Electrical problem with radio/GPS, brakes and Blue Sea

[HOF]

For four years everything worked perfectly. I have a Blue Sea hooked up to the battery with a relay drawing power from one of the rear blue brake light wires. FJR Randy helped me with this set up. I have a four pronged relay connected as follows. One + Red from battery. One + Red to Blue Sea. One blue wire that ties into the blue rear brake light and a - black wire to the Blue Sea.

The problem is that when I pull the front brake lever or use the rear brake, both the radio and GPS, hardwired from the Blue Sea, lose power until the brakes are released. I replaced the relay and have the same problem. Before I tear out more stuff, does anyone know what is wrong? I am suspecting at this point that the wire tap into the rear brake light blue wire may be shorting but thought I would ask some people more knowledgeable than me. I have looked for this in the forum and not found anything but if the answer is here somewhere, point me in the right direction. Thanks in advance.

 

[FJRBluesman]

Interesting... I'm more dumberer than mud, but... Sounds like it's shorting only when brakes applied, but why now? Have you used a meter to confirm power loss or drop to your equipment? Does it do it only with the front brake, rear brake has no effect? DOH! Read too fast.

So lets our ask ourselves why it would suddenly start shorting out now. It could be that somewhere else there is a short and activating the brake switch (there are two, not sure if they are tied together, but they should join as one wire before the tail light) introduces it the line and kills your equipment. Have you done any other mods or electrical work since this started or around the time it started? What was the last electrical mod or addition you did before you noticed this? Does any other electrical go out when the brakes are applied?

If all else fails, you may want to find another switched wire. But lets keep trouble shooting this one. I'm sure one of the electrical types will easily have an answer for you.

 

[HOF]

It happens when the front brake is applied alone or when the rear brake is applied alone or when applied together. The only other thing the system supports is the powerlet I use for charging my phone or running my air compressor. I have not used the powerlet recently but my suspicion is that it would suffer the same way. I can check it to make sure if I need to. I have not used a meter because I am not sure how to or what to look for. I do have a meter but like I mentioned previously, I am not very good a diagnosing and solving electrical problems hence my plea to the electrical minded on the forum.

 

[FJRBluesman]

Having a friend neighbor that knows this stuff could help. You could make sure that power etc is getting to the Blue Sea and if the power falls or fails before or after the Blue Sea, etc.

Electrical items can sometimes be voodoo, like Lucas, the prince of darkness... h34r:

Could it be too much power being drawn? How much is wired to that circuit? If yours wasn't a Gen1 I'd suggest possible start of Ground Spider issue, but...

 

[HOF]

If power wasn't getting to the Blue Sea I don't think the Radio/GPS would have power at all. The radio turns on automatically when I turn the key before I start the bike and it stays powered when I start the bike. The radio shows that it is being powered by an external source it just cuts out when I apply the brakes. Thanks for your input. I will check out anything that can solve the problem.

 

[FJRBluesman]

If power wasn't getting to the Blue Sea I don't think the Radio/GPS would have power at all. The radio turns on automatically when I turn the key before I start the bike and it stays powered when I start the bike. The radio shows that it is being powered by an external source it just cuts out when I apply the brakes. Thanks for your input. I will check out anything that can solve the problem.

If you have a disconnect before your equipment, but after the Blues Sea that you can measure the power (volatge, to see how much it drops, a few volts or just goes totaly dead) from when you actuate the brakes, that will tell you it's at least after the Blue Sea. Then check it at the Blue Sea, the wires going into it, not out. If power stays constant with actuated brakes, the problem is after your set up. It's just another process of elimination on where to look.
If it still fails after checking again (before the Blue Sea) that shows the problem is before the Blue Sea, you have another issue that could be harder to find, or not.

 

[kaitsdad]

this may sound over simplified, but change the brake/running light bulbs.

this may be the problem, and please ---- DAMHIK.

 

[redtail]

this may sound over simplified, but change the brake/running light bulbs. this may be the problem, and please ---- DAMHIK.

This makes the most sense, as it's an open circuit until you apply the brakes.

 

[fljab]

this may sound over simplified, but change the brake/running light bulbs. this may be the problem, and please ---- DAMHIK.

This makes the most sense, as it's an open circuit until you apply the brakes.

I run a Fuzeblock with the integrated relay and run a dedicated ground & positive circuit back to it via a harness I built. Mine is triggered via the running lights.

Without being able to see it, if you have a meter, it shouldn't be that hard to trace down. Yes, change the bulbs, it could be something simple like that, but if not, you'll need to start checking both power and resistance at different places to isolate where you're losing it.

A Q tho:

> Where is the Blue Sea mounted? (mine is in the tail)

> How did you do the negative circuit? If grounded to the frame/subframe, you could have some issues with corrosion that only shows up when you give it that little bit of extra load.

12V is fairly simple to figure out - usually - and even a cheap mulitmeter makes a big difference. Something else: how did you do your connections? Crimped only? I found out long ago to spend the money on a good quality crimper, not the usual Advance Auto variety; I also solder the connection as well, then liquid tape + heat shrink. It's overkill, but I don't have any issues down the road.

Many yrs ago I had an old bike that would give me fits with the lights, esp the rear. I finally figured out that the mfg counted on using the fender/metal on metal to be the ground which had become corroded over time in a way you couldn't really notice right off. Since then, I have never trusted that - not so much on the new bikes, but anything I add has a dedicated - & + circuit, so that's why I thought of that in your situation.

Good Luck! If I can help in some way, let me know.

 

[FJRBluesman]

Well.... Is the problem fixed?

 

[HOF]

Sorry it has been so long since I posted my original question. We bought a new house and moved so I have not been able to work on the bike. I did figure out the problem. When I replaced the battery this spring I set it on the negative wire from the Blue Seas and never saw it when I hooked the new battery back up. Not having the negative wire hooked up caused all of my electronics to cut out when I pulled or stepped on the brakes. Thanks for all of your responses. I tried most of them, checking with a multimeter etc. and as I worked my way back toward the battery I found my error. My error as usual, STUPIDITY. Thanks again!

 

[FJRBluesman]

Wonderful. :blink:

Now don't do it again. :headbonk: :vinsent: :scooter: