SuzukiSavage.com - new brake light wiring problem...

ajhoff83

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new brake light wiring problem...
12/10/12 at 17:08:26

So I bought a new brake light for my bike. It has one green wire and one black wire. The bulb is a dual filiment, as its meant to be a running light and brake light.

So when I took the old one off I saw 3 wires. One black/white stripe, one brown and one white/black stripe. Looking at the old light it looked like the black one was a ground. Taking this into assumption I tried to wire it as such. Well long story short no matter what way I configure the 3 wires I can only get the light to either be always on, only on when im braking, or on BUT shuts off when I squeeze the brake?! And ive only ever gotten 1 of the filaments in the bulb to come on. Bulb is new and good.

I tried all combinations and using what I though was the ground seems to be the only way to get it to stay on. What wire does what?!? Any help would be great.

PS I think that the white wire controls the brake.

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Serowbot YaBB Moderator ModSquad Offline OK.... so what's the speed of dark? Posts: 28662 Tucson Az Gender:	Re: new brake light wiring problem... Reply #1 - 12/10/12 at 17:44:39 A 2 wire dual filament light uses the housing as ground... black/white band wires are ground on the Savage... Run that wire to metal on the light housing,.. and the other 2 wires are hot..
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Blinky-FSO Serious Thumper Offline Three Eyes Are Better Than Two Posts: 528 Kentucky Gender:	Re: new brake light wiring problem... Reply #2 - 12/10/12 at 17:45:02 It may ground through the case and, if so, the two wires would be for the running light and then the brake light. Just a thought. Good hunting
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Digger

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Re: new brake light wiring problem...
Reply #3 - 12/10/12 at 18:24:15

ajhoff83 wrote on 12/10/12 at 17:08:26:

So I bought a new brake light for my bike. It has one green wire and one black wire. The bulb is a dual filiment, as its meant to be a running light and brake light.

So when I took the old one off I saw 3 wires. One black/white stripe, one brown and one white/black stripe. Looking at the old light it looked like the black one was a ground. Taking this into assumption I tried to wire it as such. Well long story short no matter what way I configure the 3 wires I can only get the light to either be always on, only on when im braking, or on BUT shuts off when I squeeze the brake?! And ive only ever gotten 1 of the filaments in the bulb to come on. Bulb is new and good.

I tried all combinations and using what I though was the ground seems to be the only way to get it to stay on. What wire does what?!? Any help would be great.

PS I think that the white wire controls the brake.

What year is your bike? And, do the bike's taillight wires look OEM?

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Digger
2001, Metallic Glacial Blue, Raptor Petcock, Verslavy (first hole) (otherwise, mechanically, the bike is stock), 13,xxx miles
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ajhoff83 YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 25 Madison, WI Gender:	Re: new brake light wiring problem... Reply #4 - 12/10/12 at 18:32:19 the bike is an 88, everything is definitely stock. I tried grounding it to the fender bolts but not the housing of the light...
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newriverjunkie

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Re: new brake light wiring problem...
Reply #5 - 12/10/12 at 19:05:41

I just replaced my brake light with one similar to what you're describing. As long as you have a good frame ground to the spot you are mounting your light it should light up as long as the other two wires are done correctly. If I remember correctly the brown wire (in the harness) is your running light wire, the white/black is your braking wire and the black/white is your ground (since the stock light does not ground through the housing). On my light there is a red and a black wire, red being the running light and black being the braking light. Make sure you are getting correct contact between the housing of your new light and the METAL part you are attaching it to on the bike, if you can't get a good contact you can do what Serowbot said and run the black/white wire to either the housing or one of the bolts on the new light. Then it is just a matter of temporarily connecting your two other two wires and turning the ignition on then hitting the brake and make sure the light lights up correctly. Without seeing the light I would assume that your green wire is your running light and the black one is your braking light, but again that's without seeing the light so I don't know. I just taped up the ground (in the harness) and then taped it to the other two wires in case I ever change the light in the future I can go back and re-use the ground wire.

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Johnny57

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Re: new brake light wiring problem...
Reply #6 - 12/10/12 at 19:10:49

Add a third wire and hook it to the housing of your light with a connector. That wire will go to the black/white of the bike which is the ground. The other two wires are for each filament of your bulb. I can't remember exactly but I believe the running light on the bike is brown and you can connect it to the Red on the light and connect the white/black(or the other color) to the black. If you don't like it that way switch it. The only thing you have to have right is the Black/white from the bike going to a bolt on the light housing.

I meant green on light not red....does not really matter just get the grounnd right.

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ajhoff83 YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 25 Madison, WI Gender:	Re: new brake light wiring problem... Reply #7 - 12/11/12 at 09:46:11 thanks everyone! I had to try a couple different bolts to get it to work and buy some wire to extend things but its working now! PS: thats a Stormtrooper light for all you nerds out there
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