Adding Tail Lights

[duosport]

So I bought some saddle bags for my bike and they have some built in tail lights on them. I am not sure how they should be wired. Each light has only two leads comming off them. If I wish to integrate it with the wiring of the existing tail light/ brake light how do you think that should be wired? The existing tail light has three wires connected to it. since the saddle bag lights have two wires I am guessing they would be only showing the light during braking.

[duosport]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[duosport]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[Goosey]

What colors are the wires?
The trunk for my scooter connected to both the blinker and tail lights. The tail/brake light connectors were brown /greenw/yellow stripe/ Green , the trunk wires were brown to brown, and the other went to the greenw/yellow stripe , and nothing to the solid green.
It should be ok to try a couple different connections, green and black are grounds.

[duosport]

The saddle bag lights have simply two white wires comming off of each light. The bike itself has three wires comming from the electrical harnress for the tail light. They are White with black line/Black with white line/Brown. There is a three prong connector in a decent sport. I guess I need to find connectors to match and make some sort of by pass to join the new wires in.

[scooterrebel]

I'm betting that your lights on the bags will have to be set up as just tail, brake, or turn signal lights. You would need a three wire light to have tail and brake lights. You could probably change out the socket to a three wire one. If you leave it as a two wire light I'd suggest making them turn signals.

[90GTVert]

I'm with rebel. Either cahnge out the socket if you can to support multi-function or decide what you want. I'd say marker lights (tail light) or blinkers.

[duosport]

Sept 27, 2010 12:14:32 GMT -5 90GTVert said:

I'm with rebel. Either cahnge out the socket if you can to support multi-function or decide what you want. I'd say marker lights (tail light) or blinkers.

Yes that is what I thought since it is only two wires and un color coded at that. I suppose I would most want them to be running lights as that would be a nice added safety feature. Now how do I tap into the wire system to most undamaging way? I do have a three prong quick disconnect near enough to the wires of the bags. I went to the local auto store and did not find that kind of connector there. Nor do they have them at the hardware store. How about a Radio shack?

[90GTVert]

Here's one option for tapping into wires....
www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2104093&CAWELAID=107599355

A lot of times I just use wire strippers and cut through the insulation in the wire I need to tap. Then you can push the insulation away a little on both sides and wrap the wrie you need to tap in around it. Then solder the connection and seal it with heat shrink tubing or electrical tape.

[scooterrebel]

the Tap-In Squeeze Connector has always worked for me. If you do that you might want to wrap it in electrical tape. Or cover it in silicone.

something like this double bullet plug can be helpful too

[duosport]

I bought some tap in connectors and some single clip connectors. Now I need to figure out which wires I tap into. I have three wires going to the tail light brown, Black with White tracer, and White with black tracer.

The brown wire going by my wiring schematic goes to the ignition switch. The Black with white goes to negative of battery. the white with black goes to the brake light switch.

What now?

[90GTVert]

Probably the white with black from what you said there, but the easy way is to use a test light or multimeter and see which one gives you power for the tailight.

[duosport]

So I am gathering that if I want constant tail light on my side bags that I need to tap intoBlack with white line wire as that is my negative and I need to tap into my brown wire which goes to the ignition switch. So tap into these two lines and then make a "Y" wire to branch into two connectors at each tap. Does that make sense?

[duosport]

Sept 28, 2010 21:22:22 GMT -5 90GTVert said:

Probably the white with black from what you said there, but the easy way is to use a test light or multimeter and see which one gives you power for the tailight.

The white with black line goes to my brake switches according to my schematic. If I tap into that I imagine that it would be a brake light on my tail bags I would be adding. I tried touching the wires down in the connector but I grounded out a lead and blew the fuse. It is too easy to make a mistake that way down inside the connector like that.

[90GTVert]

I musta read that all wrong the first time or something? Sorry. Sounds like what you just said. Brown should be the alwys on signal for the tail lights. Obviously the one running to negative battery terminal is the ground.