Triumphrat

triumphrdr · 10-02-2005

Hello, my brake lights have stopped working...the tail lights work fine. The fuses are good. Could this be a relay? If so, then which one? The owners manual seems to skip this. Also I noticed a drip of oil from the shifter lever today. I am ordering a manual but though I would post. It is a 98' s3. Took off the fly screen, blacked out the frame. Has after mkt. carbon can. Love it. Thanks Jon

Bob955i · 10-02-2005

Have you checked the lamps for burnt out filaments and the connectors for corrosion etc.?

Do the brake lamps work when you pull the brake lever, depress the brake pedal or not at all.

If they work with the lever, but not with the pedal, then it points to the brake pedal switch either needing adjusted or being faulty, and conversely, if they work with the pedal etc., etc., etc.

Regarding the oil leak, there's an oil seal on the gear change pedal shaft that is prone to leaking - they all do it.

triumphrdr · 10-02-2005

Thanks for the reply Bob, the brake lights do not come on with either the hand or foot levers. I put new bulbs in..still nothing. when I blacked out the frame I checked the connections and they seemed fine. I guess I'll have to dig deeper. Should I do something about the shift lever seal? It seems like a very slight seep, but I dont want any suprises away from home. Thanks again for the reply. Jon

Bob955i · 10-03-2005

Jon: What I would suggest is that you remove the gearshift pedal and front sprocket cover and then clean away all the oil and chain lube crud that collects in that area. Do this so you can determine exactly where the leak is coming from, and also how bad it is, or isn't as the case may be. There's actually two areas it could be coming from - the output shaft (the one the front sprocket mounts on) or the gearshift shaft.

Refit the pedal and cover and use the bike as normal but keep an eye on that area for oil. If more appears, but it's not actually dripping oil, then save yourself some cash and leave well alone - unless you'd rather have peace of mind. FWIW my bike has a small oil weep from there, and has done for the last five years.......

About your non-working brake lights - are your tail lights on when trying the brake lights? If so, remove both lampholders from the rear light, (leaving both lamps fitted) and look at each individual lamp. What you are looking for, is if both filaments are lit - if they are, you have a stuck switch on either the front or back brake.

Also, do your indicators work? The fuse for the indicators also protects the brake lamp circuit so I'd recheck that one - it's No.4 in the fusebox.

You can also check the connectors underneath the tank cowl at the rear of the headstock - the one you are looking for is the one that connects the right-hand bar switchgear to the main loom. Also check the connections to the front brake switch - folllow the wire from the switch block and you'll find them just underneath. Do the same for the rear brake switch - it connects to the main loom by a connector somewhere just in front of the battery box.

[ This message was edited by: Bob955i on 2005-10-03 11:22 ]

triumphrdr · 10-04-2005

Wow, Thanks Bob! I put over 100 miles on it today and am looking for the oil seep. You've really set my mind at ease over that one. I will try and see if on e of the Brake light switches are stuck...excellent idea. Thanks again for all the tips! Jon

triumphrdr · 10-04-2005

Just got on the bike to take my son to Karate...now there are no tail lights or brake lights....Fuses good. I think a wire is lose someplace.

Bob955i · 10-05-2005

No brake lights AND no tail lamps sounds like you may have lost the connection to ground - it's commoned for both stop and tail lamps.

Find the ground connection for the rear light assembly connector - it'll be the one that goes to the barrel of the lamps, not the two contacts on the bases, and run a wire from that to a grounding point on the frame or back to the (-) terminal on the battery. Try your tail and brake lights and if they now work, you have a grounding problem.

Your bike may or may not have this, but have a look around the battery box area/rear of the engine for an earth block - it'll have a lot of black wires entering it. This block was prone to burning on early T509s and T595s and caused some weird electrical*****. There was a recall for a replacement connector on this, so take your bike to a Triumph dealer and get him to look your bike up to see if this recall needs done.

triumphrdr · 10-07-2005

Thanks again Bob!! Tore the bike down almost to frame. Got service manual, and another set of triumph bulbs. Got home pulled off the body work. Still could not find any frayed wires. I did look at the ground that goes to the alt. Really did nothing ...turned on the key and they worked!! I'm thinking of becoming a triumph mechanic now. As I must have some kind of magic with these..Ha Ha, I'll let you knopw If they work the next time I crank it. Thanks again Jon

Bob955i · 10-08-2005

One final thing Jon, check the oil level in your bike as overfilling can cause the output shaft seal to blow, thus causing a leak. If after cleaning that area, you still have a weep of oil, chances are that that's where it's coming from.

With the bike held upright on it's wheels (not on a stand as this can affect the perceived level) the engine oil level should be in the middle of the sight glass.

When replacing the oil, always fill to the quantity given in the handbook - don't be tempted to just put the whole can in.

Speed3 · 10-08-2005

I've been through 3 output shaft seals, but I got it right the last time as it hasn't leaked in a while. Always fill the oil to maybe 3/4 the way between the marks on the sight glass. It's about 3.6 qts. I don't know what to tell you about your electrics.