Tail Light Wiring Question

El Matador · July 21, 2009, 10:10:57 AM

Soooo, I'm trying to put on a new taillight on my bike and miserably failing.

It goes a little like this: The new taillight has to wires, each going to a different bulb. One is the running light bulb, while the other, is the stopping light bulb.

Now this is where it gets complicated. I have three wires I have to wire into this thing. One is black (The ground), one is yellow (the running light), and the other one is gray with a red stripe (the stopping light.)

I have no idea on how I'm supposed to wire it in. I've tried any number of different combinations and all I can get is for the running light to turn on. Someone a little more saavy electrically please chime in.

Thanks

NAKID · July 21, 2009, 10:26:30 AM

Is the a place to ground out the stop light? You may have to add an additional ground...

El Matador · July 21, 2009, 10:28:50 AM

Quote from: NAKID on July 21, 2009, 10:26:30 AM
Is the a place to ground out the stop light? You may have to add an additional ground...

I've been fearing that.

How would I go about doing this.

He Man · July 21, 2009, 10:33:10 AM

Edit: to make it more clear

Each bulb should have a hot wire. but they both need a ground. you can either connect both bulbs' ground wire to each other ,and run 1 ground wire out. or have two ground wires( 1 from each bulb) connected to 1 wire and into the bikes ground.

since you only have 2 wires. when you open her up, it sounds like your missing the hot wire for the stopping light. you should have at least 3 wires.

El Matador · July 21, 2009, 10:34:53 AM

Quote from: He Man on July 21, 2009, 10:33:10 AM
open the light up. if its two bulbs, one of the bulbs should connect to the other, or both bulbs should connect to a common ground.

Basically splice both wires to the black ground in the harness and then connect each one to their respective wire in the harness?

Bones · July 21, 2009, 01:12:26 PM

Quote from: El Matador on July 21, 2009, 10:10:57 AM
Soooo, I'm trying to put on a new taillight on my bike and miserably failing.

It goes a little like this: The new taillight has to wires, each going to a different bulb. One is the running light bulb, while the other, is the stopping light bulb.

Now this is where it gets complicated. I have three wires I have to wire into this thing. One is black (The ground), one is yellow (the running light), and the other one is gray with a red stripe (the stopping light.)

I have no idea on how I'm supposed to wire it in. I've tried any number of different combinations and all I can get is for the running light to turn on. Someone a little more saavy electrically please chime in.

Thanks

sounds like you just have to splice the 2 ground wires from the taillight and attach to the ground on the bike and then the other 2 wires coming out of the taillight go to either the stop or the running light. no biggie. if you are not sure which wires coming out of the taillight are ground, just try each set of 2 wires separately and try connecting them to the ground and running light wires of the harness (only one of 2 possible combinations) then you will know which is ground for each bulb on the new taillight.

El Matador · July 21, 2009, 01:21:33 PM

Quote from: Bones on July 21, 2009, 01:12:26 PM
sounds like you just have to splice the 2 ground wires from the taillight and attach to the ground on the bike and then the other 2 wires coming out of the taillight go to either the stop or the running light. no biggie. if you are not sure which wires coming out of the taillight are ground, just try each set of 2 wires separately and try connecting them to the ground and running light wires of the harness (only one of 2 possible combinations) then you will know which is ground for each bulb on the new taillight.

But that's just it, the tail light has no ground wire I can see. Just one wire going directly into each bulb.

stopintime · July 21, 2009, 01:49:25 PM

Quote from: El Matador on July 21, 2009, 01:21:33 PM
But that's just it, the tail light has no ground wire I can see. Just one wire going directly into each bulb.

Maybe it's grounding is based on ground/frame contact through it's (all?) metal parts/brackets/bolts?
Ground connects to the side/cylinder of the bulb, right? Trace ground from there?

Howie · July 22, 2009, 07:06:14 AM

If the running light works I would think you have a ground. Stopintime is correct on how the bulb grounds. Are you getting juice to the bulb when you hit the brake lever? Are both filaments in the bulb good? Is the tab that contacts the brake light filament making good contact? Is the bulb in backwards?

Bones · July 22, 2009, 07:40:31 AM

yes it may be a self-grounding taillight, but it would help TREMENDOUSLY if you post pics.

El Matador · July 22, 2009, 03:59:06 PM

Quote from: Bones on July 22, 2009, 07:40:31 AM
yes it may be a self-grounding taillight, but it would help TREMENDOUSLY if you post pics.

The bulbs are single contact bulbs.

Pics:

NAKID · July 22, 2009, 04:01:59 PM

Quote from: El Matador on July 22, 2009, 03:59:06 PM
The bulbs are single contact bulbs.

Pics:

Pics don't work, you can't link them from your email account...

He Man · July 22, 2009, 04:07:44 PM

matadormoto man. use your space!

El Matador · July 22, 2009, 04:14:38 PM

Quote from: NAKID on July 22, 2009, 04:01:59 PM
Pics don't work, you can't link them from your email account...

Weird, it works just fine for me. I'll host elsewhere

El Matador · July 22, 2009, 04:21:34 PM

lets try this again:

News:

Tail Light Wiring Question