Alright, I'm at my wits end! I'm trying to do the tail light conversion on my '04 Sporty, and for the life of me I can't get the brake portion to work. I've purchased 2 of part number 68278- 07 thinking the first one was broken. It's the converter from the newer Irons/Nightsters/Etc. I plug it in and plug in the turn signals and the signals themselves work great, running lights work great, but the brake doesn't do anything. I've removed the plug and plugged it back into the original light circuit board, and no problem. Everything works great. Sooooo... ideas? Obviously can't be the module... unless it just doesn't work with my year of bike (though it says it does). The turns are dual filiment with 3 wire as well. Anyone used this part for their tails on earlier bikes? I've read a TON and can't find anyone with issues like this. Opening it up to the Sporty gods for help. Oh, one other thing, though I don't know this matters, I haven't plugged in a license plate light though I doubt that matters. Thanks!

 

So you are trying to get your turn signals to light up when you press the brake? Does the brake light itself light up and not the turns, or do none of them light up? Or are you removing the tail light completely and using the turn signals as your brake light? Do either work off the front brake or the rear brake but not both?

I found this thread (not sure how to link the thread itself, but its title of the thread was and it was in the sportster forum.


Run/Stop mudule help with fender chop

You might read through that and see if it helps.

 

Yeah, I saw that thread too. What I'm trying to do is use the nightster module instead of the other one that uses the 2-wire turns signals. Moving over to 3 wire (dual filament) in the rear. The signals work and the run lights work, but when I pull the brake, there's no response from them. They stay lit, but don't get brighter like they should. When I unplug the module and throw it back in the old fender, everything works as it should. I currently don't have the license plate light hooked up and I wonder if there's some feedback issue with the module by not having this hooked up.

 

Sorry but I'm not familiar with the stock 04 set up. Can you better explain what you have now and what you're trying to do? Are you saying you have a 2 wire set up (brake turn) and trying to go to a 3 wire (run brake turn)?
You going from a dual light set up to a single under fender style?

 

Correct. I've got a 2-wire setup going to a 3 wire, with no brake light. Changing the rear end to look more like an Iron with just the brake/turn/run in the turn signals.

 

I have never done a conversion like that on any vehicle but just for the sake of saying it out loud would it work better if you used the iron module since thats what it sounds like what youre after? Are the nightster and iron modules the same?
You would think the license plate light would not matter unless the wire is bare and arching on something.

 

I have one from a iron and a nightster, they're the same part number so I don't think it should matter. The thought is there might be a feedback loop through the license plate light, but who knows. I'm going to try to plug that guy in tonight and see what happens.

 

Okay, thought I'd close the loop on this one. Finally got it figured out. Added the license plate light and didn't change anything. Brake light function wouldn't work. Finally I thought I'd pull the front turn signal bulbs... and all the sudden, everything worked perfectly. I thought "WHAT THE?" But that signaled there was something wonky with the front turn signals. Pulled the tank and started playing. Then I had an epiphany. The DS front turn signals have a black and black and white wire. I thought, "Black is ground, not black and white, but I wonder what happens if I swap them..." And whala, everything worked. Front turns, rear turns, and brake. Maybe I'm just an idiot, but black is ground, right? Well anyway, thought I'd close the thread and post my results. Hopefully helps someone else down the road.

 

Great follow-up report.
Good thing it wasn't a purple wire with a white stripe. LOL