[fwyatt]

2012 XCT: Is the tail/brake light mounted in the trunk lid designed to go off when the trunk lid is opened? I've also noticed that the trunk brake light function has become intermittent. The lights illuminate as running lamps but the brake lights wont illuminate. The lamps mounted on the fender are working just fine. My thanks in advance for any info on this issue.

 

[wspollack]

Just double-checked, with the lid up, on my '12 XCT: there's no switch or contacts or anything -- that is, the bike doesn't know whether the lid's opened or closed, so running and brake lights work in any lid position.
My guess -- just a guess -- is that the connector for the trunk wiring is not connected, snapped in, well. That's under the left side cover, right? Or somewhere around there? I've never taken my trunk off, so I don't know. Have you removed your trunk, and then maybe not snapped together that connector properly when you put it back on?

 

[steelhorse64]

Hi ,
I have taken my trunk off many times and yes, it is on the left side of the bike. You will have to remove your side cover and the connector should be tucked in there. When connecting there are 2 plastic locks that secure the connection. If not locked it may cause intermittent lighting. I would start there.

 

[fwyatt]

I've never had the trunk off but I just took off the side cover and checked the fitting. It's snug. In looking closer at the trunk I think I found the culprit. At the hinge point on the trunk lid where the wires run from the trunk into the lid, I noticed the wires have been getting crimped at the hinge area when closing. So much so the wires have been stripped and it appears as though one wire has almost been shaved in two. WARRANTY! Back to the dealer for them to give a look see.
I couldn't figure why Victory would have installed a mercury switch to shut the light off when opening the trunk lid. Didn't make sense. I hope I found the issue and it can be fixed quickly.
Thanks for the replies. I appreciate ya!

 

[wspollack]

I just went out and looked, played with the lid, and took the attached photo. What happens on my XCT is that as I move the lid, the portion of the connecting cord on the lid -- at the top, in the area circled in red -- does not move, relative to the lid. The portion of the wiring that enters the base of the topcase -- the lower portion, circled in green -- freely moves into and out of the area in the bottom (main) part of the topcase. That is, as the lid closes, that bottom part slides into some hidden area in the base, while the top part -- the part sort of held in place by a slot in the lid -- stays fixed.
Is that little curved piece of plastic on the lid broken off? Or maybe the bottom of the topcase, for some reason, doesn't have this spare room for the cord to freely disappear into? Anyway, thanks for the heads-up, but mine looks okay.
EDIT ADDITION:
Some other thoughts occurred to me: 1) If somehow that wire bundle got pushed to the side -- hitting it while putting something into the trunk, or maybe as a result of sloppy assembly at the factory -- it could stay bent, and the subsequent crimping that you've experienced would follow, and continue; 2) I think to guard against this sort of thing, Victory should have encased that portion of the bundle in some semi-rigid (or maybe completely rigid) plastic sheathing, instead of just having the flexible-weave mesh sheathing in that area.

 

[Dusty Boots]

Reviving this old thread.
The wiring to the LED lights in the lid of my 2013 XCT was 'pinched' and eventually broke because the way they had it setup, so I rewired it.
Read about it HERE.