Just wired new Givi Top Case Brake Lights - No Luck

[woodcycl]

Just installed my new Givi E55 Maxia 3 with integrated brake lights using the supplied givi harness -- pretty ingenious idea if you ask me. "IF" it works! At this point. I have NO lights whatsoever on the Givi top case.

Seemed pretty simple and I'm absolutely not a wiring/electrical kind of guy!! So, here's what I did with photos if anyone can help ...

This is where, per the sparse instructions, matched up the bikes "stop/brake wire" with the Givi's BLUE wire. And, did the same for the ground wires.

This is Givi's wiring harness as it is mounted to the adapter plate. Pretty neat really

Just wanted to show the bottom of the givi top case -- this sits down on top off the leads in the previous PIC

Bike is turned on with running lights only. I would expect the top case not to show running lights (even though that would be ideal) since I hooked up the harnesses + cable to the brake/stop light wire

Brakes applied on the bike. As you can see -- no lights on the top case.

Thoughts? I guess it could e a disconnect in wires inside the light assembly in the top case. But, being brand new, I wouldn't think so. HHHhmmmm.

 

[woodcycl]

Once again, my

tags are NOT working!!! I had an entire thread about this here and it still happens to me. It works at first, then for some reason, it turns it into garbage. And, yes, I'm definitely without a doubt entering the tag and the URL correctly. ARRGHH!!!!!!!!

A 2nd .. and then a 3rd attempt. may be working now. we'll see. :blink:

 

[Shane]

My experience with GIVI trunk lighting has left me with some thoughts that might be helpful...

The pre-tinned ends of the supplied wires are brittle, and snap off easily. Sometimes this takes a while to show up.

Tapping into existing bike wires is correct, but it's always a good idea to verify the connection with a test light downstream of the splice(s).

The soldering on the light bar sometimes is poor, requiring rehabilitative soldering.

Good luck, it's nice when it works.

Shane

 

[Bustanut joker]

Seeing you have NO lights, my first thought is your ground connection.. As both need a good ground and don't work I'd start there.

 

[FJRay]

Seeing you have NO lights, my first thought is your ground connection.. As both need a good ground and don't work I'd start there.

Better put a mark on the calendar. **** for brains posted a usefull idea. :yahoo:

 

[Millsaps2]

Check for power with test light at the adapter plate connector. This will isolate the problem from the bike wiring and the trunk wiring.

 

[Donal]

I would suspect the wrong polarity (when it finally gets to the lights). The Givi lights are probably LEDs and will only work if supplied with the correct polarity, no harm done if the polarity is incorrect. If the other checks mentioned show that you have power supplied to the lights then this is your next check

Don

 

[wfooshee]

With the case off the bike, put a voltmeter on the connector pads in the plate. Key on, apply the brake. If you're by yourself, you can reach the foot brake while holding the voltmeter probes. 12 volts shows up, then the problem is in the case. No volts, then the problem is those crappy snap-taps.

Even if you do get 12 volts at the rack connector, I'd get rid of those taps. Cut the wire, splice in a soldered connection and use heat-shrink tubing to insulate it. The taps will become a point of corrosion within weeks.

Anyway, the other thing to do is to simply apply 12 volts to the pins on the case. Do it carefully, don't let your wires touch, but see if the case lights up with voltage on those pins. That'll tell you if the case lights work in the first place.

The last thing I can come up with is mechanical, not electrical. The plastic those pins ride in is soft, and can lose its shape. Mine got to where the pins were binding, and would not pop down was pressed up against their spring. I actually tore the thing apart and reamed the passages out a bit to free up the pins so they slide well.

I thought about a polarity warning, too, but that's highly unlikely, since the bike's yellow wire is the brake light 12 volt source, and the bike's black wire is the ground. As for LEDs, I don't think they are. My E52 kit is bulbs.

 

[bhick]

Once again, my

tags are NOT working!!! I had an entire thread about this here and it still happens to me. It works at first, then for some reason, it turns it into garbage. And, yes, I'm definitely without a doubt entering the tag and the URL correctly. ARRGHH!!!!!!!!

