
My Album: http://www.ngwclub.com/gallery/v/wingmans/Track+T+2411/
Location: Prairie du Sac Wisconsin

Re: Finally put the bike together...but no tail light

#4

Post by Track T 2411 »

That there is the sub harness leading to the front fairing. It should have no impact on the taillight.
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

"He that is good with a hammer tends to think everything is a nail" - Abraham Maslow

"If you can't take the time to do it right the first time, how are you ever going to find the time to do it over?" -Unknown

Current Rides:
'Grumpy' - '81 Standard, now fully dressed.
'Layla' - '81 Standard w/dealer installed fairing and Hondaline bags.
'Scarlett' '76 'Survivor' nekkid as a j-bird!

Under Construction:
The 'Jalopy' '78-'79 Mash-up
'Quikie' '81 gl1100I back on the lift, project with the step-son!

In The Shed:
'81 gl1100I barn find aka "Josie, the farmer's daughter." (almost comatose build)
'77 gl1000, roller parts bike.
'82 gl1100I, 'Old Crusty' titled roller parts bike (free!)
'82 gl1100I, My first 'Wing, and an expensive lesson!
New2U Bike? Read Me.
Shadowjack
Silver Member
Silver Member
Posts: 654
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 11:07 am

Re: Finally put the bike together...but no tail light

#5

Post by Shadowjack »

Make sure the green ground is connected properly, to a known good ground point, or nothing will light. Easy to be victimized this way.
Power to the taillight (and dash lights) is brown or maybe brown with a white stripe. This should be live when the ignition switch is on, and the original switch had a park position which also turned the taillight on. That might be the reason why there is a plain brown wire and a brown/white striped wire; you don't want the dash lights on when in Park.
Power to the brake light is green with a yellow stripe. This will be live when either the front brake or the rear brake switch is made, so check to see if you have power to those. It will likely be a white wire with a green stripe (intermittent stuff like the horn and brake light).
Maybe you could tell us what color the unconnected wires you taped off were.
nakedinterstate81
Titanium Member
Titanium Member
Posts: 345
Joined: Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:53 pm
Location: East TN

Re: Finally put the bike together...but no tail light

#6

Post by nakedinterstate81 »

Thanks Shadowjack,
that helped a lot. I took the tail light apart and fixed the previous owners wiring. Found the brown power, a green ground and tested the brake light power. All works now although the brake light is weak.
Got a new rear brake switch spring but the switch isn't working. There is also a light blue wire along the rear brake switch.
Is this the suspension warning? I have progressive shocks in and would like to disable the red warning light.

In the front there is a light blue/white striped, an orange/white stripe wire , a red and a light blue/black striped wire sticking out of the harness that I taped.

Thank you.

Had the first ride ever on this bike today and it was a lot of fun.
1975 Gl1000
1981 Gl1100, looking for a used good engine.
Shadowjack
Silver Member
Silver Member
Posts: 654
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 11:07 am

Re: Finally put the bike together...but no tail light

#7

Post by Shadowjack »

Assuming the wiring is the same as the CB900C with air suspension (and there's no reason to think not, since Honda used the same wire colors across the lines and years), the light blue wire you reference comes from the air sensor to the control unit. Normally light blue is for the right turn signal, but... I believe you could try grounding this wire to see if the warning light goes out. The sensor is probably just a simple pressure switch, like the oil pressure switch. When pressure drops, it makes to ground.
The light blue with white stripe and orange with white stripe are for the front running lights in the stock turn signals.
Not sure about the others; might be for a factory option like a radio.
nakedinterstate81
Titanium Member
Titanium Member
Posts: 345
Joined: Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:53 pm
Location: East TN

Re: Finally put the bike together...but no tail light

#8

Post by nakedinterstate81 »

I grounded the wire before my second ride today and the light still came on. It comes on intermittently.
And all of a sudden the tachometer made a screeching grinding noise.
I guess it has to come off and get cleaned and lubed and the red bulb taken out.

Cheers.
1975 Gl1000
1981 Gl1100, looking for a used good engine.
nakedinterstate81
Titanium Member
Titanium Member
Posts: 345
Joined: Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:53 pm
Location: East TN

Re: Finally put the bike together...but no tail light

#9

Post by nakedinterstate81 »

Has anybody had good experience with replacing the 1157 bulb with a red LED?
1975 Gl1000
1981 Gl1100, looking for a used good engine.
nakedinterstate81
Titanium Member
Titanium Member
Posts: 345
Joined: Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:53 pm
Location: East TN

Re: Finally put the bike together...but no tail light

#10

Post by nakedinterstate81 »

I guess I didn't ground the blue wire properly. But it works now, no more low pressure warning.
Found a 1157 LED at Napa that is very bright and comes on quickly for $17 for two.
Attachments
20201109_223129_HDR.jpg
20201109_223129_HDR.jpg (109.93 KiB) Viewed 254 times
1975 Gl1000
1981 Gl1100, looking for a used good engine.
User avatar
desertrefugee
SUPER BIKER!!!!
SUPER BIKER!!!!
Posts: 3947
Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 9:33 pm
Location: Chandler, AZ, USA

Re: Finally put the bike together...but no tail light

#11

Post by desertrefugee »

LEDs work fine in tail lights. If used in turn signals, you will need to upgrade the flasher unit.
- Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass. It's about learning to ride in the rain.
nakedinterstate81
Titanium Member
Titanium Member
Posts: 345
Joined: Wed Jun 19, 2019 7:53 pm
Location: East TN

Re: Finally put the bike together...but no tail light

#12

Post by nakedinterstate81 »

I understand the upgrade to an electronic flasher.
I have seen several YouTube videos of people upgrading old Hondas with LED.
One guy said that the wiring is set up so the turn signal indicator lights draw power through the bulbs of the opposite direction and LEDs can not do that.
Did you have to change the wiring for the indicators as well or do they just stay on?
1975 Gl1000
1981 Gl1100, looking for a used good engine.
Shadowjack
Silver Member
Silver Member
Posts: 654
Joined: Fri May 26, 2017 11:07 am

Re: Finally put the bike together...but no tail light

#13

Post by Shadowjack »

Indicators do not draw power back through the opposite bulb, but a bad ground can make it seem that way.
User avatar
desertrefugee
SUPER BIKER!!!!
SUPER BIKER!!!!
Posts: 3947
Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2011 9:33 pm
Location: Chandler, AZ, USA

Re: Finally put the bike together...but no tail light

#14

Post by desertrefugee »

And only the flasher unit needs to be changed if, as SJ says, the harness is otherwise intact and functional.
- Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass. It's about learning to ride in the rain.
User avatar
flyin900
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 1489
Joined: Sun Jan 10, 2010 3:50 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Finally put the bike together...but no tail light

#15

Post by flyin900 »

Question: Why choose a red LED for the rear brake/running light panel? The lens is already red and the clear panel on the bottom of the lens is for the license plate illumination. Wouldn't that plate illumination now show as red or pink which could be a traffic infraction?
Current Bikes:

1966 CL77 - Honda 305cc - Dual purpose - "Gentleman's Scrambler" was a period moniker.
1967 CL175K0 - Low production number with #802 engine serial- winter 2019/2020 full restoration.
1972 CB350F - Baby Four with low mileage - Cosmetic refresh to the next level 2021/2022.
1978 CB550K - Very original bike with only 7499 Km. from new - light cleanup and refresh done.
1983 CB1100F - Canadian model - DOHC Supersport in pristine low kilometre condition from new.
1984 GL1200 - Standard model in showroom condition - two owner bike from new.
1984 CX650E - Restored summer 2017 - a rare Eurosport model - excellent one owner bike.
Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “GoldWing Tech Discussions”