Hi guys, I'm out wrenching on my 94 and have a problem I'm hoping someone can help me with..... last year I replaced my stock tail light assembly with a led unit but I cant remember where I got it from, much smaller light that tucks under the fender nice with a plate holder that comes out at an angle, it's a really nice looking unit and I like it alot but I just tried replacing my reflector in back with a led marker light I bought so I could have an extra brake light and the led tail light is backfeeding into the brake light wire, 3 volts actually. Is there any way to fix this? With the new led marker light hooked up my tail light is so dim you can hardly see it, hit the brakes and it lights up good but I'd like to just keep the marker light off till I hit the brakes that way my tail light stays bright and the marker light stays off till I hit the brakes but I don't know how to stop the backfeeding, any ideas? :confused2: Thanks guys!
LED brake and tail light question?
Help Support VMAX Forum:
4gasem
Well-Known Member
You're running them in parallel and NOT series right? Really shouldn't be an issue.
Is it a www.motorcyclemods.com?
Is it a www.motorcyclemods.com?
Yes it is a motorcyclemods tail light, thanks 4! I have it hooked up just like factory but like I said it's backfeeding to the brake light wire 3 volts and it's making the 2'nd brake light light up all the time and it's pretty bright, when you hit the brakes it does go brighter but only marginally. I'd like to just have the 2'nd one off till I hit the brakes but I have to figure out how to ditch the 3 volt backfeed.
Miles Long
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure what the solution is to your problem -does the vendor have a Helpline? If not, there are lots of people with scads of electrical experience on this forum, eventually someone will come up with the solution. Maybe diodes, to prevent backfeeding?
In any event, I had a similar problem, which has worked to my advantage. I have two tailights, originally equipped with 1157 bulbs. I replaced all four with L.E.D.'s, and found out, with the taillights on, I had 6volts backfeeding into the brake light circuit.
I put some LED marker lights on the soft saddlebags I use when touring.Now, instead of hooking them up to the tailight circuit, I have them plugged into the brake light circuit. The constant six volts is enough to light them up nicely, and when the brake is applied, they are super bright! Consequently, I wound up with four tail/brake lights. " Resistance is futile", as the expression goes, and less resistance, it seems, can be a good thing.
Cheers, Miles
Frosty72
Well-Known Member
So you want the marker light to be off until you hit the brake then you want it to light up? Hope I'm getting this straight.
What color wires are you tapped into for the marker?
What color wires are you tapped into for the marker?
Yes you have it right, I'm tapped into the yellow wire from the bike and that's the brake light lead. I really looked close and I don't think I'll be able to do it this way, it appears that the backfeed is necessary to make the led tail light work right so I'll probably just have to put the reflector back in. Ohh well, it was worth a try and I'm only out $10
dannymax
Well-Known Member
Mine did the same thing when I installed the Lankee reflector conversion....I had to sen it back to him, he added some little do-dat and it's worked fine ever since.
Lankee isn't on the forum any longer but there are 'lectrical guru's on here that can help you....idea, PM COPRUNNER he knows this stuff, bet he can help.
COP RUNNER
Well-Known Member
i . THANKS FOR THE VOTE OF CONFIDENCE DANNY ! .. WHERE IS NILES ? DO YOU HAVE A TEST LIGHT ? .. AND CAN WE TALK ON THE PHONE ? .. http://www.motorcyclemods.com/
COP RUNNER
Well-Known Member
I JUST RE-RED THIS THREAD AND I'M NOT SURE HOW SOME OF YOUR TAIL LIGHTS CAN BACK FEED OVER TO THE BRAKE LIGHT , OR VISE VERSA , THEY ARE TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT CIRCUITS , THE TAIL LIGHT SHOULD HAVE 3 WIRES , ONE IS FOR GROUND , ( AND WITH L.E.D. LIGHTS , THE BLACK ONE IS NOT ALWAYS THE GROUND ! ) ONE GOES TO THE TAIL LIGHT , ON/OFF WITH THE KEY , AND THE OTHER GOES TO THE BRAKE LIGHT WIRE ( ON/OFF WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED ) , BOTH BRAKE LIGHT SWITCHES ( ON FRONT BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER , AND ON THE REAR BRAKE FOOT LEVER ) ARE EITHER OPENED OR CLOSED , THERE IS NO PROGRESSION OF VOLTAGE , SO IF YOUR GROUND IS GOOD , AND THE WIRES ARE ALL HOOKED UP CORRECTLY , I'M NOT SURE HOW THERE CAN BE ANY FEED BACK TO THE OTHER CIRCUIT LIKE THE L.E.D. TURN SIGNALS DO THROUGH THE INDICATOR ! .. :confused2:
