Question1985 HOnda shadow VT1100. brake light works but we have no tail light or license plate light. have changed light bulb. tail light has green w/yellow strip wire, green wire, & brown wire, which is the ground? any ideas on where to start to check to find problem
AnswerCheck the fuses.
It is common for Hondas to have the brake light, horn & turn signals on one fuse and the running lights ("low" filament of front turn signals), instrument lights and tail light on a different fuse so if the gauges & front running lights are dark it's a pretty good bet the fuse is bad.
Don't trust a visual check - glass cartridge fuses are notorious for having the weld between the link and an end cap fail, leaving a perfect looking fuse that does not conduct. In a pinch you can check a fuse by holding one end between the fingers of one hand and flicking the other end with a finger of the other hand (if the link vibrates the weld has failed), but the best way to check them is in circuit using a voltmeter.
- Remove the fusebox cover (often in the middle of the handlebars).
- Connect the black lead of the meter to a known good ground point. The engine mount bolt where the lead from battery is connected is usually good.
- Turn the key on and measure the voltage at each end of the fuse you suspect. It won't hurt to check all the fuses - I usually do when I have the cover off in case there is a problem I haven't noticed yet. If any fuse has different voltage from end to end it should be replaced.
BTW: In case that's not it, the green wire is always ground on Hondas, the brown tail light and the green/yellow is brake light.
