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Installing a new tail light. What to do with the third wire?

  • Thread starter Thread starter LoopGaroo
  • Start date Start date
L

LoopGaroo

Guest
I recently bought a new taillight and it only has two wires whereas the stock light had three. I see that the extra wire is a ground wire similar to the extra ground wires in the turn signals.

Where should connect this wire to a ground? It's under the fender and there's not a good spot nearby. Can i ground the wire off earlier in its path? or does it need to have a relationship with the new light?
 
The ground wire has to connect to the ground for the new light
 
hmm, so connect both the bike's grounds to the single from the tail light?
 
LoopGaroo said:
hmm, so connect both the bike's grounds to the single from the tail light?
Click to expand...
Is this new light a two filament bulb, or are you doing something unique- i.e. just a taillight or just a brake light? Most lights have a seperate ground wire, so not to rely on grounding thru mounting bolts.
 
Both the stock and new light just have a normal light, with a normal bulb.

It's just a normal light with a read and a black wire, but the stock light had three wires.
 
LoopGaroo said:
Both the stock and new light just have a normal light, with a normal bulb.

It's just a normal light with a read and a black wire, but the stock light had three wires.
Click to expand...
Me no comprehende, "normal light, normal bulb"- does the stock light use a two filament bulb, one for taillight and one for brake light?
 
LoopGaroo said:
Both the stock and new light just have a normal light, with a normal bulb.

It's just a normal light with a read and a black wire, but the stock light had three wires.
Click to expand...
"Normal" bulbs come in all sorts of 'flavors'. "Normal" lights that hold those bulbs come in even more 'flavors'.

Before you do anything to damage the bike, STOP, open up the new light, take a look at the bulb and/or the socket that holds it. It there just one tip on the end of the bulb or two?

If there is just one, you have either a tail light or a brake light, but not both. In that case, the red wire will be your "hot", the black wire will be your "ground".

If your (new) bulb has two tips on the end, you have a dual-filament bulb, which will give you tail and brake functions. In that case you will have to ground the case of the new light (if it's mounted to the fender, be aware that the fender is usually rubber-mounted, therefore isolated). No telling whether the red wire will be your tail or brake filament feed, you will have to check that for yourself.

.
 
I'm sorry for my confusing messages. Thanks for your patience.

I've looked at the new bulb and it's a dual filament type.

Like you predicted Steve, the light is rubber mounted on the fender. So are you suggesting the third wire attaches to the light casing?
 
The suzuki black/white wire needs to be attached to metal housing - this forms the ground for the new light.
 
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