COP RUNNER
Well-Known Member
i THESE ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOUR TAIL LIGHT , ON PAGE # 2 AT THE BOTTOM , IT TELLS YOU HOW TO HOOK IT UP , YOU SHOULD HAVE A TEST LIGHT , ( PREFERABLY A TWO WIRE SO IT SHOWS POWER OR GROUND WITHOUT HAVING TO DISCONNECT IT AND REVERSE THE WIRE ! ) AND A PAD / PEN , DISCONNECT THE WIRES FROM THE FACTORY HARNESS , THERE WILL BE 3 WIRES , TURN THEY KEY ON , ONE WIRE WILL BE GROUND , THATS YOUR GROUND , ONE WIRE WILL BE HOT , THATS YOUR TAIL LIGHT FEED , HOOK TEST LIGHT TO THE THIRD WIRE , IT SHOULD BE DEAD , NOW APPLY THE BRAKE , IT SHOULD NOW BE HOT , WRITE DOWN ON THE PAD WHAT WIRE WAS WHAT , AND I'M NOT IMPRESSED WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS WHEN THEY SAY IF IT DOESN'T WORK CORRECTLY TO SWITCH THE TWO FEED WIRES , IS THAT BECAUSE THEIR LIGHT COULD BE WIRED WRONG ? .. :confused2:http://02cdabb.netsolhost.com/motorcyclemods/products/VT750%20Tailmod%20Instruction.pdf
COP RUNNER
Well-Known Member
i ALSO , YOU CAN USE A 9 VOLT RADIO BATTERY TO BENCH TEST YOUR TAIL LIGHT , THIS WAY YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE IT OFF AND HOLD IT ONTO YOUR BATTERY IN THE BIKE / OR RUN JUMPERS , ITS MUCH EASYER WITH A 9 VOLT ! .. SO TEST THE SAME WAY YOU WOULD WITH A TEST LIGHT ON THE BIKE , BUT WITH THE 9 VOLT YOUR SUPPLING THE POWER , SO WRITE DOWN ON THE PAD WHAT WIRE IS WHAT ON THE TAIL/BRAKE LIGHT , AND THEN HOOK THEM UP ! .. DON'T HOOK UP THE OTHER LIGHT YOU HAVE FOR YOUR REFLECTOR LOCATION YET , DOES IT WORK CORRECTLY ? .. IF IT DOES , NOW HOOK THE GROUND WIRE FROM THE LIGHT YOU HAVE TO A GROUND AND THE OTHER WIRE TO THE BRAKE LIGHT WIRE GOING TO YOU REAR LIGHT ! .. LET ME NO WHAT YOU FIND OUT ! .. I ALSO INSTALLED L.E.D. 3 WIRE TURN SIGNALS ALL THE WAY AROUND , SO THAT I HAVE A TAIL LIGHT AND TWO REAR RUNNING LIGHTS ( ALL RED ) . BECAUSE FROM THE FACTORY , THE TWO REAR TURN SIGNALS ARE NOT RUNNING LIGHTS , THEY ARE ONLY LIT WHEN TURN SIGNAL IS ON !
Attachments
COP RUNNER
Well-Known Member
i KEEP US POSTED AND IT WILL GET FIXED BY ONE OF US ! ..
unkS. IF YOU CAN BRING YOUR BIKE TO NEW JERSEY , I WILL GLADLY HELP YOU WITH ANY ISSUES THAT IT HAS , WORSE CASE I'LL MAKE YOU THE SAME TAIL LIGHT SET-UP THAT I MADE FOR MINE ! ... THANK GOD I DIDN'T HAVE SOME OF THE ISSUES WITH MINE THAT SOME OF YOU GUYS HAD WITH YOURS , I'D BE PULLING MY FRIGGING HAIR OUT BY NOW ! .. :damn angry: . :damn angry: . :damn angry:
COP RUNNER
Well-Known Member
i ANY LUCK ? . THE SUSPENSE IS FRIGGING KILLING ME ! . :damn angry: . :confused2: .:rofl_200: .:biglaugh:
ninjaneer
Well-Known Member
ok, so i understand you have replaced the stock tail light and want the marker light to be off until you hit the brakes. i have the stock tail light with the marker light that only goes on when you hit the brakes. i'm visual and need pics to understand how you wired it, but perhaps it would be useful to you to know that there were two sets of wires leading to the stock light and i wired my marker light to the set of wires that fed the second bulb, which made the stock tail light brighten up when you hit the brakes. sorry if i'm offering useless information.
Got the second brake light working today, bought some 1.5 amp diode's from Radioshack and put one inline to the brake light switch wire so it couldn't backfeed then just tapped in and everything works perfect! :eusa_dance:
Ebein_486
Well-Known Member
Niles is in SW michigan, just north of South Bend Indiana... and where my _____:angry flame::real mad::double angry bird::th_flipthebird: Ex Wife lives.
coolmax
Well-Known Member
Not to hyjack this thread but who makes the LED tail/brake light that replaces and looks just like the factory reflector?
ninjaneer
Well-Known Member
you can find them most anywhere where auto markers are sold. i got my "reflector" replacement from wally world. i've seen them at the auto parts stores, harbor frieght, and even superbrightleds.com (when i bought my gauge leds). that is if your talking about this:
Similar threads
