QuestionMy scoot's rear brake/tail lights are not working and a light is on on the instrument panel. I have checked the fuses(value and contact surface ok and have continuity), the bulb(its ok)The Manual that I have suggests that is is a 'sensor' costing ~ $100. My question is are there any other possibilities that may cause this? On the same line, what is the darn thing? Should I just bite the bullet and pay the fee?
TNX
rich
AnswerYou did not provide the complete model number. I will answer your question based on the VF750C (V65) Magna, which I was able to find a schematic for online. If you have a VF500C (V30) Magna you will have to check the schematic in your shop manual to see if the same fix will work for that model.
If you don't have a shop manual you should get one - your bike is an antique and you will have a hard time finding a shop that will work on it. The sad fact is that a lot of the mechanics working now are too young to remember bikes this old and aren't interested in learning about them so that they can do a proper job since yours may be the only one they see this year. This means that you will have to do most of your own work, and working on a bike without a good shop manual is just not worth the headaches. (My bikes are from the same era - that's why I fix them myself.)
I recommend that you get two manuals - a Factory Shop Manual and a Haynes or Clymer. That way when you don't understand the explanation in one you will probably figure it out when you have read the other too. If you spend some time on Google you might even find a factory manual available for free download.
I also recommend spending some time on Google looking for a usergroup (discussion forum) that caters to the Sabre/Magna family of models. A really good forum will have people who have already figured out how to keep these bikes running and are willing to share their knowledge.
The VF750C Magna has something called a "Brake and Tail Light Failure Sensor". From what I have been able to figure out, it's sole purpose is to make the "Brake and Tail Light Failure Indicator" light on the instrument panel come on if one of the filaments in the tail/brake light bulb fails. It sounds like this sensor has failed.
If you value this feature you could save a few $ by looking for a replacement on eBay or at a local wrecker, but if it was my bike I would just bypass the sensor and check my the lights by eye occasionally.
To bypass the sensor you need to unplug it and connect two jumpers in it's place.
One jumper should connect the two brown wires together (tail light circuit).
The other jumper should connect the two green/yellow wires together (brake light circuit).
The hard part might be finding connectors for the jumpers. If you can't find the right connectors you could join the wires with scotchlocks or something like that.
