You have stumbled onto the most daunting of vehicle ill's "Museumitus" it comes from letting cars stand around for years, normally in garages or under tarps. Corrosion is the main culprit, causing ground and connectors to appear connected but corrosion has built up a barrier between the metal parts and now there is no connection.
Your task, if you decide to take it on, is to unplug and plug back in every connector cleaning (wire brushing or sanding) before reconnecting them. Unbolt and bolt back all the ground wires and make sure the casual rodent has not made a meal of your wires in the mean time. Then remove all bulbs and clean every socket and bulb end and replacing them.
And, while your at it use a multimeter to check out all the wires and connections to make sure they are connected.
ALL seems like a big word, but, if you don't do all of them then you might miss one.
How long does this take? For a Honda 600 Sedan, about 16 hours. A Coupe takes a bit longer.
Remember one thing - the brake lights go through the turn signal switch on the steering column. It is the Green with a Blue stripe. And, your brake lights will not work without the bulbs in (I know this sounds like I am nuts, every one knows that a bulb has to be in to work, but during testing you may have one bulb removed or unplugged to check out the wires) So tests should be made with both bulbs in place. Also, the factory wire diagram has the G Bu wire listed as G Bl on the left side.
This is a mistake, it is supposed to be G Bu for both brake light assy.
Does this answer your question? I know it sounds too simple, but believe me, that is normally all that it is.
Bill
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
> 2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com [mailto:2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com] > On > Behalf Of > Miles > Sent:
> Monday, January 08, 2007 10:55
> PM
> To:
> 2cylinderhondas@yahoogroups.com
> Subject:
> [2cylinderhondas] New Sedan, Weird Problem
> Well my latest $400.00 sedan runs after only a couple hours of tuning
> and tinkering. It was parked indoors for 10 years but has some
> moderate body damage at the left tail light and left corner lamp
> (reverse light).
> The weird problem is one I have never seen after
> 28 years repairing
> Honda 600's! I guess it could be simple, like the last
> guy didn't know
> a lick about wiring, I already know he wasn't a good
> mechanic, I know
> the guy, he used to sleep in front of my shop and scare
> away my
> customers!
> When I press on the brakes the brake lights
> come on along with all the
> side marker lights and both bright elements for
> the front turn
> signals. All the turn signals work fine, the headlights
> work fine - hi
> & low, the side makers work fine, horn is ok, fuel
> meter ok, hazards
> ok, all ok except when brakes are applied then like I
> said. What's up?
> More digging tomarrow eve and hope I will know.
> Actually now I think
> about it, it might be because it has a single element
> bulb in the left
> tail light socket? So it's crossing to both sides?! Car
> details: 1972
> 600 sedan.
> I have 3 more cars lined up to buy,
> trying to restock my collection
> now since I have a new house with small
> amount of land. Will hold
> another Honda 600 meet this year, everyone is
> invited. I started
> having the meets in 1993 and Bruce Dewing would have
> some in Santa
> Clara, then I'd have some but we haven't had any in a long > while.
> Miles