guess i cant ride at night

78 z1r. I'm at my wits ends with my tail light not working.
Brake light works. Not my rear running light. I have ohm checked the red and white wire through the tail light, throght the ground. Over to the reserse lighting terminal and up to the ignition switch.
My front lights work and my brights. No power to my tail light.

Could it be my ignition switch?
Could it be my light switch?

I'm ready to put this girl together and fire her up for the first time and wouldlike to have this solved before I put the tank carbs and airbox on.

Thanks
Aaron

I have a brand new dual filiment 1157 bulb in. And have power through my fuse, blu and green wire going into reserve lighting terminal. Got power coming out of reserve lighting terminal to brake light . Not tail light.

I even bought a used reserve lighting terminal off of fle bay for 30$ thinking maybe mine was bad. No change.

This is why I think it must be another component. I'm no wiring guru, but I know it has to be tied into the head light somehow. Just can't figure out where from the wiring diagram.

Thanks
Aaron

The only diagram I have handy is for a KZ1000P. Try this:

Turn the key to "Park". That should turn on your tail light and pretty much nothing else.

Coming out of the headlight shell is a red wire (on the KZ1000P). Find a connector for it and check it for 12V. You may need to remove the headlight (trivial).
There's a wiring harness that connects the fender wiring to the main bike wiring. In that bundle is a red wire (on the KZ1000P). This should be your tail light. Check your voltage there. It should show 12V.
Follow that red wire behind the license plate. There's another connector there. Check the red wire there and see what it says. Should be 12V.
Pull the bulb from the socket and check both contacts. Should be 12V.

If you get 12V at any of these and not at others, you've narrowed your problem down considerably.

I'll post this also:

Color Codes On Most Kawasaki’s (written for 1980’s bikes)

HEADLIGHT
RED with BLACK stripe, High Beam.
RED with YELLOW stripe, Low Beam.
BLACK with YELLOW stripe, the ground circuit.

BRAKE/TAIL LIGHT Can be an # 1157 dual filament bulb
RED, Running or Tail Light.
BLUE,(sometimes with a Red stripe) Brake Light Circuit.
BLACK with YELLOW stripe, the ground circuit.

LEFT FRONT TURN SIGNAL Can be an #1157 dual filament bulb
GREEN, Left front turn signal circuit.
BLUE, Left front running light circuit.
BLACK with YELLOW stripe, the ground circuit.

RIGHT FRONT TURN SIGNAL Can be an # 1157 dual filament bulb
GREY, Right front turn signal circuit.
BLUE, Right front running light circuit.
BLACK with YELLOW stripe, the ground circuit.

LEFT REAR TURN SIGNAL Can be an #1156 single filament bulb
GREEN, Left rear turn signal circuit.
BLACK with YELLOW stripe, the ground circuit.

RIGHT REAR TURN SIGNAL Can be an #1156 single filament bulb
GREY, Right rear turn signal circuit.
BLACK with YELLOW stripe, the ground circuit.

It shouldn't matter if I don't have turn signals on the bike yet should it?

So the circuit goes through the head light? Then back to tail light?

Look at the wiring diagram. The tail light red/ white goes to the Reserve Lighting Unit. But power from the Ignition Switch has to come Into the RLU, this is on the blue wire at the switch. but it changes color, goes Blue/ red, back tot he 10 amp fuse at the fuse panel. Check to see that you have a good fuse, power in and out with either a meter or a test light.
Switch contacts are shown at the bottom of the wiring diagram. For Tail, ignition SW connects Blue and Red wires.
www.kzrider.com/filebase/doc_download/272-1000d1

I have power at the 10 fuse on the red/ blue wire. And I have power going into the reserve terminal on the blue/ green wire.

Turned key to park. No power on red or red/ black. Turn key to run and have power to both wires through ground. Still searching

Thanks for the help
Aaron

Ok, on my diagram, there is a red wire that comes from the ignition switch and goes to reserve light terminal. What does it do?

I have ohm tested it from ignition switch connection to reserve light connection and it's good. Can I check the switch? What does the red wire do?

Aaron

Might be on to something. Not sure.

I ohm tested throught ignition switch. Power coming in on white/ red wire from 20 amp fuse. When I turn switch on run I got current through green and red wire that runs head light and all my stuff up front. No current to red wire that goes back to reserve terminal.

Could it be my ignition switch?

Ahha I see now. Got two power wires. Two white wires. Each runs different stuff. Just like the diagram shows.
Neither sends power to red wire that goes back to reserve terminal.

Ignition switch?

Aaron

can you jump around the switch and see if it works with the switch bypassed?

thats the best way i know to check and see if the switch is the culprit.

leon

531blackbanshee wrote: can you jump around the switch and see if it works with the switch bypassed?

thats the best way i know to check and see if the switch is the culprit.

leon

Excellent advice.