bluefxstc
Well-known member
- Likes
- 887
- Location
- Boise, ID, United States
Found out today my 2018 EX’s (#027) tail light isn’t working. Brake light works, but no tail light. Initial thought was no biggie, bad bulb, I will replace it and all is well. Guess what, it is not the bulb. Clean the bulb and socket, which is probably the cheapest socket I have ever seen, put it back together and still no tail light, unless the key is turned on with the headlight switch in high beam. If you turn the key on, with the headlight switch in the high beam position, the tail light works until you switch to low beam, and then the tail light goes out. Switch back to high beam and the tail light stays out. Thinking it is a resistance check in the computer, I figure a resister in parallel with the low beam headlight element, to match the resistance of the high beam bulb element, and all will be good. Not so quick, tried numerous combinations of resisters from 1K down to 1 ohm with no luck. This is a completely stock EX. Stock headlight and stock tail light, the only changes I have done to the bike are tires, mirrors and a tank bag so nothing that would impact the electrical system. This is very similar to the problem that @WoodsWeapon had with his NCR tail light setup.
The good: I found out about the problem before anything bad happened.
The bad: I have been riding the bike to work, and for about the past month it has been dark in the morning when I am going to work. I have no idea if the tail light was working or not. I am not happy about that. The fact that Alta has some sort of software check on the resistance or load of a circuit, and then shuts of a piece of mandatory safety equipment like a tail light without some sort of warning, is unacceptable, at least to me. Maybe you could say I should have checked the tail light before I left every time, but I don’t do that with any of my vehicles, and don’t think I should have to. Additionally, if I started and checked while the bike had high beam selected, the tail light would be working, until I switched to low beam and then it would be out until switched the bike off and restart it. I also use high beam to flash crossing traffic to help ensure they see me, so this is a major concern for me. Flash crossing traffic with the headlight so they don’t pull out in front of me then get rear ended because I don’t have a tail light, decisions decisions.
Future options. Going to continue trouble shooting to see if I can figure out a solution. Anyone have any ideas? Option two is to run with the head light in high beam all the time as the tail light seems to work with that all the time. With this option you can’t switch out of high beam because as soon as you do, you lose the tail light. Options three, take it back for warranty service. This may fix the tail light problem, but will probably involve a reflash which will cause me to lose the higher regen I currently enjoy, want, and use extensively in map 3. Will probably have to do it because safety of a tail light is more important than regen, but not looking forward to the change so will be working on option one for a while. Sucks that I have to accept a less capable platform to get a motorcycle that has a consistently operating tail light.
Anyone have ideas on a solution that doesn’t involve a reflash? @Judaslefourbe? It seems to be related to the load of the headlight shutting off the tail light. Given the limited info we have on how these bikes operate, not sure why that would happen. I also can’t figure out why Alta would think it is a good idea to shut off the tail light, without a warning light, when the bike senses a load is lower than expected, makes no sense to me at all.
The good: I found out about the problem before anything bad happened.
The bad: I have been riding the bike to work, and for about the past month it has been dark in the morning when I am going to work. I have no idea if the tail light was working or not. I am not happy about that. The fact that Alta has some sort of software check on the resistance or load of a circuit, and then shuts of a piece of mandatory safety equipment like a tail light without some sort of warning, is unacceptable, at least to me. Maybe you could say I should have checked the tail light before I left every time, but I don’t do that with any of my vehicles, and don’t think I should have to. Additionally, if I started and checked while the bike had high beam selected, the tail light would be working, until I switched to low beam and then it would be out until switched the bike off and restart it. I also use high beam to flash crossing traffic to help ensure they see me, so this is a major concern for me. Flash crossing traffic with the headlight so they don’t pull out in front of me then get rear ended because I don’t have a tail light, decisions decisions.
Future options. Going to continue trouble shooting to see if I can figure out a solution. Anyone have any ideas? Option two is to run with the head light in high beam all the time as the tail light seems to work with that all the time. With this option you can’t switch out of high beam because as soon as you do, you lose the tail light. Options three, take it back for warranty service. This may fix the tail light problem, but will probably involve a reflash which will cause me to lose the higher regen I currently enjoy, want, and use extensively in map 3. Will probably have to do it because safety of a tail light is more important than regen, but not looking forward to the change so will be working on option one for a while. Sucks that I have to accept a less capable platform to get a motorcycle that has a consistently operating tail light.
Anyone have ideas on a solution that doesn’t involve a reflash? @Judaslefourbe? It seems to be related to the load of the headlight shutting off the tail light. Given the limited info we have on how these bikes operate, not sure why that would happen. I also can’t figure out why Alta would think it is a good idea to shut off the tail light, without a warning light, when the bike senses a load is lower than expected, makes no sense to me at all.
