Lost my tail light? CB350

[marsupialwoe]

So a nice Harley guy let me know last night that I had lost my tail light on my 71 CB350. I checked it out today, I seem to have power to the second key-switched parking light and my brake lights work. Just no running light, which should be on all the time...


Should the brown wire to the tail light be hot in the first switch position? Is there a fuse somewhere I don't know about? I looked at the diagram and it doesn't look like the brown wire goes anywhere but from the tail light to the ignition switch where it gets it's power. Looking at the bike seems to confirm this... Bad switch?


I'm baffled.


Thanks for any help...

 

[nukem1r]

Are you sure you don't just need a new bulb? Usually there is either a two bulb system or the bulb has two filaments in it. Could be the low power filament is just burnt out.

 

[marsupialwoe]

I did try a second bulb with the same results. Although I'm not sure if the parking light lights the brake or the tail light... I'll go check.

 

[marsupialwoe]

Parking-light lights the low power, which should be powered all the time... Brake light is the other filament.

 

[Redbird]

Should the brown wire to the tail light be hot in the first switch position?

I'm not familiar with your exact application, but I'd say yes it should be. Do you have a test light? If that same wire is hot to the tail light in the "park" position, but not in the "run" position, you likely have a bad switch.

 

[skatetheame]

I'm thinking the brown wire should only be hot when the ignition switch is in the park position or when the headlight is switched on with the ignition in the run position. But I could be way off.

 

[Redbird]

I don't know why, but I was thinking the headlight came on with the ignition :

 

[marsupialwoe]

Yeah, headlight has an on / off / high-beam switch. I'm going to jump the wiring tomorrow and see what happens, too busy today working to play with it.