Wiring for running lights

[tas850g]

I have aftermarket dual filament lights on my 86 1100 but the running lights are not wired. There are 3 wires coming from the lights, 1 red, 1 black/white, and 1 black. The black is low filament and the black/white is high filament.

The problem I have is from the main wiring loom on the right side there is 1 green wire that plugs into the red wire and there are 2 wires from the main loom that merge into one wire which I then plug into (via bullet) the black/white high filament wire.

On the left side there appears to be only 1 wire that plugs into the black/white wire of the light. This 1 wire from the main loom has electrical tape wrapped around it a couple inches back from the bullet connector so maybe there is actually 2 wires here. I'll look to see what's going on.

The lights are currently wired so the high filament lights work as the directions only with no running lights.

The question I have is can I rewire this to have the low filament as running lights, as it should be, and the high filament as the blinkers?

 

[Redman]

I have aftermarket dual filament lights on my 86 1100 but the running lights are not wired. There are 3 wires coming from the lights, 1 red, 1 black/white, and 1 black. The black is low filament and the black/white is high filament..
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About your aftermarket lights:
Lets verify what you stated (quoted above).
Is this from your obsevation, your deduction? Or do you have some info that came with the lights that state this?
Reason I ask is that blk/wht is typically the common (what would connect to the base of the bulb in the t/signal, and what should be connected to the ground blk/wht wire from bike).

About the wiring on your bike:
I dont know specifically about a GSXR,
but if assume the same as on a GS:
- Grn is right turn
- Blk is left turn
- Wht is brake light (but you dont need that one for this)
- Brn is tail light (also called running light)
- Blk/Wht is ground (and there may be multiple ones of them plugged into each other)

To answer your question:
Yes, you should be able to connect low lights to the brown (brn) wire of the bike.
But..... if you have the turnsignals wired wrong already, it may not work as expected.

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The problem I have is from the main wiring loom on the right side there is 1 green wire that plugs into the red wire and there are 2 wires from the main loom that merge into one wire which I then plug into (via bullet) the black/white high filament wire.
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That seems proper to me, if, IF the lights red wire is high (and it is connected to the bikes grn wire). And,if, IF the lights blk/wht wire is conencted to the bikes blk/wht wire which is the bikes ground wire, which you didnt describe. Maybe you can verify that.

And I think your lights wires are like this
- red is high (like you say already works)
- blk/wht is common (connects to base of bulb)
- and then blk must be the low.

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...On the left side there appears to be only 1 wire that plugs into the black/white wire of the light. This 1 wire from the main loom has electrical tape wrapped around it a couple inches back from the bullet connector so maybe there is actually 2 wires here. I'll look to see what's going on.
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You only described connection to one of the wires of the light.

I suggest that before proceeding further that we verify the function of each wire on your aftermarket lights.

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[tas850g]

I just tested the lights. I connected the red to the positive on a battery. Then I connected the black wire only to the negative on the battery and the light lit up but was dim. I then connected the black/white wire only to the negative pole on the battery and the light lit up and was much brighter than the other a configuration. So this is how I came up with the dual filament theory lights I must have.

I observed the number of wires coming from the wiring loom.

 

[Steve]

I just tested the lights. I connected the red to the positive on a battery. Then I connected the black wire only to the negative on the battery and the light lit up but was dim. I then connected the black/white wire only to the negative pole on the battery and the light lit up and was much brighter than the other a configuration. So this is how I came up with the dual filament theory lights I must have.

Try something else, if you would, please. ray:

Our bikes use a NEGATIVE ground system.
Connect the black/white wire to the battery NEGATIVE terminal.
Touch the RED wire to the battery POSITIVE terminal, observe the results.
Touch the BLACK wire to the battery POSITIVE terminal, observe the results.
Please report these results.

I think you will find that the black/white is the common wire. I am suspecting the black wire will be your running (dim) filament, your red wire will be your turn (bright) filament.

By connecting the red to positive and the black to negative, you were actually going through BOTH filaments, but the dim filament will restrict the current to the low brightness setting. When you connected the black/white to the negative (keeping the red on the positive), you were using only the bright filament.

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[TheCafeKid]

Try something else, if you would, please. ray:

Our bikes use a NEGATIVE ground system.
Connect the black/white wire to the battery NEGATIVE terminal.
Touch the RED wire to the battery POSITIVE terminal, observe the results.
Touch the BLACK wire to the battery POSITIVE terminal, observe the results.
Please report these results.

I think you will find that the black/white is the common wire. I am suspecting the black wire will be your running (dim) filament, your red wire will be your turn (bright) filament.

By connecting the red to positive and the black to negative, you were actually going through BOTH filaments, but the dim filament will restrict the current to the low brightness setting. When you connected the black/white to the negative (keeping the red on the positive), you were using only the bright filament.

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This is correct from every aftermarket set ive used.

If anything, plugging your lights in backwards will only cause either the signals to NOT work, or in reverse (running light brighter than the signal light).

 

[Flyboy]

Can one not just pull the lense off and loosen the globe socket and have a look where the wires connect to?

 

[tas850g]

Try something else, if you would, please. ray:

Our bikes use a NEGATIVE ground system.
Connect the black/white wire to the battery NEGATIVE terminal.
Touch the RED wire to the battery POSITIVE terminal, observe the results.
Touch the BLACK wire to the battery POSITIVE terminal, observe the results.
Please report these results.



By connecting the black/white wire to the negative terminal and touching the red to the positive it lights up bright.

By connecting the black/white wire to the negative terminal and touching the black wire to the positive the light is dim.

By connecting the black/white wire to the negative terminal and connecting the black wire to the positive terminal (light is dim) then taping the positive terminal with the red wire this creates the blinking of a direction signal.

I will unwrap the left wires from the loom to see if there is a third wire in there.

what should I do next?

 

[tas850g]

There is no 3rd wire in the left sided wire loom.

 

[tom203]

I have a number of aftermarket turn/ running lights- all use the black/white wire as ground, i.e. this wire connects to bulb base. If in doubt open one up and convince yourself. Miswired, it will light up, but not if you plan to use one filament for turn and another for running.

 

[DanTheMan]

The "running/tail light" wire in the loom (on mine) has a bullet connector attached to that doubled single wire that splits it for my front markers. I believe that's the way my bike came from the factory, as the "G" parts bike I have is also wired that way and it's vin tag only puts it a few months different than mine.

 

[Steve]

... what should I do next?

Overall, you should see in your bike's main wiring harness one (light) green wire for the right turn signal, one black wire for the left turn signal, a black/white wire that may end in a double female bullet connector, a brown wire that will end in a single female bullet connector.

For each light assembly, connect the black/white wire to the bike's black/white wire. You will have to make a splitter for the bike's brown wire. Connect the light's black wire (dim filament) to the splitter. Connect the light's red wire (bright filament) to the appropriate wire for that side's turn signal.

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[tas850g]

There are no double female bullets for the front turn signals. I believe there is one for the rear signals though.

I'll take a look at it tomorrow and report back.

 

[Steve]

There are no double female bullets for the front turn signals. I believe there is one for the rear signals though.

It's been a while since I have been inside the headlight bucket, but I could have sworn there were.
Will have to check it out when I get home in another 4 1/2 weeks.

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