A 2nd .. and then a 3rd attempt. may be working now. we'll see. :blink:

When I got my Givi 48 and mounts from twisted throttle I noticed the connector on the inside of the case was loose and wouldn't lock in place causing an intermittant connection to the connection on the lid. Instead of shipping it back and dealing with all the crap I epoxied the lower bracket in place after triple checking for the correct location. That was a year ago and it's still working.

 

[wfooshee]

^^^^^

Back to the plastic quality, or lack thereof. Conceptually, the connector is genius. It's rather poorly executed materials-wise, though.

 

[beemerdons]

Seeing you have NO lights, my first thought is your ground connection.. As both need a good ground and don't work I'd start there.

Better put a mark on the calendar. **** for brains posted a usefull idea. :yahoo:

Duly noted Ray, I marked my Cute Burros 2011 Calendar: 9/17 - Doofus had a useful idea!

 

[yamatour]

I had the same problem with on another bike.

Check you have 12 volts at the connectors on the bottom half of the case. If not, then you have a connector problem up stream, probably with the splice in units.

If yes, then the contacts are not mating up with the lid closed. I had to do some fiddling with the top contact unit before mine worked.

Single handed, run a bungie up to your brake lever, keep your battery tender plugged in....

jf

 

[woodcycl]

Thanks for everyone's comments and suggestions. Again, I'm a major noob when it comes to electric stuff.

Using my voltmeter, for the first time mind you, setting it to AC Voltage for 750 ... here is what it showed:

1. Top Case removed. Resting probes on the givi adapter plate on top of the connector and pull brakes: Result -- 023

2. Top Case installed and cover open. Resting probes on the inside lower connectors and pull brakes: Result -- 023

So, unless I'm mistaken, looks like even with the case installed, the current is reaching from the adapter plate and into the case at least this far. Now, I guess to two big questions are ....

1) Are the contacts 'good' when the top case lid is closed ... is there a connection??

2) If #1 is true, are the connections behind the lenses w/ the LEDs and wires good? I would think not if #1 is true.

Oh, and it appears these are small LEDS ... here's a pic. Thoughts?

 

[madmike2]

They LOOK like LEDs. Now...have you made sure of the polarity? Pos to Pos, Neg to Neg? Unlike incandescent bulbs, they won't work if things are reversed.

 

[woodcycl]

They LOOK like LEDs. Now...have you made sure of the polarity? Pos to Pos, Neg to Neg? Unlike incandescent bulbs, they won't work if things are reversed.

madmike2 -- sure haven't. Only way to test that, i guess, is to pull out the wiring hardness adapter in the givi adapter plate and insert it 180 degrees. Right now, it doesn't work, so the other way is the only option. And, I do get the 023 from the voltmeter this way too.

Will give it a try.

Thx.

 

[woodcycl]

madmike2 was correct ... it was the polarity. I turned the wiring harness 180 degrees and it works!

Although, I am a bit surprised as ONLY the one line of LEDs light up on each side ... basically the LEDs in the white portion of the photo above of the lense. Otherwise, the rest of the lens isn't lit.

 

[wfooshee]

Glad you got it.

Now for some electrical instruction: Everything on the bike runs on 12 volts DC. There's no AC on the bike except right out of the alternator, and it's converted to DC before it goes any further.

Being able to reverse a polarized connection points to a design flaw or a serious assembly error. Couldn't say on the E55 specifically.

As for what lights up, most of the panel is intended to be reflective, good for those who don't buy the light kit. I'm not surprised only a portion lights up.

 

[Makuna]

2. Top Case installed and cover open. Resting probes on the inside lower connectors and pull brakes: Result -- 023

So, unless I'm mistaken, looks like even with the case installed, the current is reaching from the adapter plate and into the case at least this far. Now, I guess to two big questions are ....

I did this same install a few months back, I hit the same issue. My problem was the connector you see above. If you press the top down a little, it sometimes works. I tore them out and ran a wire at the hinge that goes to the top and this solved my problem. I have yet to have another problem pop up.