Pre-Installed Hotbodies Undertail, Having Brake Light/Rear Blinker Issues, Need Help
#1
Pre-Installed Hotbodies Undertail, Having Brake Light/Rear Blinker Issues, Need Help
When I bought my bike it already had a Hotbodies undertail kit with integrated rear blinkers. They worked fine for the first 200 miles or so after I bought the bike. I installed front Hotbodies flush LED turn signals this Saturday, tested everything, and it was all a-okay...front and rears worked fine.
The very next day I undercover the bike and go to ride, but all wasn't well anymore. Front turn signals flashed as they were supposed to, but the rear brake light and turn signals do not work anymore. When I put on a left or right turn signal, both turn signal indicators on the dash flash really fast. When either the front or rear brake is applied, both turn signal indicators on the dash light up solid and stay solid until I release a brake.
Are these indicator functions a way to tell me one of the rear brake lights/turn signal bulbs is out (both lights come on, just the high filament brake light/turn signal on either side in the rear doesn't work at all)? Or does this sound more like a wiring issue?
Also, when I did the Hotbodies front LED signals, I used both green ground wires to the black Hotbodies wires, and I used only the solid orange (left) and blue (right) wires to the red Hotbodies wires. The striped wires I didn't use at all. Is this correct (the Hotbodies instructions weren't very clear here)?
Thanks a ton for any help guys. Trying to work out all the bugs I can on this bike so I can ride safe and trouble-free as soon as possible.
The very next day I undercover the bike and go to ride, but all wasn't well anymore. Front turn signals flashed as they were supposed to, but the rear brake light and turn signals do not work anymore. When I put on a left or right turn signal, both turn signal indicators on the dash flash really fast. When either the front or rear brake is applied, both turn signal indicators on the dash light up solid and stay solid until I release a brake.
Are these indicator functions a way to tell me one of the rear brake lights/turn signal bulbs is out (both lights come on, just the high filament brake light/turn signal on either side in the rear doesn't work at all)? Or does this sound more like a wiring issue?
Also, when I did the Hotbodies front LED signals, I used both green ground wires to the black Hotbodies wires, and I used only the solid orange (left) and blue (right) wires to the red Hotbodies wires. The striped wires I didn't use at all. Is this correct (the Hotbodies instructions weren't very clear here)?
Thanks a ton for any help guys. Trying to work out all the bugs I can on this bike so I can ride safe and trouble-free as soon as possible.
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The front turn signals I installed myself I soldered the connections on and heat shrunk tubed the bare wires, then electrical tape was used to seal that. I don't think any of my connections on the front LED turn signals came loose. Plus the front turns work perfectly.
It's the rear brake light/turn signals that are the problem. Neither the brake light nor either turn signal work, and when I try to signal a turn both indicators on the dash flash rapidly. When I apply either brake both indicators on the dash light up and remain lit as long as I have a brake engaged. Is that a blown bulb warning signal (like some cars have the same thing, if a bulb is out even one filament on a dual filament bulb you'll get a solid signal indication on the dash to let you know a bulb is out)? Or is it a wiring issue in the rear integrated blinker undertail kit?
It's the rear brake light/turn signals that are the problem. Neither the brake light nor either turn signal work, and when I try to signal a turn both indicators on the dash flash rapidly. When I apply either brake both indicators on the dash light up and remain lit as long as I have a brake engaged. Is that a blown bulb warning signal (like some cars have the same thing, if a bulb is out even one filament on a dual filament bulb you'll get a solid signal indication on the dash to let you know a bulb is out)? Or is it a wiring issue in the rear integrated blinker undertail kit?
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All connections are soldered and I still have the same problem. I'm pulling all of this from memory, but here is how the Hotbodies integrated kit is hooked up...
Yellow wire to left rear green/striped wire on connector to tail light bulb (dual filament)
Green wire to right rear green/striped wire on connector to tail light bulb (dual filament)
Brown wires out of Hotbodies kit not hooked up to anything (actually completely cut off by previous owner)
There is also a green wire behind the VCM (?) under the driver's seat that is connected to a red wire that I believe feeds to the Hotbodies integrated tail module or back by the rear lights. I didn't pay as much attention to this, I just took off the butt connector and soldered the connection.
Same problem still. On the dual filament bulbs, neither second/bigger filament is lighting at all (brake lights). The smaller primary filament that is constantly lit is lit at all times, but when the blinker is applied it doesn't blink at all. I'm going to try two new bulbs tomorrow, but does this sound like what it is (and isn't it a coincidence that both bulbs went out at the exact same time) or is it potentially something else (a faulty/failing Hotbodies integrated blinker box possibly)?
All fuses under the seat checked and the blinker fuse replaced and all in perfect condition.
Yellow wire to left rear green/striped wire on connector to tail light bulb (dual filament)
Green wire to right rear green/striped wire on connector to tail light bulb (dual filament)
Brown wires out of Hotbodies kit not hooked up to anything (actually completely cut off by previous owner)
There is also a green wire behind the VCM (?) under the driver's seat that is connected to a red wire that I believe feeds to the Hotbodies integrated tail module or back by the rear lights. I didn't pay as much attention to this, I just took off the butt connector and soldered the connection.
Same problem still. On the dual filament bulbs, neither second/bigger filament is lighting at all (brake lights). The smaller primary filament that is constantly lit is lit at all times, but when the blinker is applied it doesn't blink at all. I'm going to try two new bulbs tomorrow, but does this sound like what it is (and isn't it a coincidence that both bulbs went out at the exact same time) or is it potentially something else (a faulty/failing Hotbodies integrated blinker box possibly)?
All fuses under the seat checked and the blinker fuse replaced and all in perfect condition.
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lester, I'm not seeing any resistors anywhere. What kind of resistors do I need? Would it also cause the rear brake lights not to work? It honestly sounds like that is a viable solution...but it's puzzling because everything worked fine before. Maybe the addition of the LED front turn signals produced enough of a difference in the electrical system that the rears now need resistors (or maybe the fronts need resistors too). What did you end up going with to fix it?
#10