Short in tail light base receptacle?

[Rider Rick]

I guess I've had an intermittent brake light outage, noticed it this evening when I was rewiring back there. I have other lights back there that act as brake lights, but sometime the bulb will come on, other times I need to squeeze the base or flex a wire to make it come on, and tonight it decided to just not work at all.

1) Both filaments work on the bulb.
2) tail light filament shines nonstop as normal
3) power to all the plugs that get it.
4) My tester, when plugged into the connector on the outside of the tail light base (that plugs onto the blades), flashes faithfully with the brake squeeze, but doesn't energize the bulb.

This makes me think the bulb base (says p21 5v) on the base, is whacked up. Haven't tried another bulb, but I have seen both filaments work on occasion while diagnosing it.

Has anyone sourced a new tail light base?

[asphalt]

For most parts like that I stick with oem, and order from bike bandit.

[Rider Rick]

Yeah, me too, Asphalt. Unfortunately I just noticed the short last night. The part is only 8 bucks but no one seems to keep them in stock, I wish in this case I could find an aftermarket to get in there. I have supplemental brake lights in back but wonder if LEO would complain if the main brake light was not deploying?

[Rider Rick]

Does anyone know if another tail light socket would substitute for the oem one?

Aww, screw it, lol, I'm just ordering another one, I have some led strips back there that deploy ok, should be enough brake lightage to keep me ok.

[Rider Rick]

Well I went to O'Reillys this morning and got some new bulbs, put the socket back together and now it works perfectly. It is possible plugging in the connectors did something, although I did that a couple of times before, but I suspect the new bulb may have had more connectivity on its new tips, so all is good, extra bulbs stored in the too tube.

Next stop, Texas Hill Country, San Antone, then the MotoGP in Austin. Well...I do need to work Monday and Tuesday, lol...

[milehighboater]

I have found bulbs with one or two of the filaments broken off the post but not burnt out. It causes what seems to be a short in the wire but its really the filament slapping against one of the leads and sticking there when its lighting but falling off when the bulb cools again. It can be a real PITA, but a new bulb always fixes it.

[Rider Rick]

I have found bulbs with one or two of the filaments broken off the post but not burnt out. It causes what seems to be a short in the wire but its really the filament slapping against one of the leads and sticking there when its lighting but falling off when the bulb cools again. It can be a real PITA, but a new bulb always fixes it.

I think you described it, boater. Normally one would think the bulb is working if you get the correct filament activation while monkeying with it, this is my first bulb that appeared to be working but actually had an intermittent issue, I'm carrying extra bulbs along just in case there is a voltage issue, though.

[DJ Downunder]

It might not be the same but I had a similar tail light problem and it ended up being a part of the loom that was hidden under the rear seat area and the loom was so squashed and it was earthing out on the frame.

DJ