Extra wire in headlamp needs a home

[Guest]

PO seems to have left me another mystery:

Found this lead which appears to have two brown wires (in and out?) which is using a bullet connector and have no idea where it goes.

It is the wire pointing down, towards the bottom of the photo

Any ideas?

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Check your wiring diagram. That should be an extra switched 12v line. It is often used to power running lights up front for those blinkers that have dual-filament bulbs.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[littleroot]

Hi,

Check your wiring diagram. That should be an extra switched 12v line. It is often used to power running lights up front for those blinkers that have dual-filament bulbs.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

Ooh, maybe I could use it to hook up things like glove warmer or something? Cool!

I'll try to trace it down

Thanks,
-Bob

[Steve]

I agree that it is commonly used to power the running light filaments in the turn signals (if you have dual-filament bulbs, that is).

I would really think twice (or more) about using it for "glove warmers" or any other device that draws a substatial amount of current. That brown wire is fed by the headlight fuse, so if you overload it with a heater, you could very easily be riding in the dark on a cool night.

Feel free to use that brown wire to trigger a relay that will provide power to your glove warmer (or heated hand grips), as that will not tend to overload the headlight fuse. Since that brown wire goes OFF when you turn the key OFF, it will ensure that your warmers will not draw down the battery if you happen to leave them on.

.

[Suzuki_Don]

I think on most GS wiring diagrams you will see that the BROWN wire goes from the ignition switch to the rear parking light and has this connector up front in case you want to connect a parking light in the headlight in some way. This wire only becomes active when the ignition switch is in the PARK position and the key has been removed.

I could be wrong, I have been before.

[Steve]

I think on most GS wiring diagrams you will see that the BROWN wire goes from the ignition switch to the rear parking light and has this connector up front in case you want to connect a parking light in the headlight in some way. This wire only becomes active when the ignition switch is in the PARK position and the key has been removed.

I could be wrong, I have been before.

Well, you are at least partly right.

Looking at your wiring diagram again, you should notice that the brown wire is, in fact, connected to the tail light when the key is in the PARK position, but it's not the only time it's active. When the key is in the ON position, the brown wire is connected to the Gray wire, which is connected to all the other lights on the bike, which are all fed by the headlight fuse.

.

[Suzuki_Don]

Well, you are at least partly right.

Looking at your wiring diagram again, you should notice that the brown wire is, in fact, connected to the tail light when the key is in the PARK position, but it's not the only time it's active. When the key is in the ON position, the brown wire is connected to the Gray wire, which is connected to all the other lights on the bike, which are all fed by the headlight fuse.

.

I stand corrected. As I said I have been wrong before. This just adds to the total. That's three times now.

[Steve]

Yeah, I sorta know the feeling, too.

I thought I made a mistake once, ... but I was wrong!

.

[Einstein]

Yeah, I sorta know the feeling, too.

I thought I made a mistake once, ... but I was wrong!

.

LOL

Rule 1.
I am always right...

Rule 2.
If I am wrong, see rule 1.

John